Blocks, Popcorn, and Heartstrings: The Future of Cinema Needs 'A Minecraft Movie'

'A Minecraft Movie' - saving cinema as we know it

INTRODUCTION: WAIT, THERE’S A MINECRAFT MOVIE?

Yes, there is. And yes, I went.

Let’s back up. I didn’t walk into that cinema expecting a spiritual experience. I was expecting an hour and a half of blocky pixels, snarky voiceovers, and product placement so blatant it would make a Fast & Furious sequel blush. But what I got instead was a little slice of magic—and more importantly, a front-row seat to my son’s blossoming love for cinema.

So this isn’t just about the Minecraft movie. It’s about why these kinds of films matter. Why cinema matters. And why watching your six-year-old gasp, laugh, and emotionally invest in a character made entirely of polygons might be the most heartwarming thing that happens to you all week.

THE SETTING: DADS, DUBAI, AND A REGULATORY BLANKET

Let me set the scene. Saturday morning in Dubai. 38 degrees Celsius before breakfast. My son, James, is bouncing around the living room like a caffeine-powered kangaroo. Minecraft is his current obsession, his religion, his bedtime story.

We head to a cinema with air-con strong enough to freeze time. I take the regulatory blanket, as always—Dubai cinemas could double as meat lockers. I get us popcorn, he demands Maltesers, weirdly (and probably never will again). As the film starts, James imemdiately goes quiet and boom, he's in the zone.

THE FILM: BLOCKS OF EMOTION

Without giving away spoilers (in case you care deeply about the plot arc of a Minecraft creeper), the movie was... fine. Totally watchable. Technically solid. The effects were serviceable—not exactly groundbreaking, but considering they were mimicking an 8-bit blocky world, probably not too difficult to pull off either.

Jason Momoa for me was the standout. He hammed it up to the max which was great to see considering he’s normally the über-serious tough guy in everything. He was fun to watch.

Jack Black, meanwhile, just did Jack Black—which, honestly, was a smart bit of casting for the target audience. He knows his role and does it well.

The rest of the cast? Honestly, pretty forgettable. They played it straight and got buried under the noise of Momoa, Black, and the general chaos of the plot. The whole thing chugged along with the sort of pace you’d expect from a big-budget kids’ movie which is great as many of these films honestly send me to sleep at the third act.

But what really struck me wasn’t the cast or the animation. It was James. He sat forward for the entire film. No fidgeting. No asking when it would end. No requests for more snacks. Just wide-eyed wonder and the occasional uncontrollable giggle.

He adored the references to Minecraft—his favourite game—and seeing it come to life on the big screen blew his little mind.

As someone who works in video, I know how hard it is to hold attention. So watching a room full of children—and, honestly, a fair few grownups—completely immersed? That’s not easy. That’s movie magic.

CINEMA AS A RITE OF PASSAGE

There’s something sacred about taking your child to the cinema. It’s not just a day out. It’s a rite of passage. It’s them stepping into a shared human tradition that’s over a hundred years old. They’re not just watching a film; they’re becoming part of a collective experience.

And let’s be real—it’s not like they’re going to sit around reading Tolstoy. Films are how kids get hooked on storytelling. On visuals. On imagination. On emotions.

The communal gasp. The laughs in stereo. The silence during an emotional beat. It’s tribal. It’s primal. And it’s important.

THE TECHNICAL STUFF (BECAUSE I’M A VIDEOGRAPHER AND CAN’T HELP MYSELF)

Okay, I’m not going to pretend this was a technical masterpiece, but it got the job done.

The lighting in some scenes was actually nicely handled. The mix of blocky design with warmer, more cinematic lighting was a clever contrast. The pacing was decent. The jokes landed for the most part. The action scenes had energy.

Sound design? Again, solid. From ambient cave drips to the satisfying thunk of creepers, the film nailed the immersive stuff well enough. And the score, while not exactly John Williams, did its job.

I did wonder, though, how many editors were quietly losing their minds syncing audio to square mouths.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE FUTURE OF FILM

Here’s the thing: we all complain about reboots and sequels and franchise fatigue. And sure, I’d kill for a new original drama that doesn’t involve capes or time travel. But movies like this—the Minecraft movie, the Mario movie, even Paw Patrol—they’re the gateway.

They’re the reason kids fall in love with cinema.

They’re why a six-year-old might grow up wanting to make films. Or write stories. Or just sit in a dark room with strangers and feel something.

And as someone who makes videos for a living—someone constantly thinking about what connects with audiences—I can tell you: connection is everything.

CLOSING CREDITS: DADS, POPCORN, AND PIXELS

We left the cinema and James knew he'd felt something different - he was actually shy when I asked him what his favourite part was, like he's been a part of something totaly new.

And I thought: yep. That’s it. That’s the whole point.

The Minecraft movie won’t win an Oscar. It won’t change the world. But it reminded me why I do what I do. And it gave my son his first taste of cinema magic.

Welcome to the club, kiddo.