Movie Review for The Sheep Detectives

Well it is Friday and you know what that means, another movie review but this Friday is a little different since this is my second review posted for the day. I have had a very busy week so I want to post the first review of a book that I will try to do every week. I am going to also be posting a movie review as well.  My movie reviews will also be on a Friday so you can have an idea of a movie to watch with your family or significant other. I hope you will understand that I might not have a definite schedule for a book review of a certain day but movie reviews will always be on Fridays. I will try to post one one week for the theater and the next week the review will be for a streaming service.  If you would like more movie reviews, then comment below and I will try to post both types each week if time permits.

Now, on to my review of The Sheep Detectives starring Hugh Jackman as the good shepherd. The movie I watched is an Amazon MGM studio production that is on Prime Video. It is written for the screen as an adapted story by Craig Mazin taken from the book “Three Bags Full” and directed by Kyle Balda. The novel was written by Leonie Swann in case you want to find it and read to your children one day. Hugh Jackman is the lead actor who played the Shepherd George Hardy. Also making their vocal appearances as the various sheep were Brett Goldstein, also known from as Roy Kent from Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame, Regina Hall and many more screen actors like Emma Thompson and Nicholas Braun.

The Sheep Detectives is a story of a Shepherd who truly loves his sheep and would read to them a book every night before he would end his day. The stories were a detective or mystery novel and we find out early that when no humans are around the sheep talk amongst themselves or to other animals. These smart animals always try to figure the who done it or solve the stories before they were finished. Not long into this movie tragedy befalls George Hardy causing him to lose his life. It is up to the sheep to go into detective mode and solve the death of George because they know how much he loved and cared for them. They know he would have done the same thing for any one of them. Alongside a dim witted at times police officer and unofficial detective of the towns police force played by Nicholas Braun makes this a wholesome and fun mystery movie.

The Sheep Detectives is just under 2 hours long and rated PG. I believe this film can be watched by the whole family. While the budget for the movie was a low $85 million, I did not feel the production, story and editing lacked at any point. I would definitely also consider watching this movie again. It seemed to be a come of age and nostalgic type story that I would liken it to Secondhand Lions meets Babe movies.

I would rate this movie 9.5 out of 10 stars. Definitely give this movie a watch whether you are a Hugh Jackman fan or not. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised how good this movie is. You can also watch this on Blu Ray or rent it on whatever media platforms you use.

 

My Book Review for "Big Trouble Ahead" by Allen Jackson

 

In my initial post restarting this blog page back last month, I stated that I would post my reviews on books of various types with the primary ones being suspense and general fiction and movies of various types that I feel can be a help in our collective pit stops and problems in our lives so that we can hopefully all make it to the preferable checkered flags at the end of our lives well. I also said that I would post life observations that I feel necessary for if no other person than me but hope it will be something we all can learn and use in our lives to better our futures whether from a book or just my journal for that day or week.

Today I want to bring to your attention to a book written by a pastor named Allen Jackson called Big Trouble Ahead. He leads the congregation at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He has seen a lot of growth and lesson learned through scripture and observations with his world travels and degrees from several schools over his lifetime.

I will say at the time of this book’s writing, the subjects that Mr. Jackson brings up and discusses, I feel, still are as relevant and more so now than when he was first going through them coming out of the pandemic Co-vid 19 outbreak.

The book’s title is described as a description for tribulation that is found in the Holy Bible and explained thoroughly in the first few pages of this christian living genre book. The one thing I liked about this book is Jackson uses a lot of scriptures to explain his subject points and chapter titles and sub sections in each chapter. The subtitle that says a real plan for flourishing in a time of fear and deception could not have been a better wording when dealing with all of the news and stories we see, hear and experience on a daily basis now in 2026 but he wrote the book in 2022. The book starts with the Lord’s prayer explanations and what is the Prosperity Gospel. The pastor further discusses topics ranging from how to build a proper foundation in your life and what can and should you do when life’s storms come, what is the Trinity when it is not in the Bible and how to handle other sensitive topics we see in our workplaces and news daily. Topics such as misremembering, the Lord’s prayer and the prosperity gospel, what various governmental philosophies we observe are in our every daily lives around the world and how to make sure readers can be educated from past Biblical accounts through the scriptures that can be applied to our lives today. Why is it important to understand what, why and how reasons for Jesus and his disciples were so prevalent many years ago and applying it to today’s life challenges and give us encouragements? The unpacking of the information provided with scripture references in each chapter with a given summary after each one to discuss and help ponder what was written. I found clarity in what was written for each chapter through these summaries. The book provides hope and understanding that we can find all things possible through Jesus Christ. His sacrifice is the bridge to all things that can be possible as Pastor Allen Jackson references from Mark 10:27. Hopefully, you will come to understand that with a better armor provided by God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can be better prepared for the big trouble ahead. If we can be more like Jesus, his light through all men shine for all to see and make things better and new. This is my brief take on all things discussed in this book. 

To bring this to a close, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. In my 40+ years as a Christian, I am still learning things and trying to better myself daily. Since Allen Jackson has written this book, he has authored several other books that talk about several topics including a book about his dad. Further he has created a podcast called Allen Jackson Ministries & a TV show called Allen Jackson Now. Whether you decide to read or listen to an audiobook version of this book, I believe you should start with this one in case you are looking for a christian living or guidance book. Of course, I would encourage you to read the Holy Bible first with these resources as additions. This last sentence is definitely for me.

My Thoughts and Review on Spiderman: Brand New Day

 On the last day of July 2026, I cannot believe we are this far into the year, I saw one of the many showings at my local Regal Cinemas of Spiderman: Brand New Day. This is my first Marvel movie in the theaters on opening day or weekend since Avengers Endgame. I felt this movie deserved my time and attention by seeing it on opening day. Why you might ask? Because the trailers looked so good. The last movie Spiderman: No Way Home with its writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers and director Jon Watts had great vision and presentation of the multiverse and new growth with Spiderman through all the mistakes and failures to then rise up and lead the ensemble of the two other Spidermen and supporting cast to make the ending great but sad. Even with all of that conclusion, I was still excited for another chapter yet to come. The chapter is now. It’s called Spiderman: Brand New Day.

Important note: When this movie begins you first get caught up with what happened after the last movie ended. Why is this important to know? If you have not watched the last movie then I would recommend you to see No Way Home before you see Brand New Day. It will make your viewing experience a lot better in my opinion.

Brand New Day has brought back the same team of writers and new director Destin Daniel Cretton. This was awesome to hear the writers were back when it was announced because they have been carefully crafting the continuation of the stories and launched Spiderman deeper into the comics written by Stan Lee. Since McKenna and Sommers have done the other stories of the Spider-verse with Tom Holland’s Spiderman / Peter Parker, mental continuity and acumen by these gentlemen made me feel it was going to be a great next chapter.  Peter Parker in this movie is a nobody which leads to abandonment, depression and questioning his abilities when new powers morph in his body after Spiderman gets together with the Punisher as shown in the trailers previously released. I really was excited to see if any other Avengers or Marvel members would appear and set up the next movie in the Marvel saga of films. Also previously announced for Phase 6 of films, there will be the highly anticipated two ensemble Marvel Avengers films with the titles of Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars coming in 2027.

Keeping all of this in the back of my mind, could we be seeing glimpses or tie ins of characters in this movie answered I felt without giving away spoilers? I will say Brand New Day has excellent performances by Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spiderman showing his genius ability to create technologies to help him and others, just like he did in No Way Home, along with Zendaya as MJ, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher and several other well known and for some the unknown characters that make their appearances throughout the movie. 

Because I am a follower and have read some of the comics in the past dealing with this whole universe, it was great knowing that ties from other comics outside of Spiderman and the New Avengers series helped this reviewer feel happy about how they pulled all of this together using comedic banter, the special effects, the story dialogues and explanations of the past movie issues for the next launch in the Marvel universe with past and future colliding. The writers and director made this chapter of the Spiderman saga my favorite of the movies with Tom Holland starring as the web slinger. How the writers brought in recent past links to the Spiderman movies and how the 5 year blip in the Avengers timeline after Endgame ties in with the characters introduced and reintroduced during the progression of the storylines arc for this third sequel film was satisfying.

As of the time of this review, this movie is believed to be on pace to set new records at the box office this weekend and beyond. If this is true, it will make Brand New Day the highest grossing movie ever for any Marvel production. In my opinion, Tom Holland would become the most successful lead actor of the whole Marvel series even after adjusting for inflation. I hope that Holland will continue being Peter Parker for as long as he can. But I know as a comic book fan, there are variations of Spiderman yet to come.

In closing, What is my rating?  I give it 9 out of 10 stars. Do you need to see this movie in the theaters? Most definitely to get the total immersive experience and to see and hear all of the visual and sound effects in Dolby sound so you can feel it. It was excellent and I felt I was right beside them. Kudos to the whole team for this movie. In my opinion, this is my favorite Spiderman with Tom Holland at the helm because I finally have seen Holland grow up and mature into the character and really think he has made it his own. Let all of the debating begin. Oh and one more thing, if you don’t stay until the end after the credits for the easter egg which all veterans of Marvel movies should know to do already.  I am sure you can find it online already somewhere.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Book Review

 The debut novel of Allen Levi was given the number 1 book position for 2025. With that announcement does that really mean it is fact or just a bought position by a publisher to the New York Times Best Seller’s list? The book was originally self published by Levi in 2023. It was later acquired by Atria books and released November 2025. You read that correctly…. Late release in 2025 so is it the best for the whole year?  The short answer is yes. There are many who are still giving this book praise for their book lists from celebrities to neighborhood small group book clubs.

I had been made aware of this book by several friends and really needed to read this novel, not just read it but allow it to imprint my mind, heart and soul. Wow! If Theo of Golden is that powerful, then I did need to read it.

When I first started this book, I felt it was not grabbing my attention. It was slow getting out of the gate. I was not sure where this was going to go because the Prologue, I thought, was a good introduction and timeline of the length of this story about a mysterious man named Mr. Theo. The description was just mysterious enough that it intrigued me. Unfortunately in the first few chapters, I felt Mr. Levi lacked pacing and getting to the points he was trying to make. I generally have a rule that if a book doesn’t grab me by 30 to 50 pages in, I will not read it or at least put it down and try it again later if my friends and family want my honest review of a book. So with the desire to keep giving it a chance for friends, I am happy to report that I am glad I stayed with the book and believe it will go down as one of my favorite nostalgic and southern story novels ever. There are only a few other books that I can say Theo of Golden is in company or comparison with since it is set in the south. The first is The Shack by William P. Young and another one is Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg. Why you might ask? Setting for the story in Georgia, type of characters used in The Shack is similar in Theo of Golden and finally the dry sense of humor found in all three books and definitely in Fried Green Tomatoes.

While the town of Golden is fictional, all the information seems real and even uses places that you can definitely find around the world. Mr. Levi, I realized, was writing this debut novel like you cook Gumbo or put BBQ meat on a smoker for dinner. It was slow at first but as he introduced the various main characters you realize he has made an interesting set of ingredients like a Gumbo for his story.

You see the main character, Mr. Theo, is an old 86 year old mystery man that only goes by his first name. Some of the other main characters we introduced to are Mr. Ponder, Mrs. Gidley, Asher Glissen, and Minnette. Theo of Golden is full of mystery, suspense, spider-webbed stories taking you the reader through a wide array of emotions with humor and southern charm that even had me laughing, shocked and also crying a few tears at times. Mr. Levi unveiled his layers of the Gumbo of a story that definitely didn’t have me thinking of the way the story ends in the last 40 or so pages.  

I really am glad that I read Theo of Golden and recommend it for your TBR (to be read) list. Do I think it is the #1 book for 2025? That is for each individual opinion but it has to be in the top 5 of the year for sure. I am hard pressed to think of a better fiction book like this as I write this review. My rating for the book is 4.5 out of 5 stars. I will be looking with hope for any future book by Allen Levi and have added him to my follow list on Goodreads. You can find this book on Amazon or at your local bookstore. Please leave comment or a question on what you think of my review and if you have read it.

Toy Story 5 Movie is a Must See Film Review

What can I say about the Toy Story franchise that hasn’t already been said? This is the best ever they say. The writing can’t be any better it’s said. Then the opposite that stories are getting too predictable and need to end with story five with this series. If you disagree and believe it can get better, this is not predictable and there is newness and original non cookie cutter approach in the fifth film as your answers then this movie is for you. 

When I first saw the trailers for this movie, I knew it was going to deal with technology, new toys with screens and not so much of the old fashioned characters like Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the gang. When the last movie came out it was a story about the new girl Bonnie who was adopted and an only child getting Andy’s toys since he outgrew them. That was a sad nostalgic move but a very touching way to end the series with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Slinky Dog and the rest of the crew in Toy Story 4. I think people would have been fine with it ending that way. 

With Toy Story 5, the story begins with an army of Buzz Lightyears being washed up on an island after a cargo container crashes on the shore for some reason. This army of Buzz played an interesting and important part of the story all the way until the movie’s end. Toy Story 5 is the first movie in the series I believe under the co-production of Disney and not just Pixar for the very first time. There are various Easter eggs throughout the movie that give a nod to Disney with music scores and a couple visual glimpses. I don’t want to give away spoilers. See if you can figure them out and leave your guesses and comments in the Comment section below. 

I love how this movie picks up in the future with Bonnie and her playing with all the nostalgic toys led my Jessie, her horse Bullseye and her vivid imagination dreaming a sci fi story. This is before she starts feeling lonely and sad. When her parents recognize this they decide to buy a LilyPad gaming toy for educational fun. Instead she played with her friends from school online. 

The theme of this adventure movie is how kids are being affected by the new age of digital technology and its impact on them. Jessie realizes it is not a good idea and tries to get Bonnie to not interact with the device and be a playful kid. When Jessie, Bullseye and the gang are discarded by Bonnie since she is 100% involved and devoted to the LilyPad, she tries to rescue her when things go wrong with her so called friends. 

I was surprised how little Woody makes an appearance in this story but was a big help with the whole gang. There were emotional moments and one big surprise toward the end. Now I know some people might take a negative shot at how Pixar handled the Digital technology stuff but I think it is very well done and not preachy but a touching believable set of situations and conclusions. 

In conclusion, I can see this might be some people’s favorite sequel of the Toy Story series. I am a sucker for the original and think it’s still the best. Second is Part 2 and then this one is my third favorite. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 stars. It was well done. Everyone should go see it at the theater with the family and then again at home when it gets on streaming so you can find those Easter Eggs and things you missed.

My Review for Celebrity Pastor by Creston Mapes

 Celebrity Pastor deals with issues that seems to be right out of the newspaper but somehow I thought I would never be interested in reading the subject matters in this novel. The way author Creston Mapes has an easy to follow set of stories from varied cast of characters in the overall story, Celebrity Pastor, kept me captivated all the way until the end. What happens when you are the Pastor of a Mega Church, in this case of fictitious Vine & Branches Church lead by Pastor Neil Gentry, can you handle the Celebrity power status? If unholy behaviors / sins surface what do you do when those sins are brought to light? How do you deal with them? Do you address them or let others help keep them buried? This book is slow developing and somehow really picks up a faster pace as the events unfold. I really like the scenery descriptions of various places in the Metro Atlanta area. I might be biased since I live in Georgia and around the Atlanta area my whole life. Makes me think I am right beside them in each chapter. This is another great captivating novel by Creston that is a stand alone novel in my opinion. If you are looking for a book that is fiction but seems to be a true story, then this is the book for you. I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars. I will be reading another one of his books or series in the future. He has become one of my top favorite authors to go to even when I have many books to read which is always. His next book that is out now is Sapphire Island. Stay tuned I will be doing a review for that one in the future.


If you have Kindle Unlimited with Amazon as of this post it is available for free through the Kindle App.

Young Washington is a Historic movie Must Watch

I saw this movie on July 4th. Felt it was necessary for me to see this since George Washington having been our first president and needed to be included on the 250th anniversary of the founding of America. I went in with the hope that it was historically accurate even if it was 99%. Because we all know that most Blockbuster history moments made into movies have creative liberties and licenses. I felt this movie did not disappoint at all. It seemed to me to be portrayed accurately based on documented accounts about young George Washington. Whether from his personal diary entries or the truthful mistakes and redemptions he made from the battlefield to winning important battles found in other history books. William Franklyn Miller is a great lead actor who played George Washington. We will hear about him again in other major roles in my opinion in the future. I was left with wanting to see more after watching this. I hope there are sequels depicting from this movie's end all the way to his election as the first President. Young Washington is a movie that needs to be shown in school in American history classes. This is a must see movie! I give this movie a 10 out of 10 stars.

My Review on Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben

I have read Harlan Coben books in the past. I have liked most of them. However, this book was different because I could notice when the story was in Reese Witherspoon's voice as it unfolded and when Coben's voice was made known. Knowing that Ms. Witherspoon has written scripts for movies in the past I felt she was trying to write in that mindset as the book began. As the novel progressed it seemed to change in an author's novel voice and more of a book form until the conclusion. Gone Before Goodbye, being the first novel for Ms. Witherspoon, was slow in development in the first half of the novel. This is where I felt Coben came in and he probably was writing the male characters, while she was the voice on Maggie McCabe the main character / narrator and maybe the other female characters. This is where the story seemed to really take off. It seemed more interesting from the beginning of the second half to the final parts of the story as Maggie deals with many points introduced from the story's early layout. She had to come to terms with her past, the attention using her acquired skills as a plastic surgeon and her relationship with Mark her husband, Pork Chop her father in law and other characters introduced throughout. This pacing seemed to increase faster as the story was progressing to its conclusion as Maggie deals with her grief losing her husband and having to deal with Russian interests. A conclusion which I did not see coming. I decided to not read this printed book but instead listen to the audio book because I heard there was going to be something different for me in the recording. The introduction of an ensembled voice cast of actors. Some were screen actors like Reese as the narrator and the voice of Maggie. Another screen / voice actors were Chris Pine as Mark for another example. I liked this audio book. This might be better than the written page because of the performances of the cast of voices helping the story flow better in my head for the plot, setting and character structure with voice separations. This is a well done book and worth the attention if you are looking for a suspense thriller and you have been or are a Harlan Coben fan.