Drummer Boy: The Movie My Review

I went to see one of the first showings of the Drummer Boy: The Movie on opening day yesterday. All that I knew about the movie initially was just the trailer which looked very captivating and interesting and that it was rated PG-13.  Drummer Boy is an Angel Studios distributed production alongside Red 56 and 2521 Entertainment. The movie stars Joel Smallbone, Lucas Leach, a relatively unknown British actor in his first feature film, India Brown, also a British actress and her first feature film and finally Charles Esten. 

Smallbone plays Jeremiah Clem alongside Leach as his younger brother Benjamin Clem aka the Drummer Boy. Joel Smallbone previously was featured in films Priceless, Unsung Hero and earlier this year in Young Washington another Angel Studios film.  As for Esten, he plays Lord Balfour of the British Army for her Majesty the Queen and also famously known to Nashville tv fans as Deacon Claybourne and recent Angel Studios tv series Homeland. 

Jeremiah Clem, Benjamin Clem and India Brown as Emmaline all came over to the new world for freedom and forgiveness on a ship at Christmas time 1762 as little kids with Benjamin playing the drum for the passengers and crew on the ship as the movie opens. The film moves forward in time after the opening sequences and introduces Smallbone, Leach and Brown as the older Clems and Emmaline. Some of the British people fleeing were still trying to fight for King and Country the Red Coats while others went to fight for the Blue Coats and the Colonies of America. Other actors making appearances were Iain Glen, Melora Hardin and Beverly Knight playing key important supporting characters. 

Drummer Boy is set during the American revolutionary war with brother fighting against brother as a musical dramatic story with humor scattered throughout. The locations of the story were in Kingston and Lexington, NY. This movie felt like it is the child of The Greatest Showman and Les Mise
rables set around the same time as Young Washington. Speaking of Les Miserables, the novel, play and movie set during the French revolution when the citizens were trying to escape for a better life and freedom. Just like that story, Drummer Boy is the American version of that Victor Hugo historical novel with a humorous cast of characters in it to lighten the mood. The British citizens were trying for a better life and freedom coming to the new world later called the United States of America.

I really enjoyed this feature immensely and loved the music from the beginning with songs called Who I Hope to Be and Heart of a Lion all the way through to the final songs of the Little Drummer Boy. The first one was sung by Benjamin Clem on the battlefield. The other version was the famous one by For King and Country called Little Drummer Boy that we have been hearing for years on the radio and played in their concerts. My favorite song was Same Blood.

The soundtrack is a perfect companion to the movie. I highly recommend listening to it during this Christmas season to remember the film. I strongly suggest you see it in the theaters and then watch it again when it comes on video streaming services. I do believe this movie will be as memorable and a loved project like Les Miserables or The Greatest Showman. My rating is 8.5 out of 10 stars. It is not a blockbuster like a big budgeted film like Marvel or Disney films but for the budget it did a great job with its cinematography, storytelling and direction which made this movie one of my top 3 favorite movies this year. I hope I can place it in my Top 50 of all time as I keep watching it many times in the years ahead. Well done Angel Studios and production crews by bringing another solid movie for the family to be able to watch together. The PG-13 rating was for the war violence. This is also a perfect time for it to come out now to explain America’s history as the celebration continues for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.

Movie Review for Runner on Angel

 

 

Last week I finally saw the feature film of Runner starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson along with a good support cast on the Angel App. The movie production is by 2521 Entertainment and A Broken Road Production with assistance by Angel Studios. Runner was written by relatively unknowns Miles Hubley and Tommy White who both also executive produced it alongside several team members including Owen Wilson. The director was Scott Waugh who has been known in the past for movies like Act of Valor, Hidden Strike and Need for Speed. This movie first was released in the theaters on September 11, 2026.

With Scott Waugh’s experience of directing action packed thriller movies, all he needed was to have a good script and production team alongside well known lead actors and you really can’t go wrong in making this film.

Alan Ritchson being known for the TV show Reacher and movies like War Machine alongside Owen Wilson known for the recent TV show Stick for Apple TV and blockbuster movies like Cars, A Night at the Museum and one of my personal favorites of his Drillbit Taylor, both have a great chemistry in this movie that is very believable. 

Ritchson plays a former soldier, Hank Malone, who seems to have moved to Australia and now is a courier and rewardist helping people while trying to deal with his past. As for Wilson who plays, Ben Bishop, a medical courier that flies into Melbourne, Australia trying to deliver a rare organ for a sick little girl brought over from the United States. With a great supporting cast of characters from bad guys to various other good people, this is a truly good movie even though it has some bad language and extreme violence at times but overall had a good message in the end.

Hank and Ben are pursued very early on by a gang of bad mafia type people led by Damian played by Rodrigo Santoro. Damian is trying to steal the rare organ for a client early in this movie by any means necessary.

Runner movie to me seemed to be a cross between Reacher and Tracker tv shows crossed with a more better version of The Godfather. Runner also has humor sprinkled in throughout making it similar to some other movies like this. There are twists and unforeseen moments that caught me by surprise.

Should you watch Runner? Yes you should. You might even want to watch it a second time. What do I give for a rating? It is a 8.5 out of 10 stars or a B+ rating. I really enjoyed it and of course I definitely wanted the bad guys to lose and the good wins over the bad. I think Ritchson and Wilson did a great job of leading this cast and hope they work together again in the future on projects.

The Thursday Murder Club Movie Review

   

Since I have posted two reviews in the last couple of days, one about a book and the other about a movie, I figured I ought to do a movie review that is based on a novel written by Richard Osman back in 2020 titled The Thursday Murder Club. The adaptation to the big screen was a written screenplay by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote. The movie was directed by Chris Columbus. Yes that Chris Columbus who directed Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, the first 3 Harry Potter movies and my personal favorite screenplay he wrote The Goonies back in 1985.

I have had this movie on my watchlist since August 22 of last year with the intent to read the book first and then watch the movie on Netflix. I have a long TBR list and wanted to see this movie because I have heard a lot of people have liked this story. The film is 2 hours long so I figured what the heck because I hoped it would at least be 90% of the material discussed in the book. I have talked with several people who had seen this movie after reading the book. The comments made about it was that the movie did justice to the book and I need to watch it and save my time reading the printed copy. 

The Thursday Murder Club stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant and several other supporting cast member actors. Mirren plays Elizabeth Best a retired sleuth. Brosnan plays Ron Ritchie a retiree. Kingsley plays, Professor Ibrahim Arif, as retired psychologist. Imrie plays a retired trauma nurse, Joyce Meadowcroft. Finally, Tennant plays Ian Ventham the co-owner of Cooper’s Chase.

The movie starts out with the viewers seemingly dropping in on a group of elderly amateur sleuths with a wide range of past experiences to give them abilities to solve murders. Their favorite cases were for their club called the Thursday Murder Club. They meet every month at the Cooper’s Chase retirement home and village where all of the characters of the story live.

As the murder club uncovers the clues and opens further the investigations that bring about other complications. One of the owners of Cooper’s Chase tragically is murdered. What a perfect time for this sleuthing club, to not only work on their cold case from 1973, but to help try to find the killer of their landlord of the property Ventham.

While this movie is just 2 hours long, it seems to be going at a fast pace revealing multiple layers to each character introduced and the parts they all play to the ultimate conclusions of all plots and subplots. I believe this movie has a good continuity throughout which is probably helped by the novelist Osman to be one of the executive producers of the film. However, it seemed to be a little too short of a movie and the ending was abruptly transpired but left open for a sequel so that is a positive.

I was very intrigued and invested with every character, setting and the flow of the picture from beginning to end. Finding out the important necessity of every person involved has made me want to possibly go back and read the actual novel and the subsequent novels in the Thursday Murder Club series. This movie is definitely worth watching. It is a Netflix co-production so you can find it on their service. What ratings do I give it? A thumbs up and 4.5 out of 5 stars because of the ending and the cinematography and direction by Columbus, giving the movie purpose and interesting qualities. I would love to hear your comments about this movie and if you have read the book or watched it. Please leave a comment below.

Matchbox The Movie Review

 
This week I watched Matchbox the Movie on Apple TV that premiered last week on the streaming service on October 9, 2026. It stars John Cena as Sean, Jessica Biel as Aimee, Arturo Castro as Ted, Sam Richardson as Crosby and Teyonah Parris as Charmaine as grown up versions of the kids that start at the story’s beginning. While growing up in a small town of Cartersville, Sean, Aimee, Ted, Crosby and Charmaine form a club as friends called the Matchbox club. They loved playing with all types of Matchbox cars and vehicles. This movie even tells of the fact of how the term Matchbox was coined many years prior by old man Smalley that ran a garage to fix cars and a great place for the kids to hang out after school. 

    Sean, as we find out early in the film, has a crush on Aimee and finds out she really loves one particular 1969 Chevy Camaro SS die cast. She also drops hints about it. Sean, as a boy, gets cold feet twice when he was trying to give her that die cast car he purchased for her.  When his dad tells him they have to move, his opportunity ended. Will he ever see her again?  Fast forward to an unknown point in the future. We see John Cena on screen and determine he is Sean and he is working on some kind of international mission or case. We find out soon that Sean Walker is an undercover spy and is unfortunately reunited with his childhood friends and they have to work together to save the world.

The special effects and camera work in this movie are very well done. There were a few mistakes I found at various points but it did not ruin the flow of the story and the writing for this blockbuster movie just made for Apple TV. John Cena does an excellent job leading this good cast and the surprising performances of Jessica Biel and Teyonah Parris showing woman power. Finally, the director of this movie Sam Hargrave, has a history being known as a stuntman and actor working alongside the Russo Brothers on many of their projects. I know he has directed in the past but Matchbox the Movie will stand out for me as a very good family movie with no a lot of bad language which is a very important point for this movie. This film is not a 10 out of 10 and a stand out as one of the greatest of all time, but it is really good for your collection to watch one day and maybe a few more times for things you might miss watching the first time. 

 My rating is a 8 out of 10. It is worth watching with a family or a date. I would say kids 12 years and up can see this Matchbox film. Sorry I did not get a review out last week but with the Hurricane in the Southeast I wanted to double up this week. Look for another over the next couple of days.

The Ghostwriter Book Review

 

     Before I start discussing this novel by A. R. Torre or Alessandra Torre as some version of The Ghostwriter was published under, there are several very sensitive topics and scenes written that might not be read, discussed or have thoughts about as clearly as this manuscript. This review needs an asterisk and warning ahead. I hope that you will continue with my take on this suspense / psychological thriller story. Also you need to know that I listened to the audiobook version and have not read a word so comments you might have should be taken through that set of lenses.

While the story starts out with the main character of Helena Ross a very successful New York bestsellers romance novelist, finding out that she has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Brain Cancer. Helena had a husband and daughter in her past and now that she is faced with the thought of dying, she wants to write one more final manuscript to be published with a ghostwriter’s help. This novel is unlike anything she has written before because this is her story that needs to be told. This story will be a suspense and not a romance like all her others.

The pacing of this book is very slow at first and then the speed picks up for about half of the novel. After that, the pacing changes with some of it necessary. For example, Helena has to explain why her daughter is not around. Another is the first time Helena meets her nemesis Marka Vantly that she has despised but realizes that she still needs her to write the last great book for her legacy to be completely finalized, releasing her for the afterlife. Marka is brilliant in her storytelling she believes. When the reality of everything starts setting in and Helena can’t be the OCD controlling mean witch, this is when she has mysteries unveiled to her which is a foreshadowing of all the plots, lies and mysteries that she herself will unload as she writes alongside Marka Vantly who really is a man named Mark.

The subjects discussed through the narrative first person by Helena on why the past is actually really horrible with crimes committed by several people. The more you read the book or listen in my case, I could not stop and wanted to know what bad things her husband did to people in his past. The consequences for actions by people to people and against people is clearly discussed. Does the old adage “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words they can not hurt me” really apply and mean something? Torre addresses that along with other sensitive topics of death and smoke and mirrors through Helena. Helena shows throughout this shocking unwound story she writes with Mark’s help how decisions impact lives lost. The final takeaway I get from this whole novel is to make the most of your life. Always tell the truth even if it is stranger than fiction. The Ghostwriter is a contemporary fiction or psychological fiction. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would be cautious about reading this story if you get triggered by death, murder or abuse in any form or trying to make your life seem all right even if you are wrong in your approach.

The Brink of War Movie Review

    In my continuation of the theme of 250th Anniversary of the United States of America this year, I will discuss the movie The Brink of War starring Jeff Daniels as President Ronald Reagan, Jared Harris as Mikhail Gorbachev and J K Simmons as George Schultz the Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan. It was a thorough account of the famous negotiated talks between the two biggest leaders of power in the world at the time. This movie originally came out into theaters on August 14, 2026. It was later made available on streaming services on September 1 of this year to Amazon Prime, Fandango and other services. This movie was released by Angel Studios. Angel has their own streaming service and this was the platform I chose to watch the movie last night.

The Brink of War was directed by Michael Russell Gunn who is known for being a producer in Hollywood. Mr. Gunn has also produced and helped write the acclaimed tv series Designed Survivor that premiered on ABC starring Kiefer Sutherland showing the behind the scenes of what happens in the United States government during the President’s State of the Union speeches and what could happen in what if scenarios. Finally, he has also worked as a producer on the TV show Billions on Showtime and has had many years of experience in Hollywood. 

His just released directorial debut film that discusses the 1986 Cold War, The Brink of War was his first time behind a feature film as a director and producer for the big screen in his directorial debut that discusses about the 1986 Cold War Reykjavik Summit between the 2 world leaders. Because of his extensive work dealing with Presidential historical moments, I believe Mr. Gunn did a good job bringing the famous story most historians know about the famous Cold War negotiations between the United States President Reagan and General Secretary for the Soviet Union Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland. A historical fact is the movie was really played out in the actual house used by those famous leaders. I would assume the actors and film crews there must have had goosebumps knowing they were filming at the actual spot and in the very house used back in the 1980s.

The acting in this movie was very good. It was written, directed and the cinematography was well captured and made me feel like I was actually there in that most historical set of days for the talks on Human Rights, Nuclear disarmament, the famous Star Wars or strategic arms and ABM treaty.

J K Simmons as George Schultz was surprisingly strong and well portrayed and I felt Schultz was just as intelligent and powerful as the two mighty leaders of Reagan and Gorbachev and his foreign minister counterpart.

My only negative take away by the Angel Studios film was the unnecessary bad language for a faith based and family film company. I was happy to see that Angel has offered a version of the movie that has removed the bad language for the family to watch and not be concerned of the language and adult topics if a younger audience that is watching alongside their parents.

This movie takes us through all the various levels of talk and how we were at the brink of war. This summit was not long after Reagan’s assassination attempt back in 1981. The subplot characters of Nancy Reagan played by Hope Davis and Raisa Gorbachev the wife of Mikhail Gorbachev were described in an interesting way. I was not aware of their places in these important talks. I was only 14 years old when all of this transpired and a little young to remember all of this was going on back then.

My take on The Brink of War is that it is a good movie that people should watch at least one time. It might not be a movie that is 100% accurate but it is at least 95% in the storytelling. The fact they were able to use the actual location for the filming of this very important and historic event should tell you how they were trying to get it right and be accurate as possible. I give this movie a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Transformers 40th Anniversary Review

  

On Friday September 18, 2026 was the 40th Anniversary of the introduction of the Transformers universe to be introduced to us humans. The introduction came in the animated movie that first aired on television. The same movie made its big screen debut 40 years later in the theaters on the very day Friday. While I could do a review of that movie, I believe many of you that read my reviews probably would not try to find and watch that first movie. So instead, I am going to give you a review of a movie of the live action Transformers that was made with CGI effects on the big screen on July 3, 2007 starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and John Turturro.

I am not sure where you can find the animated film after Friday since it is a one day celebration in the theaters. The live action Transformers or Transformers 1 and subsequent films can be found on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+ and Fandango to name a few streaming services. I personally own a few of these movies on Blu Ray. 

What can I say about Transformers universe? When I was a kid, I remember the television show and the toys that came out by Hasbro. I used to have a couple of them but they were lost as I have moved many times in my life. The first time I felt they made an indelible mark in many people’s minds was when the first live action Transformers movie came out directed by Michael Bay on July 3, 2007. It is crazy to think that this movie is almost 20 years old and the special effects that were used along with an epic movie soundtrack made the movie stand out. 

I remember the first time I watched the original one and when I first heard the beginning of  “What I’ve Done” song by Linkin Park at the beginning under the scenes with Sam Witwicky driving around the first time in his Camaro unknowing the importance of the car and the power it held before its unveiling as the famous Bumblebee. This movie had the most famous Autobots and Decepticons. I must confess that I am a Peter Cullen fan and hearing his first words in the movie as Optimus Prime sent goosebumps through my body knowing who it was and the first time on the big screen. Optimus is the leader of the Autobots. Fast forward to Friday while watching it for maybe the fifth time I had those same thoughts and emotions.

When I was a kid, the animated changes from a car, truck to the Autobots or Decepticons, never realized or made as much of an impression for the transformations like in this live action feature film. The special effects for the transforming was very good. I would give it an A- because I have seen some other movies do better but at the time when the movie was released was the best for a movie like it of its genre at that time in my opinion.

Transformers first foray on the big screen is the best of the series of movies that Michael Bay has been involved with to date. The cast of characters and actors were a good ensemble and it made it hard to find all of the bad guys and want to be bad guys. The heroes were the Autobots and Sam Witwicky which is fitting since his grandfather started this archeological exhibition of aliens and tried to fight a Decepticon that he found given the name Iceman. He left all of his clues to his son a unhip wannabe and the grandson that is a pivotal dealer to keep himself out of trouble.

The voice of the Transformers are legends in the voice world and in front of the camera as well. As stated, the leader of them all is Peter Cullen the voice of Optimus Prime. Cullen has been known as Optimus all the way until his unfortunate death last month. He is also known as the voice of Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh films. Cullen has been doing voice work for 50 years with over 40 of it just for the Transformers projects alone. The voice of the evil Deception leader Megatron for the movie was Hugo Weaving known for acting in front of the camera. The other voices were Mark Ryan as Bumblebee, Robert Foxworth as Ratchet and Jess Harnell as Ironhide and other Transformer characters. 

Transformers, the original in 2007, is definitely worth a watch and has a good easy to follow storyline and revelations are timed just right. I think this movie deserves a 9 out 10 stars.  I have seen many of the other movies in this universe and feel most of them are deserving a watch at least one time. Congratulations to all those associated with the Transformers universe!  R.I.P. Peter Cullen and Autobots roll out.

Ghosts of Honolulu Book Review

 
   

As I have written in previous blog posts, I stated that I will be discussing about various media dealings with American History since this is the 250th birthday year of the United States. I will talk about movies I think deal with that history or Americana as some people call it. I also said that I will try to find books that go into important historical significances of what has made America great, ways it can learn from its mistakes and the foundational structure from the government to the military and the business of how we have gone about existing as a great and most important Nation of all the world in my opinion.

Before I go into the review of Ghosts of Honolulu written by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr.,  I want to say that if you watch “NCIS” t.v. shows where Leroy Jethro Gibbs played by Mark Harmon or a military / police drama show watchers then this book is not that fast. This book is not wrapped up in a bow and given a final conclusion in one hour. Leon Carroll Jr. not to be confused with Rocky Carroll that played Leon Vance on the NCIS t.v. show is actually a real retired NCIS agent and consultant. Also, I have personally been to Honolulu and more of Hawaii on multiple occasions. I have had the honor of going to Pearl Harbor and seeing the incredibly moving and impressive historical pieces and heard people tell the story that happened on December 7, 1941. “A date which will live in infamy” President Franklin D Roosevelt said after the attack. It is also moving to see the watery grave of the USS Arizona. When you go over it and know that sailors are buried in his sunken ship, it is a powerful solemn moment.

What can I now say about the Ghosts of Honolulu book? I was not sure what I was going to read. A history book used for a college classroom? A novel type approach to the stories you would find for your favorite fiction or historical fiction book? A diary unveiling like Gibbs does on the spinoff show “NCIS Origins?” Well, I believe its got a lot of all three except this is all true. It is a book that fillets open all of the known historical facts and stories known about the untold story of Pearl Harbor. It tells about Japanese spies and the beginnings of the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service and how the US Government and all the military branches dealings before, during and after the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor. The islands of Hawaii were not yet a state of the United States. It was a territory not unlike Puerto Rico today. Honolulu was a big place that America had their ships and planes stationed in the Pacific. Honolulu had a big Japanese population back in the 1930s and 1940s.

I took the seriousness of the book and the subject matter to really digest the information introduced and discussed very thoroughly. It’s detailed accounts of the Japanese spies like Douglas Wada and tells about the important places and events that unfolded to trick, deceive and manipulate both sides of Japan and the USA. This leads to all that is discussed in this deeply powerful and well written telling of this whole event. I thought I knew everything about it from studying it in school, watching movies like Pearl Harbor that came out in 2001 starring Ben Affleck and Josh Harnett and interviews and documentaries. I have to say that this book is the most detailed account I have ever read about the events and the deceptions of the spies to steal all the important information and catch America off guard to make it the deadliest attack on the American military at that time.

This book is very well done and a definite MUST read for the history buffs and those wanting to understand better of what happened from successes to failures. I was also impressed that the authors put the whole speech, word for word, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in the book. It fits to what they were presenting about it to give a clear complete picture of the aftermath even years later. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. Very well done and loved all the pictures included and all the prologues and epilogue to this American history event.