A Minecraft Movie storms the box office: Should we still believe film critics?

Movie-going has recently faced the risk of dying out as local theaters shut down, with the box office in a slump post-pandemic. Even the recipient of the 2025 Oscar for Best Director, Sean Baker, advocated his support for moviegoing, stating that it is a "communal experience" and "tradition" that must be sustained.

Fast-forward to April 2025, and A Minecraft Movie opens in theaters with critics calling it a shallow movie that "forgets to be fun". The film scores a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and a steep 6.0/10 rating on IMDB.

And yet, the movie prevails and kicks off with $80 million at the box office — supporting local theaters, and proving once and for all that watching movies is an essential part of the experience.

A Minecraft Movie, contrary to the critics, doesn't forget to be fun. It is fun because of the communal aspects, such as the belongingness of knowing that you're in on the joke (as reinstated by the infamous "chicken jockey" incident)

But does this mean the critics were wrong?

Movies are a subjective experience, just like any other art. However, each film has a target audience, and in A Minecraft Movie, it is the children and the Minecraft gaming community. Seeing them enjoy this movie attests that films don't necessarily always need intricate plots and complex dialogue — they are an escape from reality and, sometimes, just need a little fun.