Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like A Minecraft Movie:
The Super Mario Bros Movie
The Super Mario Bros Movie offers an overflowing amount of family entertainment, but at what cost? It sacrifices story to incorporate as much “Mario” as possible – for better or for worse.
Read our full review of The Super Mario Bros Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
I think I like the idea of a Sonic Cinematic Universe more than any of the actual movies within it. That’s not to say the Sonic the Hedgehog films have been without their charms—Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik remains an over-the-top but mostly entertaining presence, and the animated Sonic characters, from Sonic (Ben Schwartz) to Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), translate surprisingly well into a live-action world.
Read our full review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Despicable Me 4
Despicable Me 4 carries the same wistful, harmless energy that the other two sequels had, even if that means that they all live inside the shadow of the original 2010 hit. Because despite the limitations brought forward by the original, there were enough new characters and ideas to make worthwhile a movie.
Read our full review of Despicable Me 4
Toy Story 4
I was certainly in that camp in 2019, always favoring original stories over rehashes of the same material over and over (I’ll probably act the same way when Toy Story 5 nears because I clearly haven’t learned my lesson). Toy Story 4 quickly expels any notion that it shouldn’t exist – the different themes and new characters actually make the franchise as engaging as ever.
Read our full review of Toy Story 4
Inside Out 2
I found the overall package of Inside Out 2 enjoyable, with Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Joy (Amy Poehler) as captivating and cartoonishly real in the sequel as they were in the original. It’s a new entry worthy of the title, despite enough material here to expand on over the course of multiple movies.
Read our full review of Inside Out 2
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues what the first film did so well – feel like something you’ve never seen before. An intense thrill ride that explores carving your own path and not staying constrained to the expectations set before you.
Read our full review of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Lightyear
There’s a lack of interesting, personable characters within Lightyear, as if they were all typecast from other Pixar movies. They’re either sentimentally sweet, aloof, or arrogant. And maybe the movie could’ve been saved had these characters had more time to develop and interact, but that aspect of the film is tossed aside frequently for big action set pieces and rambunctious chase sequences.
Read our full review of Lightyear
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Chris Pine leads a team of ragtag thieves on a journey throughout an expansive world. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a movie that contains a mighty cast and includes many moving parts – all of which excel in harmony.
Read our full review of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The glorious animation in the newest Shrek installment Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is enough to drive you to the theater by itself. Led by a star-studded cast and a script with enough heart, The Last Wish is one of the better animated movies of 2022.
Read our full review of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Barbie
Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie deliver one of 2023’s most colorful and sincere trips to the movies. Barbie is a movie that transcends style and set design, offering a visual feast with enough laughs along the way.