“To hope, dream, and create is to suffer” – Queen Malgosha, A Minecraft Movie
For more than 16 years, Minecraft has retained a chokehold on popular culture. From the music parodies and ‘Let’s Plays’ of the 2010s to the star castings and big screens of modern cinema, the concepts of agency and individualism have been wrought within the game’s core identity.
Translating these critical themes from a game world, which allows for the player’s input, to the conventions of filmmaking ought to be an impossible feat, however, Jared Hess prevailed as a director, using A Minecraft Movie to explore the necessities of community and self-esteem within an increasingly materialistic society.
This struggle between the joys of human connection and the falsities of greed is best shown in the two stars of this triumph, Steve and Garret “The Garbage Man” Garrison, played by Jack Black and Jason Momoa, respectively.
Steve can best be understood as a true individual, one untainted by others’ and society’s expectations in his actions to quit his desk job and pursue his passion for mining. Steve’s yearning for the mines represents a true individual’s rejection of societal restrictions for the sake of their sole fulfillment.
His town, titled Chugglas, Idhao, worships a Potato Idol named Chuggy, a symbol of Western civilization’s strive for monetary success. By breaking free from this ‘cult,’ Steve acts as the Diogenes against middle-stage capitalism.
This quest for rock and stone propelled him into the Overworld, a place constructed of cubic formations. In this new world, Steve befriended a canine named Dennis, leading to a strong friendship. This distinct connection between man and dog forms the heart of this film, as Steve’s decisions are based on his desire to protect his pet from the Piglin Queen Malgosha.
In contrast, Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison seeks joy not in others, but in his wealth and accomplishments. He dwells in the past on his earning of Gamer of the Year 1989 to hide his insecurities and failures, causing him to lash out after spending nine hundred dollars on a box for an Atari Cosmos.
Using his ego as a shield from the world, he hides himself not only from criticism but from forming authentic relationships. When modern capitalism suppressed his idea of the American Dream, Garrent was forced to seek the riches of the Overworld to support his business.
On their journey to collect the Earth Crystal from the Woodland Mansion, Garrett extorts Steve with the Orb of Dominance to divert their path toward the diamond mine. Garrett believed that by collecting the diamonds within the mine, he would have enough money to save his dying business, showing his commitment to material possessions.
This dramatically upsets Henry, played by Sebastian Hansen, who lashes out at Garrett for slowing the group down for his own greed. This moment forced Garrett to reconsider his love of money: “Is my business worth the lives of my friends?”
After collecting the Earth Crystal and witnessing the corruption of the Chicken Jockey (more on this later), in a stunning sign of character growth, Garrett sacrifices himself to save Henry and Steve, realizing that the mortal human connections he has with them are worth more than any number of diamonds he can mine.
Unlike Garrett’s character arc, Queen Malgosha remained extensively rapacious throughout the plot, letting it consume her until Steve defeated her in the finale – rivaling the climax of Avengers: Endgame. However, similar to Garrett, Queen Malgosha remains stuck in her past after her humiliation on Nether’s Got Talent.
It is in Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison’s shift from acting as the foil to Steve to eventually acting as the foil to Queen Malgosha that acts as the heart of this masterpiece; however, one must ask, “What event caused his sudden change of heart?” This event is the alteration of the chicken jockey at the woodland mansion.
Within the fighting arena, the audience is first exposed to the simple chicken, a passive creature on its own, unable to hurt others. Once the vicious baby zombie, an embodiment of the horrors of materialism, lands on top of the chicken, the fowl is warped into a monster, willing to attack Garrett at any moment.
It is only after this transformation from a harmless creature to a servant of false objects that Steve blurts out the warning “CHICKEN JOCKEY” as a message to convey this prime example of the distortion of man to the conformities of society and material wealth. This moment, acting as the climax of the themes explored in this epic, subconsciously sent the viewing world into a craze, clapping furiously and hurling snacks at the screen.
Despite all of the struggles Garrett and his friends had faced, throughout all the battles and arguments they may have had, A Minecraft Movie teaches us that, although our ambitions may injure us like what Queen Malgosha believes, it is the people we form connections with along our journey through life that give our lives meaning. Despite our eventual demise, it is in the human instinct to find meaning through compassion and love, not conquest and wealth.
To say that I merely enjoyed this film on a surface level would be a colossal disrespect to the subtle messaging in every scene of this triumph, placing itself firmly within the history of cinema, standing on the standards of Citizen Kane and the Godfather. This film will continue to be studied by and inspire generations of writers and directors for years to come.