Steve (played by a much chubbier Jack Black then of recent), is a quirky misfit of society who is obsessed with mining. Being constantly curious of a local gem mine since a youth, one day he finally gets past the crotchety old pit guardian and starts exploring. After a bit of digging, he finds a glowing blue cube. Later he comes across a glass-like white box that seems to be the perfect fit for the mysterious cube. Back at his house, curiosity gets the better of him and he places the artifacts together. Suddenly a shimmering gateway opens just outside and he investigates. Through the gate he finds himself in a fantastic world of box-like creatures.
Years later, washed up games designer Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa) discovers the cube artifact in a lock-up sale. Later he teams up with Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a teaching assistant, and siblings, Natalie and Henry (Emma Myers & Sebastian Eugine). The latter discovers the white box amongst various odds and ends in Garrett's retro games shop.
Eventually, the artifacts reconnect and Garrett believes this is a sign that his fortunes are at a turning point. All four find themselves going through the portal where they discover Steve. He explains how he's been trapped there for many years but knows how they can all go back to the real world. An intrepid quest which involves travelling great distances and defeating an evil horde of warrior pigs!
I've no idea if this plot follows any lore of the game. There are a myriad of varied CGI characters and they are constantly on the move. The performances of the handful of real people in this wacky tale are all engaging - but when so much is going on, it needs a bit of concentration to keep up! Overall, I found this a fairly pleasant romp through a fantastical world whose visuals certainly popped off the screen - and with a sensible running time of 1h 41m, it doesn't overstay its welcome. You won't be surprised that it's set up for a sequel in the post credit scene!
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