A Minecraft Movie was released in theatres on April 4th and met with mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 46%, although most viewers had positive feedback. However, the movie is facing scrutiny online from women due to its treatment of the female characters.Â
What could this movie possibly be about?
A Minecraft Movie is about celebrating creativity. Sebastian Hansen’s character, Henry, accidentally opens a portal to the “overworld,” a bright and cubic landscape we all know as Minecraft. Jack Black’s character, Steve, meets Henry in the overworld and takes him and the others on a quest. Along the way, the characters must learn to adapt to their new environment, take advantage of the ability to move and place new terrain, and channel their inner creativity. Besides Jennifer Coolidge, who plays the ditsy but hilarious school principal, the movie has two main female characters: Henry’s sister Natalie, played by Emma Myers, and their real estate agent Dawn, played by Danielle Brooks.
The film obviously does not take itself seriously. Throughout it, several moments seem to have been created almost exclusively to be memed online. One being the “Chicken Jockey” scene that has made movie theatre workers everywhere hate their jobs. Although the entire premise of the movie is lighthearted, some viewers are upset about the portrayal of the female characters. Natalie, Henry’s sister, is the mother/guardian figure who is trying her best to support Henry. Dawn is a real estate agent with a side gig as a traveling petting zoo to support herself. Off the bat, both of the characters are seen to be struggling. Once they arrive in the “overworld,” they get separated from the group. The two get lost in the woods and then build a pretty mushroom house. The house they built does support Henry and the others once they find each other, but viewers are upset about the stereotype that this narrative supports.
Harmful stereotypes
It is a very well-known stereotype that girls are bad at video games. Minecraft is a game that is not possible to be “bad” at, so instead, that stereotype translates to girls only being able to build pretty things and not being able to contribute to beating the game. The plot in A Minecraft Movie supports this stereotype because Natalie and Dawn contribute almost nothing to the quest at hand. They get lost in the woods and are only able to find their way back to the group with the help of Steve’s dog.Â
A Minecraft Movie also fails the bechdel test. The bechdel test was coined by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in a sketch about movies she’d watch. She had three rules: the movie must feature two women, they must have a conversation, and it must be about something other than a man. The term stuck and is now used to judge the level of representation in films. In regards to A Minecraft Movie, Natalie and Dawn do have conversations, but they pretty much all relate to Henry.
So what?
Some may be thinking, “It’s not that deep.” To which, I kind of agree. I personally did not go see the Minecraft movie, thinking it was going to be a revolutionary feminist film. Also, seeing that the movie doesn’t take itself seriously, maybe we shouldn’t either. But – it’s still important to point out harmful stereotypes in the media, no matter how trivial they may be.