{"id":17490,"date":"2015-12-23T01:54:08","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T18:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=17490"},"modified":"2015-12-23T01:54:08","modified_gmt":"2015-12-22T18:54:08","slug":"a-family-review-of-star-wars-the-force-awakens-giveaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/a-family-review-of-star-wars-the-force-awakens-giveaway\/","title":{"rendered":"A Family Review of STAR WARS: The Force Awakens & GIVEAWAY!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We saw it!!!!  Our family bought our tickets to the Star Wars:  The Force Awakens<\/a> movie early on Fandango <\/a>when tickets first came on sale.  With pre-sale tickets toppling $100 million<\/a>…before the movie has even been released, one sure hopes it’s worth all the hype!<\/p>\n

We wanted to see it the first night, which was actually Dec. 17th in some areas, so we kept our kids up late and went.  We were going with some good friends, so we had a group of 9 of us altogether.  To ensure we all could sit near each other, we sent the dads to stand in line around 12:30pm and the rest of us joined up after school.<\/p>\n

I’m happy to tell you the movie was worth all the hype!  It was a perfect blend of the old Star Wars meets new Star Wars with all of our favorite actors from the beginning of the Star Wars saga (minus Yoda who died in a previous movie).<\/p>\n

With no further ado, let me give you our family review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens!<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> PG-13<\/p>\n

Running time:<\/strong> 2 hours, 16 minutes<\/p>\n

Moviegoers:<\/strong> Mom, Dad,  and our kids, ages 10 and 12.<\/p>\n

Family movie faves:<\/strong> Inside Out, Night at the Museum, Big Hero 6, Frozen<\/p>\n

Fave movies for grown-ups:<\/strong> The Age of Adeline, Vacation, Titanic, Pearl Harbor, A Time to Remember<\/p>\n

Review of Star Wars<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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The Story:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thirty years have passed since the events of The Return of the Jedi (1983) in this thrilling new space saga.  Star Wars:  The Force Awakens shows what has happened since the Rebel Alliance defeated the second Death Star.  Yet, all these years later, the First Order continues to wage war in the galaxy, with new antagonists Captain Phasma and Kly Ren at the helm.  <\/p>\n

Star Wars favorites, Lei, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO are runited along with a new cast of heroes including Poe Dameron (a starfighter pilot), Rey (an orphaned scavenger), Finn (former Stormtrooper), and BB-8 (a rolling droid).<\/p>\n

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What Parents May Like About this Movie<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Parents will love to be reunited with favorite characters from their Star Wars childhood, including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, as well as Chewbacca, Yoda, R2-D2, and C-3P0.  The good versus evil theme prevails with plenty of thrilling action sequences, battle scenes, and even hints of romance.<\/p>\n

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In our movie theater, the audience clapped every time a favorite hero emerged in the film.  It was a fun collaborative experience as we all cheered for our heroes of yesteryear. <\/p>\n

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What Kids Will Like<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Kids will like the characters, especially the new Droid, BB-8…look for him in the toy stores, he’ll be everywhere!  There are plenty of cool space vessels, funny looking space creatures, and foreign alien lands.  The only romance is a kiss on the forehead, so they won’t be grossed out!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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 Ratings<\/strong>:  1 = not too bad, 5 = bad<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 Concerns:<\/strong>   <\/h3>\n

One death of a hero will be hard to take for both kids and adults. (2\/5)  When this scene occurs, it will be predictable for adults, but kids won’t see it coming.  Because of the closeness of the camera, this death is undeniable and emotional.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Positive themes:<\/strong> (3\/5)<\/p>\n

One thing I really liked about the movie was the theme of doing the right thing, even when everyone else is not.  It’s not easy to stand for what is right, and Star Wars:  The Force Awakens shows the difficulty of this action and how courage of one person can change the course of events.<\/p>\n

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I also enjoyed the movie’s heroine, Rey, who showed true grit, determination, and incredible bravery, while at the same time she’s genuine and compassionate.  Rey is a good role model for girls and women.<\/p>\n

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Violence\/scare factor: (3\/5)<\/strong><\/p>\n

One entire village and two pilots are destroyed in the film and well as many countless others.  Though no blood is shown (except for on a white Stormtrooper helmet and drops in the snow).  There is definitely violence, I mean, of course, it’s Star Wars.  <\/p>\n

There are a few scary looking characters (which could conjure up nightmares).  My 10 year-old-son watched the movie and loved it.  He did mention afterwards that perhaps he should watch a happy Mickey Mouse show before he goes to bed so he doesn’t have nightmares.<\/p>\n

Also, keep in mind, the movie is over 2 hours long.  Typical Disney movies are 1 1\/2 hours, so it might be tough for your children to sit in the theater for so long.  Take them to the restroom first before sitting down!  Oh, and don’t give them drinks right before the show or during it.  My son needed a restroom break at about 1 hr. and 45 minutes through the movie!<\/p>\n

Sex\/Romance:<\/strong> One forehead kiss. (1\/5)<\/p>\n

Bad language: <\/strong>Just a couple of bad words mentioned, like “dammit and hell. (1\/5)<\/p>\n

This sums up our family review of Star Wars:  The Force Awakens…without giving away too much of what happened in the movie.<\/p>\n

For more information about this movie or to buy tickets, visit Fandango<\/a>. To get another parent\u2019s take on this film, check out Mom\u2019s Movie Minute<\/a>.  For reviews, see what the critics <\/a>and the fans <\/a>have to say!  Lastly, check out Fandango’s Star Wars Movie Guide<\/a>, for everything Star Wars!<\/p>\n

Even if you’re not a die-hard Star Wars fan, you will still enjoy this movie.  You don’t have to have full knowledge of previous films to appreciate The Force Awakens.  Make it easy on yourself, buy your movie tickets through Star Wars:  The Force Awakens<\/a> so you don’t need to worry about the movie time you want selling out.  Enjoy the show!<\/p>\n

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WIN IT!
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Want to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens or another movie of your choice?  We’re giving away two $100 Fandango Gift Cards!  Take the whole family to the movies…a couple of times!<\/p>\n

Fandango is the only way we buy our movie tickets now and we want you to experience the same convenience.  Sign up below to enter.  <\/p>\n

a Rafflecopter giveaway<\/a>
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