“Drummer Boy” is a war musical from Angel Studios. The
studio is famous for its Christian-themed movies. This is its third war movie
after “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin ” and “Young Washington” (which was not overtly religious).
This is its second American Revolution movie to coincide with the 250th
Anniversary of American Independence. Besides being a patriotic movie, it also
could be classified as a Christmas movie. Three of the songs are classic
Christmas songs. It was directed by Ben and Joel David Smallbone. Joel is part
of the duo For King and Country. That Christian rock band provided four songs
on the soundtrack. The film was in development since 2019. It was filmed in
Ireland and had a budget of $10 million. It looks like it will make a profit.
Critics have been lukewarm, but audiences are more enthusiastic, especially
viewers who came to see a Christian movie.
The movie opens with two British families sailing for the
13 Colonies near the end of the French and Indian War. Nathaniel Clem (Ioan Gruffudd)
is a British officer. His wife Rachel (Melora Hardin) and her sons Jeremiah
(Joel David Smallbone) and Ben (Lucas Leach) will own a grain mill in Kingston,
New York. Also on board are Lord Balfour (Charles Esten) and his daughter
Elizabeth (Beth Easdown). Their slave Emmalin (India Brown) is in love with Jeremiah
since their childhood. The ship duels with a French warship and then the movie jumps
twelve years to 1775. Word of Lexington and Concord divides the inhabitants of
Kingston. Jeremiah joins Lord Balfour’s regiment of Redcoats partly because he
is wooing his daughter. Ben joins the Continental Army because he believes in FREEDOM!
Because he is crippled, he becomes a drummer boy. He is just a teenager, but he
has a real knack for drumming. Ben’s regiment is led by Maj. Ambrose (Iain
Glen). This regiment is going to spend the war fighting with Balfour’s regiment.
Which, of course, means the two brothers will face off. A subplot has Emmalin
writing love letters to Jeremiah pretending to be Elizabeth.
The trailer underplays how much singing is in the movie.
There are 14 times the cast breaks into song. These moments are similar to if
you were attending a musical play. Five of those songs are religious. If you
were to go see this movie without being aware that it is a musical, you might
be distracted by the musical numbers. However, if you are forewarned, the
musical interludes are not overly cringey. Just don’t expect “Hamilton”
quality. The actors are decent singers and Joel Smallbone is a professional, so
you won’t be sticking your fingers in your ears. Some of the songs intercut
between different characters in different places. The lip-synching is not a
problem. The movie might put you in the Christmas spirit with renditions of “Oh
Come All Ye Faithful”, “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel”, and “Little Drummer Boy”,
of course.
Besides the religious songs, Christianity pops up consistently
throughout. At this point, if you know about Angel Studios, you will easily
guess it was produced by that studio. I commend the Smallbones for bringing a
patriotic musical to the screen in the sesquicentennial year. The celebration has
been mostly tepid, so “Drummer Boy” is a slight upgrade from most of the entertainment.
However, I am not reviewing it as patriotic fare. This is a war movie review.
As a war movie, “Drummer Boy” is embarrassing. I am not
referring to soldiers breaking into song. It has cliché characters and predictable
developments. Lord Balfour and his daughter are caricature villains. The
brother versus brother template is hardly original. The only question is whether
the two will reconcile or not. It will be apparent early which path the movie
is taking. The love triangle also has a predictable outcome, but it’s a bit more
off the beaten path. The plot manages to make slavery part of the equation. It’s
heavy-handed as you would expect from a 21st Century movie about the
American Revolution. And since it is an American movie, don’t expect Balfour to
be in favor of freedom (which the Brits actually were, moreso than the
Americans).
The biggest problem is when you focus on whether it is a
good war movie, it has a lot of silliness in it. The regiment versus regiment
idea brings too much attention to the low budget. A regiment in the Revolutionary
War had around 600 men. The two in this movie have about 20. The movie gives no
big picture. It gives the impression that the war in the Kingston area was just
two regiments fighting. And the battles (actually skirmishes) are poorly
rendered. It does not appear reeanctors were used. There is an encounter where
the Continentals target a bridge held by Balfour’s men. The plan is ruined by
Ben freezing and not playing his drum, as though Maj. Ambrose could not have
just yelled “Charge!” And then a Redcoat accidentally drops a torch (in broad
daylight) which lands in gunpowder stored under the bridge. EXPLOSION! Collapse!
Hooray for Hollywood! This is golden compared to the last skirmish which has to
be one of the most laughable combat scenes I have ever seen. And it throws in
my least favorite Christmas song like a rotten cherry on top.
I recently started a YouTube channel with short videos on famous boy soldiers or units of boy soldiers. One of the first shorts was on Johnny Clem, the most famous drummer boy in American History. Clem fought in the Civil War, but there were drummer boys in the Revolutionary War also. I really looked forward to seeing “Drummer Boy” in the theater, even after I learned it was a musical. Don’t let this review stop you from seeing it. If you like Christian themed musicals. However, if are more of a pure war movie fan, you’ve been warned.
GRADE = D
