Star Wars:The Force Awakens

PG-13
Starring: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Warwick Davis, Oscar Issac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max Von Sydow, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Lupita Nyong'o and Kenny Baker
Running Time: 2 Hours and 16 Minutes

Wow! Just wow! I was so excited to see "Star Wars" reprised  on the big screen again and to see how the always awesome J.J. Abrams was going to pull this off. I am such a huge fan of George Lucas and the "Star Wars" phenomenon that I just wasn't sure if it would really have that "Star Wars" feel. As you all know, our entire society has been raised on "Star Wars" with the original being released in 1977, that is 38 years of "Star Wars" impacting society! This is the seventh episode in the franchise.
I really loved  the fact that they brought back Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in their original roles. It was so fun to see them back, even if it was for just a short time. They were all in perfect form!
I don't want to divulge the storyline here, this is definitely one that everybody just needs to see for themselves!
I will say that I really enjoyed the new characters that they introduced, the young Finn (John Boyega)  and Rey (Daisy Ridley) were perfectly cast in their roles. The new cute little robot BB-8 was a heart stealer!! You couldn't help but fall in love with him. I really enjoyed this movie. I was broken-hearted in one scene and I certainly was not anticipating the outcome of it! I genuinely feel that J.J. Abrams has done himself proud in this episode!
 For all of you who are already suffering and needing another "Star Wars" fix... hang in there,
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" will be released on December 16th of this year.
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence. As all the other "Star Wars" movies before it, there is a lot of fighting and light saber violence. There are battle scenes between X-Wings and TIE Fighters that end up looking like fireworks. Also there are some new alien beasts which slither around and are very hungry. I think children ages 10 and older will be fine with this movie.
I am giving "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" four bags of popcorn.

In the Heart of the Sea

PG-13
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson and Frank Dillane
Running Time: 2 Hours and 1 Minute

This is a dramatic seafaring adventure that takes place in 1820 and just happens to be the true story about how Herman Melville's epic novel "Moby Dick" came to be.
The movie takes place in Nantucket, Massachusetts, one of the top whaling destinations during that era. Whaling was a huge industry and fiercely competitive. The demand for whale oil was at an all time high. Whaling was a very tough and demanding career and definitely not for the weak of heart!
The seasoned and very qualified Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) was hired on as the first mate to assist on the New England whaling ship the Essex, alongside the new and inept Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker). They set out to sea during the winter under very tough and dangerous conditions. Under the defiant Captain's orders they plowed right through an incredible storm and sustained an extreme amount of damage to their ship. The captain wanted to return back to Nantucket for the ship's repairs but Owen insisted they continue on their journey.
When they finally come upon the infamous whale colony they encounter "the whale of all whales"! This was not any ordinary whale, this was a whale that defied all description! It was a monstrosity and had a vengeance that no one had ever encountered before. As Owen fought valiantly, he was more determined than ever to take down this behemoth! After a series of most unfortunate circumstances, the crew is left stranded at sea for 90 days with supplies drastically dwindling and feeling like giving up, they must continue and not give up hope. As it becomes a most desperate situation, they are forced to do the unthinkable just to survive.
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. This was a hard PG-13 solely based on graphics. There are several very graphic depictions of killing, cutting and stripping apart a whale. Not just a little bit of cutting, but a lot!!! All the way to the point of inserting a young fourteen year old boy inside the whale to remove every ounce of oil from its insides.
Also, they have to resort to cannibalism, so this also takes place with a graphic description of how they remove and eat the organs! Not for the faint of heart!!! They kept repeating the same swear words (GD) over several times too.
This was truly an epic adventure directed by Ron Howard. Definitely a "man's-man movie"!
 The graphic scenes were just a bit too much for me. Chris Hemsworth did an outstanding job as usual.
I am giving "In the Heart of the Sea" three bags of popcorn.