What is chicken jockey in A Minecraft Movie? Viral scene explained
One moment in the hugely popular video game adaptation is causing quite a stir with audiences.
If you've spent any time on TikTok in recent days, you've probably noticed a trend doing the rounds called "Chicken Jockey", which is based on a scene from A Minecraft Movie.
The video game adaptation was released in cinemas on Friday 4th April, achieving a remarkable opening weekend gross of over $300m – and that total only seems likely to increase exponentially in the coming weeks.
However, in the wake of the film's release, a bizarre trend has swept social media, with cinemagoers sharing footage of themselves watching the film and reacting rather loudly – from spontaneous rounds of applause to emptying full buckets of popcorns (some of the reactions have been so over-the-top that police officers have reportedly been called to cinemas) – during certain scenes.
There is one moment in particular that has been especially embraced by fans and led to multiple viral clips, specifically a moment where Black utters the phrase: "Chicken jockey."
But what does this actually mean? And why has it gone so viral? Read on for everything you need to know.
What is chicken jockey in A Minecraft Movie? Viral trend explained
The moment in the film – which was first glimpsed in the trailer – occurs during a scene in which Steve (Jack Black) and Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa) are facing off against a Minecraft chicken in a duel inside a boxing ring.
At one point in the scene, a crate descends from on high, from which a baby zombie emerges – which then proceeds to sit atop the chicken, becoming a chicken jockey in the process.
It's at this point that Steve utters the popular line, before the baby begins to viscously attack the somewhat helpless Garrett. Cue audiences losing their minds.
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So, why has this moment resonated so deeply with fans? Well, the simple reason is that this is a direct reference to a rare enemy from the video games.
The fact that the chicken zombie doesn't crop up very often makes it a big deal when it does appear, and so this is the reason for the initial appeal – and first reactions.
But it's also a case of young audience members egging each other on – the moment had been earmarked as meme-worthy as early as when the first trailer was released – and so now fans are attempting to outdo each other and create as much bedlam as possible.
We imagine we've not seen the last of this yet...
A Minecraft Movie is now showing in UK cinemas.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
