Whether you know him from his satire-heavy rock band Tenacious D or his plethora of comedy films, Jack Black remains a comedy icon. In his personal life, Black also loves video games, with a well-known adoration for Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. While his latest film, A Minecraft Movie, let Black nerd out in Mojang Studio’s cube universe, it’s not the only time the actor has starred in a video game adaptation.
Here's a complete ranking of Jack Black’s video game movies, and where you can watch them on streaming services.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Pulling from Nintendo’s beloved Mario franchise of video games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie sends Mario (Chris Pratt) and company on a quest to save Luigi (Charlie Day) from Bowser’s (Black) evil clutches. Jack Black rarely plays villains, but he excels as Bowser, bringing a likable menace and comedic flair to Nintendo’s famous tough guy turtle. Jack Black is also responsible for The Super Mario Bros. Movie's biggest viral moment, which involved Bowser singing a love song titles 'Peaches,' dedicated to the character of the same name, while seated at a piano floating in space.
Although critics took issue with plot elements, it didn’t stop the film from becoming the highest grossing video game adaptation of all time. Receiving Golden Globe nominations for Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Score, and Cinematic Box Office Achievement, The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains Black’s most successful (and loved) video game movie to date.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle acts as a direct sequel to the 1995 movie starring Robin Williams, updating Jumanji from board game to video game. This time around, the teenagers also get transformed into adult avatars, which is where Black comes in alongside Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillian. Once again, Black’s comedic performance shines as a high school girl trapped in the body of a middle-aged man. Updating an iconic franchise is always a risky movie, but, in this case, it paid off. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle offers plenty of creativity and laughs for a fun family friendly outing.
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Jumanji: The Next Level sees the teenagers return to Jumanji to save Spencer (Johnson) while accidentally bringing Spencer’s grandfather and estranged friend with them. It’s rare for blockbuster franchises to deliver competent sequels, but Jumanji: The Next Level manages to do just that. By shuffling avatars around and adding new plot elements, the film stays fresh while also hitting the right comedic and action notes. Black’s performance and chemistry with his castmates continues, making Jumanji: The Next Level a well-loved sequel by audiences and critics alike.
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
A Minecraft Movie was quite the undertaking for director Jared Hess. The source material’s sandbox gameplay and limited lore left a lot of room for creative liberties… and mistakes. Luckily, A Minecraft Movie mostly avoided the latter and quickly became a huge box office hit, grossing around $324 million worldwide in its first week. Black takes center stage as Steve, the Minecraft game’s light blue shirt-wearing protagonist. While the movie’s plot took hits from critics, the actors garnered plenty of praise. Alongside big-name co-stars like Jason Momoa and Jennifer Coolidge, Black delivers another reliable comedic performance.
Borderlands (2024)
Despite stemming from Gearbox’s critically acclaimed loot-and-shoot franchise, Eli Roth’s Borderlands failed to impress on the big screen. Black rounds out the film’s ensemble cast as the voice of Claptrap, a robot who helps Lillith (Cate Blanchett) and her motley crew of heroes find the missing daughter of a very powerful man named Atlas (Édgar Ramírez). Dubbed a generic adaptation with lacking CGI and chemistry among its star-studded cast, Borderlands flopped at the box office. Although hardcore franchise fans might find something to like in the critically-panned adaptation, both critics and audiences agree that Borderlands joins the list of failed video game movies.
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