While the original "God's Not Dead" movie proved to be a sleeper hit with critics and moviegoers alike, the sequel is finding it hard to find its footing among early reviewers of the film who levelled complaints about a heavy handed approach to defending the faith.
The film revolves around Grace Wesley, a high school teacher played by Melissa Joan Hart, who finds herself in a legal battle after she addresses a student's question about Jesus Christ in the classroom. Jesse Metcalfe plays Tom Endler, the lawyer tasked to defend her in court.
While the film's heart seems to be in the right place in focusing on Christians who are forced to defend their faith, Crosswalk contributor Christian Hamaker found the film heavy on subplots that it failed to develop properly.
"God's Not Dead 2 is a relentlessly talky, blandly directed, visually dull series of characters espousing their beliefs in ways which feel, frankly, tired. That's one thing the Gospel should never be! Christians are commanded to always be ready to give a reason for their faith, but it's not enough for a movie to have a series of pronouncements declaring the validity of beliefs in the historical personhood of Jesus (something even most opponents of Christianity admit to)," he said, giving the movie a 1 out of 5 rating.
Bill Zweker of the Chicago Sun Times was much kinder in his verdict, crediting Hart's performance for her portrayal of the embattled lead character. The film reviewer also lauded the film for tackling underlying issues being experienced by real Christians in society in which they have to fight for their right to freely express their religious convictions and their faith in any public forum or institution.
He however, found issue in the manner in which the message was presented by the filmmakers.
"However, I only wish there had been more subtlety in the way the "God's Not Dead 2" filmmakers had attempted to make their case. The agenda here is front and center from start to finish, and while the actors do a yeoman's job in presenting their characters with aplomb (especially Jesse Metcalfe, as Wesley's lawyer), the entire film simply comes off as a two-hour, jazzed-up movie version of a sermon," he said.
"God's Not Dead 2" opens in theaters April 1.
