First of all, i loved the first movie, Jolie and Jack O'Connell did and amazing job ,, heard about this second chapter of the story and i was kinda hesitant because neither of them is in this but at the end i realized it didn't matter much ,,, as over all the movie turned out to be a really good finale.
The plot, settings and script were just in a perfect harmony .. a powerful portrayal when it comes to mental illness and PTSD, the movie nailed this portrayal, bringing some traumatic flashbacks and the nightmares that tortured Louis Zamperini and presenting his coping mechanism which did not appear over-dramatic, yet it'll make you completely immersed in his struggles and have empathy for his likes ...
Cast wise, Samuel Hunt did a fantastic job capturing the spirit of a man broken beyond his bonds, his portrayal of Zamperini's suffering from a number of afflictions was spot on, and he rarely overact which makes it all more real and believable. His co-star the Canadian beauty Merritt Patterson also a lovely complement to the character, being a sensational impact to help with the Zamperini's character development and bring some new dynamics to the movie. The chemistry between the two was substantial, and of course the rest of the cast did great job supporting the couple and making the project look even more enjoyable.
Now to the one negative I sensed in here, directing wise, I think in so many places the movie gets a bit unnecessarily preachy, I mean I didn't read the book and I don't personally know Harold Cronk,, but i think based on his past projects " God's Not Dead" 1 and 2 and "God Bless the Broken Road " I would imagine him as a guy on a black suit knocking on my door asking me if i have time to know more about the lord and savior ... I mean we get it you love Jesus and all but personally when things get more "O lordy lord" I snore ,, and the general atmosphere slightly becomes dull, right up until it picks up when a Zamperini gets stress episode or a flashback gets in the way, i go like "thank god" 😁 ... while the movie in general had a balanced style on that matter, the end of the movie crossed into that territory. However, to be fair it kinda allowed for one to appreciate the character development morally in a way, still though, i think if it was up to another director, "Angelina Jolie" for instance, it would have looked much like the first movie and it would have gotten much more buzz in the media.
Final thought, It's an inspirational movie, brilliantly acted, and even though i didn't like the religious aspect, the movie looked like a solid addition to the character build up and gives the story a semi satisfactory closure ... so if you watched the first movie, why not get on with it and watch the rest of it. 😉
