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Every so often, you discover a film that transcends expectations and delivers an experience so memorable and fulfilling that the viewer is forever changed. A film that pushes the cinematic medium further than ever before and demonstrates what a moviegoing experience at its best can truly be. By the time the credits roll, the audience feels they know the enigmatic cast personally and cannot help themselves but quote lines that were particularly impactful to their life's journey. A Minecraft Movie is this rare diamond of a project, if you will, that bucks stereotypes and leaves you wanting more. I doubt I will ever forget hearing the audience bellow "chicken jockey!" at full strength toward the silver screen, nor will I likely fail to recall masterclass actor Jack Black singing his fourth song in this single piece of art. Simply put, A Minecraft Movie is an experience meant to be enjoyed in a theater full of grade-schoolers on a Tuesday afternoon. It has earned every penny and deserves its place in the cinematic Hall of Fame.

I've been a fan of Jim Gaffigan for years! He used to set the standard for clean, family-friendly comedy and his sets had me choking with laughter! He was SO talented and came up with some genuinely iconic and memorable bits (Hot Pockets will always remind me of Jim's high-pitched riff)!

Then came Dark Pale: an uninspired, lackluster, blasphemous, and somewhat twisted special. I went into The Skinny desperately hoping that Gaffigan had learned from his mistakes and returned to his normal, hilarious formula. No such luck. The Skinny is profane, religiously offensive, and most of the jokes don't land. Was anyone hoping for a segment on Viagra? Of course not. I hate to say it, but the old Jim is gone and this clunky, disappointing mess of a script should never have left the drawing board.

It's not great. It's not even good. But it's fine!!! It really doesn't deserve all the backlash it has been getting - this is at least as compelling as the other recent Star Wars Disney+ projects (Mandalorian season 3, Ahsoka, Bad Batch). I wouldn't recommend it necessarily, but it's solidly mid. The actors do a fine job, the writing is predictable but not horrendous, the special effects are actually pretty great. The lightsaber fights are genuinely better than the ones we got in the sequel trilogy, in my opinion! Not worth all the hate it has received. Mediocre television, but still entertaining enough if you need to kill a few hours.

5/10.