In Theaters: ***** Young Washington (2016)

 This is an excellent movie.  I just got home from the theater.  George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) should have been killed in the battles with the french and Indians outside of Fort Duquesne.  The movie presents two battles in the area.  The first Washington was a colonel of volunteers, rising in rank rather quickly.  However they were overrun by the french and Indians, and Washington signed a surrender in which he took blame for the death of a French officer.  The second he was an adjutant as he had resigned his commission after the first battle.  However when things started going awry again, it was he who, although he was sick, rode forwarded and rescued many men and extracted a small victory from defeat.  This is when he should have been killed.  Native Americans fired at him but say he was protected so the could not hit him.  Washington returned a third time with a larger force.  The French abandoned Fort Duquesne after the Indians had a abandoned them.  They burned the fort and left.  

Several interesting things happen before this.  The movie starts with the death of Washington's father.  Where he had no father they would not let him attend school.  So his brother, Lawerence (John Foss) educated him (boy Washington played by Will Joseph).  Joseph has high ambitions.  He throws himself towards a young woman, Sally Cary ((Mia Rodgers).  However she ends up with a British aristocrat of the Fairfax family.  However it is Lord Fairfax (Kelsey Grammar) who gives Washington a job as a surveyor.  It is during this job that he observes a French fort, Fort Duquesne, in land claimed by Virginia.  This leads him to report to the governor (Ben Kingsley) and he is given his commission as a captain of volunteers.  In his adventures he recruits his friend, Chris (Leo Hanna).  He is with him on the surveying trip and in his first commission.  However he is killed.  This partly leads to Washington's resigning. 

Very moving look at our founding and I highly recommend this movie.

Movie Reviews: ***Last of the Mohicans

"Last of the Mohicans" (1992) is based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper.  The action takes place during the French and Indian War.  Magua (Wes Studi) (Huron Tribe fighting with the French) has a bitter grudge against Colonol Edmund Munro and his two daughters (Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May).   He attacks a column that is taking the girls to their father.  They are rescued by Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) (adopted Mohican) and his Mohican brother and father.  This draws him into the war on the side of the British.  He becomes enamored with one of the daughter's, and there are several scenes when they are longing each other.  Hawkeye takes them to the fort, which is under siege, where the girl's father is in command.  The British and French reach agreement where the British are allowed to leave.  However Magua and the Huron warriors pursue them, leading to a great battle.  The Colonel is killed, and Hawkeye again escapes with the girls.  However they are about to be captured, and Hawkeye leaves them with a promise to return and effect a rescue.
This movie has lots of good action; there are at least three battle scenes.  The last of the Mohicans is always coming to the rescue, but will he arrive in time.