Review: A Minecraft Movie

Chicken Jockey. Benjamin Jerome (12) pulls up an image of the infamous chicken jockey. “The Minecraft Movie was the best film of the year. I had a great time watching the movie,” Jerome said. Photo Credit: Arlo Gibbs

Over 300 million copies of the game Minecraft have been sold since its release in 2009, making it the most purchased game of all time. The sandbox-style game opens a world of creativity for users to build, explore, and custom create a world.  

Players can experience a single-player game mode or play multiplayer with friends. The game also includes survival mode, creative mode, spectator mode, hardcore mode, and adventure mode; allowing users to conform the game to play how they would like.  As the game has grown and gained popularity, the franchise expanded, and various versions were created: Minecraft Story Mode (2015-17), Minecraft Earth (2019-21), Minecraft Dungeons (2020), and Minecraft Legends (2023). 

The newest addition to the Minecraft journey was added in 2025, with “A Minecraft Movie” being released to theaters. Starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, Director Jared Hess brought the game into a story, combining the real world and Minecraft into one.  The film, although only rated 47% on rotten tomatoes, immediately became a fan favorite, with a reported $816 million in sales globally.  

After hearing the hype, I decided to watch the movie for myself. Walking into the theater I was immediately taken aback by the number and variety of people there. From teenagers to parents and little kids, the theater was filled up with little to no empty seats to be found. The movie itself was extremely entertaining, with a smile always being left on my face as well as my friends and many scenes that brought out a laugh. The plot of the movie followed the journey of four seemingly regular people, as they are pulled into the world of Minecraft through a mysterious portal. They embark on a quest to return home, guided by the notorious Minecraft character Steve (played by Jack Black).  

These clips, the chicken jockey scene in particular, have gone viral on TikTok, with people throwing popcorn, drinks, and in extreme cases, live chickens, into the air during the scene.

The movie is well known for a couple scenes in particular, with TikToks going viral of people reacting to the scenes in question. These were especially entertaining to watch, as people screamed lines such as: “I... am Steve”, “Flint and Steel”, “The Nether”, and everyone's favorite, “Chicken Jockeyyy.” These clips, the chicken jockey scene in particular, have gone viral on TikTok, with people throwing popcorn, drinks, and in extreme cases, live chickens, into the air during the scene. “I’ve seen clips of people throwing popcorn and yelling chicken jockey all over my TikTok. I think it’s funny, but I do feel bad for the workers who have to clean up after,” Paige Runions (12) said. 

These scenes added comedic value to the movie, keeping everyone entertained and laughing. “I had a great time, I thought it was very funny, and I would definitely recommend it if you haven’t watched it.  My favorite part was when everyone yelled ‘chicken jockey’, because I've seen clips of people doing it and it was awesome to experience in real life,” Parker Hollatz (11) said. 

In some theaters, the celebrations have gotten so out of hand; people were removed from the theater mid-movie. Some theaters have gone to the measure of placing security guards in the theaters to make sure the damage is minimal. 

The movie is a crowd favorite and is one of the best movies to watch in theaters for the unique experience. With record breaking numbers and positive reviews from viewers, “A Minecraft Movie” was a huge success, bringing a favorite childhood game of many to the big screen. With the success of the movie, a sequel is coming to theaters with a release date to be announced. Will it live up to the hype of the first? We will find out soon.