Unbroken: Path to Redemption Parent Guide

As Unbroken: Path to Redemption rolls across the screen, you might find yourself asking, “Wait a minute, haven’t I seen this before?” The answer is, yes, you have. A sequel to Unbroken, the 2014 film directed by Angelina Jolie, this new film takes upon itself the task of showing us what happens to Louis Zamperini (Samuel Hunt) after he returns home as a POW from Japan. The opening credits quickly review the events of the previous film, and then dive into Zamperini’s PTSD, alcoholism, marriage, and family life - ultimately leading us to his conversion at a Billy Graham revival.

The film works hard to bring us along on an emotional journey toward a conversion to Christianity, though it ultimately falls short of its goal. Zamperini’s conversion is so over the top, so filled with blaring, dramatic music, that it feels more like a commercial for religious revivals and Billy Graham than the denouement for a movie about a serious spiritual journey. And this is coming from a devout Christian - if anyone’s going to be there for a change of heart and Christ lifting your burdens, it’s me. But the conversion comes too late in the story, is too fast, and our sense of resolution feels rushed.

Unbroken: Path to Redemption relies heavily on its “predecessor” in terms of themes, lines, and shots, but forges its own (lower quality) path in terms of actors and production values. The good news about this movie is that it does not require you to have seen the 2014 prequel, and it is more appropriate for a PG-13 audience than the original. (The grade given by Parent Previews is reflective of its appropriateness for young teens, and not its quality.) What it does have going for it are uplifting themes of forgiveness, repentance, faith, and family: it could serve as a good introduction to the inspiring story for younger teens. It does, however, feel as though Universal sold their rights to the Louis Zamperini story to the Hallmark Channel.