Jack Black Achieves Success in “A Minecraft Movie,” A Career Goal Dwayne Johnson Aspires to

When Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was released in theaters in 2017, the cast lineup seemed quite evident. It was going to bring back the duo of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, who had previously displayed their box office appeal in the successful comedy Central Intelligence. They were set to be part of a franchise that held some nostalgic value for millennials. Although Jack Black and Karen Gillan were also included in the movie’s main quartet, making it feel well-rounded, it still appeared to be primarily another Johnson and Hart buddy comedy, considering their recent hits like San Andreas and Ride Along.

Fast forward seven and a half years, the initial picture is not as clear anymore. Johnson remains a prominent figure in Hollywood, but his reputation has been somewhat tainted by appearing in several mediocre movies like Red One. Hart, on the other hand, has diversified into being a multi-platform streaming entrepreneur, reducing his involvement in traditional movie projects, though he’s always ready to promote products like energy drinks. The current star from Jumanji basking in the limelight is undeniably Jack Black, who recently enjoyed a hugely successful opening weekend with A Minecraft Movie. This movie even surpassed the previous record for the biggest opening by a video game-related film, which was held by The Super Mario Bros. Movie, featuring Jack Black himself. In addition to this achievement, Black was part of the success of Kung Fu Panda 4 last year.

It is true that voice performances may not have the same impact as on-screen appearances when it comes to drawing audiences to the box office. However, in the case of Jack Black, one could argue that they hold nearly the same weight. His iconic boisterous and enthusiast persona shines through in characters like Po the Panda and Bowser from Mario, the latter also showcasing his singing talent. In his latest project, Minecraft, Black assumes a central live-action role as Steve, the game’s main character. While the game’s immense popularity is the primary force driving the movie’s success, Black’s charismatic presence adds significant value to this child-targeted blockbuster. Even compared to Dwayne Johnson, Black seems like the perfect fit for this role. For instance, the role of the tough guy acting silly in Minecraft is aptly portrayed by Jason Momoa instead.

It’s not as if Black has spent his time between Jumanjis and cartoons out-earning his co-stars and building a portfolio of megahits. In fact, he doesn’t spend all that much time with his face on the biggest of screens. In recent years, he’s made movies with indie auteurs Gus Van Sant and Richard Linklater (and the latter gave him an unseen narrator role), done a few cameos, and continued to record and perform with his decidedly not-for-kids comedy rock band Tenacious D (though the band recently paused their activity after Black’s bestie Kyle Gass made an impromptu anti-Trump joke). But at this point, his career has lasted so long that he has a steady supply of back-catalog kid-friendly movies (Goosebumps; Nacho Libre, with Minecraft director Jared Hess), plus genuine classics like School of Rock and Tropic Thunder. He’s essentially built a system where a movie-watcher could age from five to 50, watching along with his movies as they go from all-ages talking-animal romps to videogame-obsessed silliness to teenager-friendly comedies all the way up to the rock nostalgia of the Tenacious D movie and his forays into more grown-up parts in movies like High Fidelity and Linklater’s Bernie. He’s a genuine all-ages star.

Black has accomplished this without nearly the strenuousness of either Johnson or Hart, who make rise-and-grind hustle a part of their sometimes-off-putting public image. (The problem with selling yourself as a high-achieving, always-hustling go-getter is that you look like kind of a dumbass if you’re expending all of that sweat just to make, like, Black Adam or The Man from Toronto.) What he’s achieved instead is a more organic form of dedication.

Despite his lack of grindset preaching, Black never looks as if he’s not trying; in everything from his Saturday Night Live appearances to his press tours to anytime he’s asked to sing any kind of song, he looks like he’s giving it his all, and delighting in the fact that he gets to do this for a living. Since he gained notice as an obsessive, dismissive, and passionately irritating record-store clerk in High Fidelity, he’s had a way with tapping into childishness, whether through petulance or wide-eyed delight. (Part of his High Fidelity genius is the way his petulance becomes a twisted form of delight.) You believe him as a man happily obsessed with the minutiae of Minecraft – and for a few hours at a time, Black, in middle age no less, brings a child’s boundless energy into an adult’s body, a less literal replication of what he does in his Jumanji roles. In his infectious way, he’s giving kids hope for the future.

Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn podcasting at www.sportsalcohol.com. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others.