As much of the country and even the world flips out over the Trump-crashed stock market, and millions are summoned to a Saturday of thousands of protest marches on the dismantling of American democracy, video game fans are filling the cinemas from coast to coast and around the world.

Hey, it’s not like it’s SUPER BOWL weekend, with “real” distractions, right?

“A Minecraft Movie” isn’t getting good reviews because it isn’t good cinema. But it does offer escape, built into a cut-and-paste plot, enthusiastically hammy turns by Jack Black and Jason Momoa and a vivid CGI and soundstage realization of the candy colored world Minecraft invites gamers to play in, build in and flee to.

And millions are buying tickets to it on its opening weekend. In a year when horror movies aren’t drawing, when nobody got an “Oscar bounce” to brag about from the awards season hype around movies with mostly fringe appeal, when “Captain America” opened big and came to earth and “Snow White” never got off the ground, “A Minecraft Moive” blew through expectations from two weeks ago ($100 million), two days ago $130 million) and twelve HOURS ago ($135) to earn $157million on its opening weekend.

Wowza.

Glancing over other reviews, few are coming right out and saying they hate it. But even the endorsements are from the resident lightweights at the “major publications” that used to have a lot more influence than they do. Reviews be damned, it’s giving the fans what they want and rescuing the dying movie-going habit.

I saw it at a Thursday night showing in a far-from-any-interstate small southern city cineplex and the joint was packed. “A Minecraft Movie” took in some $11 million in Thursday night previews, setting up a $52.7 million Thursday-Friday “opening day.” Even if it’s front-loaded and does most of its business Thursday-Sat., that blows up the early “over $100 million” predictions based on pre-sales — too low.

Sure, it still works better as a “creatively” challenging video game. But give Warners credit. They bought the rights to the right Swedish IP video game property. “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Super Mario Bros.” are pointing the way towards non-Marvel blockbusters, with “Minecraft” pushing over the $260 million mark worldwide for its opening weekend.

The fans? They’re getting all worked up over a “Chicken Jockey” wrestling match. And they’re more enthusiastic than the “Captain America” crowd.

“A Working Man” adds over $7 million to Jason Statham’s hold on action stardom (It’ll clear the $30 million mark by Wed. of next week) and holds second place.

The second “Last Supper” two-episode “film” from “The Chosen” streaming series is set to collect a healthy pre-Easter $6.7 million this weekend.

“Snow White” is already VOD and is fading at the box office so fast — just over $6 million on this, its third weekend — that it may not clear the $100 million mark ($77 by Sunday) before it loses its screens to the earliest summer films. .

Blumhouse’s “The Woman in the Yard” didn’t bring the horror audience back from the dead, as it enjoys its second and final weekend in the top five with a take under $4.5 million.

“Death of a Unicorn” is dying fast, sixth place, $2.7

“The Chosen: The Last Supper Part 1” did $1.86 million.

Neon’s “Hell of a Summer” ($1.75) and Bleecker Street’s “The Friend” ($1.6) — for dog loving adults — won’t move the needle much and will compete with the fading “Captain America: Brave New World” (just under $1.4), “Black Bag,”($950k), “Novocaine”($250K) and the barely-opened “The Penguin Lessons” ($400k) for spots in a 20 that is all “Minecraft” until “summer.”