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I often find that the most interesting stories are true stories. I saw a trailer for the new film Unbroken: Path to Redemption and was immediately interested in the fact that it was the true story of an olympic athlete. I wasn't initially familiar with this story, but this movie is actually sequel to the 2014 movie Unbroken. Here's a summary: I often find that the most interesting stories are true stories. I saw a trailer for the new filmand was immediately interested in the fact that it was the true story of an olympic athlete. I wasn't initially familiar with this story, but this movie is actually sequel to the 2014 movie. Here's a summary:





"...the unbelievable true story of Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini.





Haunted by nightmares of his torment, Louie sees himself as anything but a hero. Then, he meets Cynthia, a young woman who captures his eye—and his heart.





Louie’s wrathful quest for revenge drives him deeper into despair, putting the couple on the brink of divorce. Until Cynthia experiences Billy Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles Crusade, where she finds faith in God and a renewed commitment to her marriage and her husband. Now, her most fervent prayer is for God to help Louie find the peace and forgiveness he so desperately needs."





Woah. We've got some heavy stuff to unpack in here. Thanks to Flyby promotions, I was able to screen the movie early and share not only my thoughts, but a free pair of tickets to see it near you!









I'm no stranger to talking about faith-based movies here. You have the overly cheesy/preachy variety which was the norm until recently, and you have the newer, high production quality variety that lets the storytelling deliver the message without preachy dialogue. Unbroken: Path to Redemption was definitely striving for the latter, but didn't fully hit the target in my opinion.





Don't get me wrong, it was on the right track. The acting and cinematography were lovely. The special effects were pretty decent. The story and focus on the very important issue of PTSD was relevant. But honestly, I felt like the path to redemption was a little too long. It was almost the entire movie. Instead of seeing a gradual transformation towards redemption, you see no remorse or change until the film's end where everything is wrapped up quickly and neatly.





In fact, most of the film's payoff came after the film's credits for me. Because this was based on a true story, the follow up information given about Louis and his family was the true reward.





If you're a fan of the original movie, I'd give this a chance. If you're familiar with Louis' story or like stories about war heroes/athletes, give it a chance. This was easy enough to follow as someone who hadn't seen the first film, and while I felt empathetic towards Louis, I didn't feel connected or invested in him or the story as someone seeing the film with no prior knowledge.





The great thing about film and the arts is that we all have different opinions and takeaways. Flyby has allowed me to give one winner a pair of tickets to see Unbroken: The Path to Redemption for yourself! Enter below, and if you win, please share your thoughts with me!



