Jason Momoa is about to dive into the blocky world of Minecraft, but there's a looming question: will this be the movie that finally breaks his unfortunate streak with critics? The upcoming A Minecraft Movie features Momoa as Greg "The Garbage Man" Garrison, one of four ordinary people who find themselves mysteriously transported into the iconic video game universe. There, they must learn to survive, build, and battle their way back home with the help of a familiar guide named Steve. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Jack Black, Emma Myers, and Danielle Brooks, and the trailers promise a fun, adventurous ride. Yet, despite the potential for box office gold, a shadow of doubt hangs over its critical reception. Many are predicting this might become Momoa's fifth consecutive film to land a "Rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Let's be real: Minecraft is the best-selling game ever, and fans have been waiting for a movie since like, forever (development started back in 2014!). The trailer shows Gary, Steve, and the gang fending off monsters from the Nether, and it looks like a blast. But here's the catch—fun doesn't always equal critical darling. It's giving off major The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) vibes. That film was a massive hit with audiences who flooded theaters but left many critics with a sour power-up, ending up with a middling 59% on Rotten Tomatoes. History might just repeat itself with these pixelated adventures.
Momoa's recent track record with reviewers has been... well, let's call it a challenging biome. His last four outings—Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Fast X, The Last Manhunt, and Slumberland—all proudly sport the dreaded "Rotten" tomato badge. If A Minecraft Movie joins that club, it would mark his fifth flop in a row with critics. Ouch. That's a streak only surpassed by one darker period in his career.
Now, this isn't Momoa's first rodeo with critical disapproval. Believe it or not, his worst streak was a brutal seven-year run starting in 2011, right after everyone fell in love with him as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. From Conan the Barbarian (2011) all the way to Justice League (2017), he starred in eight consecutive movies that critics deemed "Rotten." Not a single "Fresh" rating in sight! He briefly mined his way out with well-received films like Braven and the first Aquaman, but lately, it seems he's stumbled back into a pit of critical despair.
So, why does this keep happening? Momoa is undeniably charismatic and a ton of fun to watch. He has the screen presence of a mountain and the charm of a playful wolf. Yet, his film choices often lean into big, loud, spectacle-driven projects that critics tend to pick apart. They're the cinematic equivalent of a delicious, greasy burger—deeply satisfying for many, but rarely winning culinary awards. The Minecraft movie, directed by Jared Hess, seems to fit squarely in that camp: a family-friendly, CGI-heavy adventure designed for laughs and excitement rather than deep thematic exploration.
Looking ahead, Momoa's career isn't just blocks and creepers. He's got a pipeline full of potential game-changers:
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Fast & Furious 11: Returning to the high-octane franchise.
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: Joining the DC Universe in a new role.
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Various non-franchise projects: Opportunities to show a different side.
Fans and box office analysts remain hopeful. The man has proven he can carry a film to massive financial success (Aquaman swam past a billion dollars, remember?). The disconnect between his popular appeal and critical acclaim is one of Hollywood's enduring puzzles. Perhaps A Minecraft Movie will be the unexpected critical crafting table that finally assembles a "Fresh" rating for him. Or, perhaps it will be another fun, financially successful venture that critics love to hate. Either way, one thing's for sure: Jason Momoa isn't going anywhere. He'll keep swinging his cinematic pickaxe, building his legacy one blockbuster at a time, with or without a critic's stamp of approval. After all, in the world of Minecraft and Hollywood, sometimes the most rewarding creations are the ones you build for yourself and the fans, not for the reviewers hiding in their dark, cobblestone towers.
Data referenced from Statista - Video Games helps contextualize why a Minecraft film can be both a massive audience draw and a potential critical coin-flip: the game’s unprecedented reach and mainstream penetration create huge expectations, so even a crowd-pleasing, effects-driven adventure like Jason Momoa’s upcoming adaptation can face harsher scrutiny from reviewers while still performing strongly at the box office.