A Minecraft Movie critics have described the as "hectic" and "exhausting" in early reviews.

The , out in the UK on Friday, sees four misfits embark on a quest in a cubic world which thrives on imagination. The cast, which includes Jason Momoa, Jack Black and Danielle Brooks, is largely praised for its comedic value but critics say the film, perhaps unsurprisingly, lacks strong narrative.

And it is for this reason The Guardian reviewer Catherine Bray says: "A little more craft on the storytelling side could have elevated this to something special a la Dungeons and Dragons from 2023, but it’s an enjoyable if hectic experience nonetheless." She refers to Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, widely praised in 2023 after the tabletop role-playing game was developed as a film spin-off.

Ms Bray also uses the term "exhausting fun" to describe A Minecraft Movie, produced in part by Warner Bros Pictures on a budget of $150 million (£115 million).

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In a similar vein, Clarisse Loughry from the Independent, says the film "destroys the spirit of the video game," comparing Black to "a desperate clown at an underattended children’s party". She again paints the picture of fun - albeit in smaller doses and smaller frequencies.

A reviewer for Variety also depicts the chaotic nature of the film. They wrote: "A Minecraft Movie is just a flaky, spirited, low-hijinks quest comedy that plops a crew of actors down into the Overworld, the epicenter of the Minecraft universe, where they’ve arrived by coming through a portal that looks like it’s made of pulsating blue slime."

These reviews mirror Ms Bray's critique. In The Guardian, she adds: "It’s a shame the film as a whole doesn’t work quite as well as its standout performances, with a tendency to ping pong along from scrape to scrape with little sense that it would matter much if you rearranged the various monster attacks or obstacles to be overcome in a different order."

Emma Myers, known for her role in Netflix mystery drama A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, is also in the film. She and the other primary cast are generally lauded in the reviews, though, particularly Black's slapstick, silly humour. It is noted that, with the Easter schol holidays on the horizon, A Minecraft Movie might make a special treat for youngsters this spring - but adults could find it somewhat tedious.  

But nearly 15 years since it was released. Available on every mobile device and video game console, 204.33 million people reportedly play it every month. Key to this is how easy it is to pick up and get started but, while it might be easy to jump into, Minecraft is impossibly deep.