A Minecraft Movie vs. Jumanji: Three surprising similarities and one key difference
A Minecraft Movie shows a lot of the title's world and mobs and gives them a hyper-realistic look. While this has left the community divided in terms of reception, the creators seem to be going for a fun adventure story. Interestingly, this film shares many similarities with another movie franchise — Jumanji.
Jumanji is a beloved classic that many people cherish. The movie evokes a sense of adventure similar to the experience of playing Minecraft. The original film led to a franchise that includes two sequels featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and other notable actors.
The new Minecraft movie appears to share several elements with Jumanji. This article explores those and points out a key point of difference between the two.
Similarities between A Minecraft Movie and Jumanji
1) Traveling to another game-like world
Both movies feature the main characters going to an all-new world. In the trailer for A Minecraft Movie, a blue, luminous object that looks like a beacon seems to be teleporting Steve. Characters are transported through a board game in the original Jumanji film, and through a video game console in the more recent ones.
2) One person has been stuck and is found by others who join later
Both franchises have a plot where one character is stuck in the other world for a while before members who are new to the world join the action. The newer people do not know the new world and the more experienced character has to guide them through it.
In the first Jumanji movie, the experienced character was Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), and in Welcome to the Jungle, it was Alex Vreeke (Nick Jonas). Now, in A Minecraft Movie, it is Steve, played by Jack Black.
3) Both have Jack Black
Both franchises star Jack Black. This might not seem like it has anything to do with the story — after all, most actors can act in movies that could be vastly different from one another. However, in Black's case, he seems to be playing a similar character in both titles.
The newer Jumanji movies had characters that were larger than life. While they seemed more grounded in their world, once they set foot in the Jumanji realm, they appeared to transform into units from the game who were over the top.
In A Minecraft Movie, the characters do not transform into different personas, but Jason Momoa and Jack Black's personas are over-the-top compared to the others.
Difference between A Minecraft Movie and Jumanji
The obvious difference is the world. The worlds of Jumanji and Minecraft are vastly different from each other. Jumanji’s world operates through quests, while the Minecraft world is one of survival and creativity.