The Longest Ride

PG-13
Starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Melissa Benoist and Lolita Davidovich
Running Time: Two Hours and 19 Minutes

This movie is based on the Nicholas Sparks bestseller, "The Longest Ride". When I went to screen this move I was prepared for the usual Nicolas Sparks basic love story that I have come to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.
This movie actually really delivered for me. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Longest Ride".
We have a young up and coming bull rider, Luke (Scott Eastwood) (and yes, he is Clint Eastwood's son) who has previously been injured while competing and Sophia  (Britt Robertson) a senior Art student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, who meet each other at a championship bull riding event. When they saw each other after it was over, Luke asked Sophia out on a date.
They both come from totally different worlds and they had completely different dreams and aspirations.
While on their date they came upon a car wreck where  they pulled an older gentleman, Ira (Alan Alda) out of his car right before it started on fire and saved his life. He begged them to get a box out of the car before it was engulfed in flames. Sophia retrieved the box and kept it with her. Sophia took an interest in the man and she wanted to deliver the box he had requested so she decided to pay him a visit at the hospital. She had opened the box and found it full of love letters he had written to the love of his life, Ruth (Oona Chaplin) (and yes she is Geraldine Chaplin's daughter and Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter). Sophia gave him the box and asked him who Ruth was? Then the movie went to a flashback to his youth, how he met Ruth and how their relationship began back in the late 1930's and early 1940's, during the beginning of World War II. He asked her to please read the letters to him so he could reminisce. Sophia started to have a sweet relationship with him, visiting him in the hospital, reading the love letters out loud to him and helping him to recover from his accident.
As time goes by Luke and Sophia develop a relationship and struggle to make it work with each of them going in different directions. After Sophia read Ira all the love letters, she realizes how much she cares about Luke and how important he is to her. She and his mother Kate (Lolita Davidovich) beg him to give up bull riding because it is so dangerous and he cant afford another injury. Luke is also uncomfortable in Sophia's fast and trendy Art world, so they both need to come to some kind of a compromise.
To make a long story short. this is actually two love stories in one. Luke and Sophia and Ira and Ruth. Both in different times and different places, but both very touching and endearing love stories!
I found this movie to be really moving. I enjoyed how it had both history and culture in it and it had a lot of depth to it too.
I believe Scott Eastwood is going to be a very popular new star, he has his father's good looks and star quality. Kind of reminds me a little of the late and great Paul Walker.
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. I would advise children over the age of 13 and even older for this one. I didn't notice much cursing but, there were about four intense love/sex scenes that were fairly provocative. A lot of innuendo without total nudity but clothing removed for love scenes.
I am giving "The Longest Ride" three and a half bags of popcorn.

Freetown

PG-13
Starring: Henry Adofo, Michael Attram, Alphonse Menyo, Phillip Adekunle Michael, Clement Amegayie, Bright Dodoo, Great Ejiro, Robert Conder and Stacy Afful
Running Time: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes

"Freetown" is based on actual events that took place during the bloody civil war in the capital city of Monrovia, Liberia in West Africa in 1989. The warring factions pitted the Krahn vs the Gio and Mano tribes.
A group of young Latter Day Saint  missionaries are working diligently to search, teach and help the local people any way they can. As the situation continues to worsen, the missionaries find that they can no longer safely stay there with their existence being in peril. With people being confronted and asked directly, from which tribe they descended. If they were not from the right tribe they were immediately executed. It was a horrific situation where thousands of civilians were massacred and hundreds of thousands fled their villages. Under the direction of their Mission President, President Cunningham (Robert Conder) they are instructed to flee Monrovia and set their sights for Freetown in the neighboring country of Sierra Leone. President Cunningham called upon a member of his local ward, Philip Abubakar (Henry Adofo) to drive six missionaries to Freetown in his tiny beat-up car over very rough and impoverished country roads with many dangerous rebel-held checkpoints to get through. They had several alarming encounters while on their journey. They also had many funny and humorous moments where the missionaries are all cramped inside the tiny car in the sweltering heat and humidity. However, they never lost their sense of purpose or the reason they had chosen to serve The Lord!
I found this movie to be much better than what I had anticipated it would be. I felt like the audience was also pulled right into the dramatic sequence of events as well. "Freetown" was gripping and riveting. A real edge of your seat thrill-ride!
This is Garrett Batty's second movie. His first movie was released in 2013, the very successful "The Saratov Approach".
"Freetown" was incredible, it has a very professional feel to it. The music and photography were amazing! It was shot on location exclusively in Ghana, Africa with all local people.
Garrett Batty just  happens to be my wonderful next door neighbor, Sheryl's son. He is a great young man and comes from a wonderful family!
Parents be advised: "Freetown" is rated PG-13 for war-torn reality and the violence associated with war. I think children ages seven and over will be fine with this movie.
I am giving "Freetown" four bags of popcorn.

Furious 7

PG-13
Starring: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriquez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou and Kurt Russell
Running Time: 2 Hours and 17 Minutes

Okay Furious fanatics, here it is. The movie everybody has been patiently waiting for! Does this movie really deliver the goods that would not only honor but respect the late and amazing franchise sweetheart Paul Walker?
Is it still the same kind of get your blood pumping action that you have come to expect from the furious movies?
I will admit my favorite of the franchise is and always will be the first and original 2001 "The Fast and the Furious".
In "Furious 7", they have reunited all the original cast back together again.
 Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel) is being hunted down by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) who is exceedingly angry with him for the death of his brother and is on the warpath to search and destroy anyone who had anything to do with his brothers demise. Also his true love, Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) who was previously left for dead is suddenly back with a case of amnesia and ready to resume her place in the racing scene. Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) is back as the kindhearted and heartthrob young husband and father. Dominic insists that Brian joins and helps to assemble the team back together again to hunt down the evil Deckard Shaw. Add Hobbs (Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson) to the mix and all the rest of the team and you just have total chaos!
I felt like I was in a world of the past and future here. Constant flashbacks and current scenes were confusing. I felt like they were trying way too hard to make bigger and better action sequences that were totally unrealistic! Granted, that's what you expect from this franchise, but these were totally over the top and so far from reality that it was like a science fiction movie.
Also, throw into the mix a terrorist, Jakande (Djimon Hounsou) who is out to destroy a female computer Hacker, Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) with a super surveillance device called "God's Eye" that can virtually detect anybody on the planet earth! There were too many stories going on in this movie. They travel to Azerbaijan and Dubai where there is even more extreme action going on. Non-stop and unbelievable.
Just don't have any real expectations if you go and see this movie. It was unbelievable, but it was still entertaining.
As you may know Paul Walker was killed in a very tragic car accident half-way through the filming of "Furious 7".  His two brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker stepped in to help film the remaining scenes in honor of him.
 I was very impressed with the end of the movie and the tribute to Paul Walker. It was a walk down "The Fast and The Furious" memory lane with funny and very touching memories of him.
Paul was a class act and I have great respect for him. He was an all-around good guy and the fact that he sponsored his own charity "Reach Out Worldwide", to help people when natural disasters strike, speaks volumes about his character, he will be missed!
I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were another "Fast and Furious" sequel in the works.
Parents be advised: This is definitely a PG-13 movie. I would not advise anyone under the age of 13 to see this movie. There was a lot of physical violence, fighting and beating people up. Violent car crash scenes, very scantily clothed young women and profanity too.
 This movie speaks for itself, it is what it is!
I am giving "Furious 7" two and a half bags of popcorn.