Watching A Minecraft Movie: A Surprising Family Pick

Lately, I’ve been using Letterboxd to keep track of what I watch. I’m not a film buff, but I’ve always liked movies. Growing up on the reservation, it wasn’t always easy to watch every new release. Now with streaming, it feels like I’m catching up on what I missed. My 15-year-old nephew told me about some funny scenes in the Minecraft movie, so I decided to give it a shot.

Funny and Ridiculous in a Good Way

I thought the movie would be completely ridiculous. Almost too dumb to watch. But Jason Momoa surprised me. He plays a really likeable dummy and works well with Jack Black. Jack Black brings his classic physical comedy that still makes me laugh.

I don’t know much about Minecraft beyond seeing the toys and shirts in stores. But the movie felt close to what I imagine the game’s world is like. It was silly, lighthearted, and had jokes that landed better than I expected.

Favorite Moments and What Worked

My favorite scene was when Jack Black had to ride on Jason Momoa while they were flying. It was so over-the-top that it somehow made sense in that world. Jennifer Coolidge was funny too, especially when she talked about her divorce. Those little moments pulled it back to something real.

The story had a nice message about being yourself and not giving up on your dreams. Many characters felt lost at first, so seeing them figure things out was nice payoff. It feels like a movie made for kids, especially a group of third to fifth graders watching together.

My Final Take

I gave it two and a half stars on Letterboxd. I probably wouldn’t watch it again on my own. But if my nieces or nephews wanted to rewatch it, I’d sit through it with them.

What about you? Did you watch the Minecraft movie, and would you see it again?

Watching the Matrix in 2025

I finally sat down to watch The Matrix years after it came out. What really struck me wasn’t just the action or the leather coats, but the details that slipped past me as a kid. The color palette inside the Matrix is almost drained of life. It’s black and white with a faint green tint. It feels cold and sterile, like code running on an old screen. I also noticed the use of phones, including cell phones and payphones, which gave it a weird mix of retro and futuristic. The music brought me back too, with Rage Against the Machine and Marilyn Manson adding to that industrial, underground vibe. The fight between Neo and Morpheus stood out this time. It wasn’t just about two guys punching each other. Everyone watched, waiting to see if Neo could become the One. Morpheus explaining to Neo that even his breathe was artificial. Breathing is what keeps us alive. Even in a fake world, it grounds us in something human.

Humans, AI, and false realities
The movie got me thinking about how humans create tools like AI to make life easier. But there’s a danger in relying on them too much. Humans crave connection, and sometimes that includes fantasies. Take Mouse and his lady in the red dress. He built a false reality based on desire. If you give AI enough data about our desires, it can use them against us. Today, look at bot accounts spreading anger to stir up voters. The Matrix shows an extreme version, but even now, AI-generated replies are so natural that people with little media literacy can get fooled. It makes me wonder where the line is between tool and trap.

Faith and spirituality in a digital world
The story uses faith and spirituality to bring something deeply human into a world made of code. When life feels hopeless, belief keeps people moving forward. It’s scary to imagine living in a world where you have no control. But you still control your beliefs. Neo is brought in as a savior figure, almost like a digital messiah. His story mirrors religious myths where someone brings back balance. It isn’t logical, but it feels true to the people who choose to believe. It’s like how we talk about the difference between the brain and the heart. Logic can’t always explain hope.

Cypher’s choice
Cypher chooses to betray his friends and go back into the Matrix. His choice feels selfish, but I get why he does it. He regrets taking the red pill. Now he’s stuck in a cold, dying world and wants comfort again. In my work at a tribal college, I see people worry about AI taking away our voice as Indigenous peoples. At first, AI is just a tool. But if we lean on it too much, it can become something else. Cypher stops fighting and chooses the easy way. Sometimes, it feels like the same temptation exists today: letting AI do the thinking for us instead of keeping our humanity at the center.

Final thoughts
Watching The Matrix again reminded me why it’s still talked about. It’s stylish and cool, but it also asks what it means to be human in a world that feels fake. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth it for the action, the music, and the questions it raises. Four stars from me.

he’s eating an apple

I started reading Dine Bizaad Bohoo’aah I : A Conversational Navajo Text for Secondary Schools, Colleges, and Adults A Publication of the Navajo Preparatory School . It’s a workbook that I found for conversational Navajo. It is going to be a little tough to figure some of these pronunciations.

The Navajo language was constantly spoken around me. We had Navajo language classes growing up. I had the basics down. My colors, my clans, numbers. When I was with my grandparents that could only speak Navajo I was able to grab them whatever they needed and do whatever they wanted me to do. We communicated with gestures and smiles.

One of the toughest things to overcome is this whole idea of me telling myself “I should know this.” I went back home recently and fucked up the word dibé (sheep) and said béégashii (cow) instead…. How silly of me. I was embarrassed to lose such a basic word. I guess that is two basic words.

Today while I was going through the first few pages of Dine Bizaad Bohoo’aah recognized two words as I read them aloud “bilasáana yiyą́.” I recognized the first word as apple. I read the second word out loud and heard myself say something I have heard my family say at dinner. “Eat” or what reminded me of the words used around our dinner table.

I smiled as I these two words together made sense to me. The memories of sitting out my grandma’s dining room table. The memories of family get-togethers. The words that I would hear and say, a lot of small words just came back to me in memories. I don’t use these words everyday, but now I get to.

I took a few small steps today. Learning more about my language. I also read more about the history of Dinetah. This week I will be exploring more words. While I review these words and phrases I fortunately have my resources. I have my family. I will be reading more and asking questions about pronunciations.

I’m really still trying to figure this out.

Why Navabro

I want to write a blog or have a podcast that deals with identity. Well I want to write about who I am. I’m not quite sure who that is these days. There is the fact that I grew up on the Navajo Nation.

I love my culture and community. My family have always showed me love. My community has always been supportive. I was raised a traditional Navajo. I believe our traditional beliefs.

The reason I want to talk about myself is because I can’t speak Navajo. I’m one of many who can’t speak my own language. Although our traditional ways have been passed down to me, explained in English. I took classes that were available to learn Navajo and Navajo is a hard language to learn. I took it for granted. It was always available to me and growing up on the Rez I felt gave me some… i don’t know…. street cred or something…

I am fortunate to grow up within the Navajo community. Its been about 15 years since I left the reservation for college. I went to Southern Utah University and completed my degree in communication. I chose to go to SUU because of their broadcasting program. I was able to learn about journalism, public relations, and broadcasting. I had a radio show that I reviewed new music. While working for the student radio station I was able to network and make a community of people that loved music as much as I did. I formed relationships that have lasted throughout my adult life.

After I graduated college with my bachelors in communication, I felt lost. I felt like I would jump from job to job, trying to find my place. I think I’ve felt that way for a long time now. When I was growing up, I knew I wanted to go to college. I knew I wanted to complete something that I didn’t see a lot of my family doing. And I did.

It wasn’t easy. Well it was, but I made it difficult for myself. I made several bad choices. I became an alcoholic that was afraid of the next steps in his life. I was an overweight man that didn’t want to do the things that were on my bucket list. Small things that I wanted to accomplished always seemed like an idea, like if i dreamed it and  planned it all out it would just work out. Eventually I saw those dreams change. I saw myself caring about new things. I saw a bigger world then the one I chose.

I look back at my past and I feel like I missed a lot. I miss home. I miss being connected. I think that a lot of people have told me not to lose my language. I never really cared considering I’ve felt that since I grew up a traditional Navajo with my family still living in the same area my ancestors lived…. I still have time.

Well I guess now is the time. Now is the time for me to learn my language. Now is the time for me to learn more about my tribes history.

I took these classes in Diné history and Diné Bizaad while growing up on the rez. I’m a grown-up rez kid. I’m proud of where I come from. Now its my choice to learn more and be more.