God's Not Dead 2

Melissa Joan Hart (yes, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) anchors this sequel as Grace Wesley, a history teacher whose career is threatened because she mentioned Jesus in a classroom discussion about nonviolent resistance. It's a stronger premise than the original, grounded in real anxieties about where the line falls between teaching and proselytizing. The courtroom sequences are genuinely engaging — the legal arguments on both sides are presented fairly enough that you can understand both positions, even if the film clearly sides with Grace. Jesse Metcalfe as her lawyer brings more gravitas than the role requires, which elevates the material. Ernie Hudson has a warm presence as the judge. Where the film overplays its hand is in the conspiratorial subplot suggesting a coordinated legal assault on Christianity — it turns a nuanced question into a thriller that the story doesn't need to be. Ray Wise as the opposing attorney is entertainingly ruthless. The Newsboys return for another concert finale, which at this point is franchise tradition. Better than the first film in terms of craft; still preaching mainly to the choir.