Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

God's Not Dead 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 11, 2018

The Courtroom Drama genre has produced some of the finest films ever made -- 12 Angry Men, A Few Good Men -- and it has proven a reliable cinema (and television, for that matter) workhorse for compelling narratives and top-tier performances. With God's Not Dead 2, the genre tackles the question of faith and speaking one's beliefs not in the public square but rather in the public school. Inspired by a number of real cases in which religious speech was stymied in academia and eventually, in some way, put on trial -- cases which are listed in the film's credits -- the film tells a fictional story of a woman who risks everything to hold firm to her faith, the young and idealistic nonbeliever who defends her, and a suffocating prosecution that is out to make an example of her. The film further aims to prove the existence of Jesus Christ, with several experts taking the stand in the film's middle stretch, while it also follows several side stories, including the student whose question ignited the firestorm, a young woman recently free of cancer, a pastor who refuses to submit his sermons for government inspection, and a young man who discovers his calling to minister.

Grace Wesley (Melissa Joan Hart) is an everyday high school history teacher who lives a life of faith but who largely keeps her beliefs to herself. One day in class, teaching about such prominent historical figures as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, she answers a question posed by one of her students, Brooke (Hayley Orrantia), about how the lesson relates to several passages she has recently read in Scripture. Grace answers the questions, quoting Scripture, and relates her answer to the lesson, but her response lands her in hot water when one of her other students gets the word out that “God” is being taught in the public classroom. She’s immediately pulled into a hearing and learns that she has broken school, state, and federal guidelines. But she refuses to admit wrongdoing. Eventually, her case moves beyond the school board and into the public eye when Brooke’s parents file suit. Grace is assigned a public defender named Tom Endler (Jesse Metcalfe), a young, idealistic, and faithless low-man-on-the-legal-totem-pole lawyer who believes it’s in his client’s best interest to take a “slap on the wrist” penalty, which would require her to essentially forsake her faith, at least “officially.” She declines, refuses to step away from her beliefs, and finds herself without a job and personally and financially drained. As the court proceedings get underway, Grace and Tom find themselves up against a slick, high-powered attorney (Ray Wise) who sets out to not only win the case but to humiliate Grace and Tom at the same time.

The story of God’s Not Dead 2 unfolds rather quickly. The process to punish and silence Grace develops with lightning-quick rapidity, just as one might expect in a world that seems to live on pins and needles and ready to pounce on any perceived social injustice, no matter the context, related to Christianity and faith or not. But the movie’s point, it seems, is how the process is left to God’s hands, that He can handle it now matter how quickly man moves on it. A minister, facing his own personal crises (plural), is placed on the jury. A young woman of faith waits in the wings as an alternate. Brooke finds her faith through the process. The film attempts to convey that it’s divine intervention, a Godly hand guiding the way, that carries one through the storm, that it is God, not man, who moves the pieces into place to turn darkness into light.

The film also sets out to prove the existence of Jesus, much in the same way the first film explored that very question, but here in a courtroom setting and through several experts who testify as to His historical existence. Unfortunately, those key moments, which feature real scholars playing themselves on the witness stand, suffer from unfortunate robotic acting and verbatim line delivery rather than more organic explorations of the topics which easily emerges as the film’s weakest link. On the contrary, “traditional” actors are quite good in their roles. Tom Endler nails the part of the low-rung but whip smart lawyer who doesn’t necessarily undergo a personal conversion to faith and to Christianity and a dedication to Christ through the process -- it’s perhaps hinted but never directly explored -- but he does take both scholarly works on the subject to heart and ultimately uses Grace’s own steadfastness in faith to his, and her, advantage. Ray Wise is equally impressive as the high-dollar attorney who coldly takes the position against Grace, who is in it to win it at all costs.

God's Not Dead 2 suffers from the absence of the more personal story explored in the first. This one presents a wider battle in the clash between ideas, faith, and the world. The original’s ability to essentially whittle it down to two individuals on either side -- a believer student and his nonbeliever teacher -- allowed for a richer, more intimate exploration of the contrasting ideas of faith and the worldly response to it. God’s Not Dead 2 also spends some time establishing story beats that are more germane to the sequel rather than this film, notably as they relate to Pastor Dave’s refusal to give in to government scrutiny.

God's Not Dead 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The digitally photographed God's Not Dead 2 presents very strongly on Blu-ray. Noise appears in some lower light areas while scattered, and light, examples of aliasing are evident in some establishing shots of the courthouse, but overall clarity is terrific. Details are well-rounded and sharp throughout the film, whether considering basic facial and clothing details or complex, busy classrooms, Reverend Dave's cluttered office, or the fine wood grains seen dominantly throughout the courtroom. Character close-ups reveal very impressive complexity considering age lines, pores, hair, and makeup; the image is certainly never wanting for increased textural presentations. The color palette finds an agreeable neutrality. Colors are impressively vibrant and healthy, nicely saturated, and there's never an unnecessary paleness or unwarranted boost to contrast. Light woods in the courtroom, lush natural greens, different shades of makeup and clothes, everything within the movie finds an agreeable color reproduction. Skin tones appear natural and black levels are never too far removed from perfection. This is an imperfect, but generally very satisfying, 1080p transfer from Universal.

God's Not Dead 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

God's Not Dead 2 features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening Audio Adrenaline song offers good front end width but plays shallowly at reference levels, and that holds true for the entire track. School din -- chatty students, a ringing bell -- doesn't enjoy much volume or sense of immersion into the environment. Crowd din in chapter 14 is equally unimpressive. The track rarely spreads into the rears with any meaningful content, and even some decent reverb at a Newsboys concert later in the movie struggles to expand beyond the front. A bit later during the group's musical performance the track remains fairly reserved and quiet. It's disappointing that the track couldn't produce more energy and the intensity that various scenes demand. Dialogue is at least center positioned and adequately audible at normal listening levels.

God's Not Dead 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

God's Not Dead 2 offers deleted scenes and several featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a UV/iTunes digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 17:29 total runtime): Includes Grocery Shopping, Tom Visits, Elizabeth, Add Two Witnesses, Dr. Gary Habermas, The Jury, and James Warner Wallace.
• Man, Myth, Messiah with Rice Broocks (1080p, 3:56): The author discusses his books and the film's purpose: to prove that Jesus existed.
• Between Heaven and Hollywood with David A.R. White (1080p, 2:49): White, who portrays "Pastor Dave" and produced the God's Not Dead films, discusses his book and individual gifts and God's direction and plan for those individuals in the world.
• Visual Effects of God's Not Dead 2 (1080p, 3:41): A quick look at Mutiny FX's digital contributions to the film.
• Filming in Arkansas (1080p, 3:19): An advertisement for Arkansas' film industry and statewide opportunities for culture and entertainment.
• First Liberty (1080p, 1:32): Kelly Shackelford from the First Liberty Institute shares some real life cases of Christians facing persecution in the United States.
• Trailers (1080p): Trailers for God's Not Dead 2 (Official Trailer 1, 2:33, and Official Trailer 2, 2:09), Hillsong: Let Hope Rise, I'm Not Ashamed, Woodlawn, Do You Believe?, Old Fashioned, and God's Not Dead.

God's Not Dead 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

God's Not Dead 2 offers an occasionally compelling faith-based exploration of "the separation of church and state" and the quest to prove Christ's existence. It's not as good as the original, which was a more personal, smaller-scale film. A few poor performance hinder, but don't stifle, this one. The movie is narratively compelling in its structural foundation and in the strength of its performances, but it never does quite elevate to the top amongst the best courtroom dramas. Universal's Blu-ray delivers solid video, passable audio, and a few small extras highlighted by a collection of deleted scenes. Worth a look.