Background
There is a new popular movie
currently in theaters called A Minecraft Movie that is based on the 2009
creative and survival video game Minecraft. It follows the main
protagonist, Steve, in a world that is infinitely generated out of blocks,
across different biomes (unique regions that have their own climate, plants,
animals, etc.). The main objective in the game is for the character to defeat
the Ender Dragon. This is where the movie heads in a completely different
direction from the actual video game.
The movie is a good way to make new
and old fans of the game feel like they can be connected as a community
regardless of age, ethnicity and even gender. This can also be a good way to
introduce new people to the game if they have not yet heard of it, and after
watching the movie, they can compare both to see which of the two they liked
best overall.
Game
Mechanics
At
the beginning of the game, Steve spawns in an infinity generated world with
zero items on him. This is a big factor in the game because it makes the player
explore different biomes and locations to find certain materials needed to get
upgrades on his gear. In the game, the hostile mobs that show up when it is
nighttime are fairly weak in a sense compared to other mobs. This is because
the mobs can’t really do much except walk towards you. They do not have any
features that allow them to climb up walls or anything past two blocks.
The
issue with the movie comes from the fact that Steve has all the resources he
needs without having the need to mine the materials himself when he spawns in
the world. If Steve has the stuff he needs from the very beginning, there is no
point in going out of his way to explore, making it so he doesn’t find new
locations and discover new mobs. Another factor that the movie failed to
demonstrate was that they make the zombies seem more dangerous by making them
able to climb walls and attack in hoards, unlike the video game. Failing to
keep the originality of the game.
Overall
Best: Video Game
Graphics
A
good factor that comes from the movie, apart from having Jack Black as the lead
role, is the semi decent CGI and green screen they use. The VFX team for this
movie did a good job representing the game considering that it is mostly made
of cubes, making it hard to attain realism and the original design at the same
time. The overworld in the movie does a good job of showing how different areas
around the world look, from the trees to the mountains and even the village
that Steve is staying in. Having the surroundings look realistic but making
sure that there aren’t any round objects. The Nether, a fiery dimension, on the
other hand, is represented to be this gloomy place where piglin, pig-like
creatures drawn to gold, are stationed at. The mobs are also well-made,
although they may seem a bit out of the ordinary since they are square shaped.
Weird how all the characters in the movie don’t question that matter.
Image by François Bellay from Pixabay
In
the game, the whole of the world is just cubed blocks, without any sort of
round objects to be seen. The Nether in the game is shown to be covered in lava
while barely having any areas to walk, making it so if you take one wrong step,
you can fall and lose all your progress. There is hardly any light in the
Nether except for some glowing pieces of “glowstone”, a yellow block that emits
light, and the lava. This can cause the game to be unpleasant in the Nether due
to low visibility.
Overall
Best: Movie
Dialogue
One
difference that is most notably visible in the movie compared to the video game
is the fact that the characters have dialogue throughout the film. Since this
movie is rated PG and was meant for kids, older people might cringe at the fact
that the characters are mixing in phrases that is not particularly said out in
the real world, such as: “flint and steel”, “(t)his is a crafting table”,
“(t)he Nether”, etc. This may be one of the downsides of the film, even though
it is needed. The acting in this can also be represented as hard to watch if
you really pay attention to it. In most cases, you will only go to see the film
because it is a live action adaptation to the game you played as a child and
not really for the acting itself.
When
you play single player, you are not really talking to yourself but playing with
some music or even just listening to the background noise of the game instead.
Although, if you were to play multiplayer with some friends, you might slip in
some cringy phrases and get some laughs throughout the gameplay, which is most
likely what the film was trying to go for. The only type of “dialogue” the game
has is when you beat the game, and it gives you a poem that doesn’t really have
much meaning to the game. It talks about how life and the game are similar to
each other and going out and explore so you don’t have any regrets in the
future about the stuff you didn’t do.
Overall
Best: Video Game
Villain
Everything
about the film was mostly accurate except when it came down to the antagonist. In
the movie, the main antagonist is Malgosha, the piglin leader. She is not
located in the End but in the Nether, completely changing the aspects of the
game. Malgosha has an objective throughout the film, which is to destroy the
overworld. This makes the experience of watching the film bland due to the fact
that we got to see an antagonist that isn’t officially a part of the game. Although,
it can also make it feel new and refreshed because we have yet to see this
character in the game.
In
the game, the main antagonist is the Ender Dragon, which can be found in the
End, a dimension with a bottomless pit. For you to reach the End, you need to
travel thousands of blocks away from where you loaded in the game just to find
the End portal. Throughout the way, you can get resources to better help you
defeat the Ender Dragon. This aspect of the game makes it so you get excited
for what’s to come, giving you an objective to do while also playing the game
for fun. The Ender Dragon’s objective is to fly around and try to protect the
End from the player.
Overall
Best: Video Game
Overview
Overall,
the video game will always be better than the movie. The film does a good job
representing certain aspects of the game that not many people would catch,
while also making it enjoyable in the process. Giving the adaptation a 7/10
overall. If you want to see what the video game is all about without wanting to
purchase the game, the movie can be a good stepping off point to what you are
about to get yourself into. If you already know what the game is all about, the
movie can be a good refresher of what you have missed, while also putting in
niche references that gamers would understand. But if you want to have a good
experience watching the movie, playing the game beforehand can be a good
recommendation, even if it is just for a few hours.
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