The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith

I am a Tongan member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have served a mission and have been a member my whole life. Heck, I have met John Groberg, and my uncle is named dropped in the movie. I should be the very target demographic for this film. Keep all that in mind when I say, this is not a good movie. So even the choir you're preaching to, wants you to tone it Down Before starting on the main problem of the movie, I will say the positive. Towards the end the film does have legitimately sweet and sentimental moments that really work. The actor playing Thomas S. Monson is having a fun time portraying one of the coolest guys ever born. And honestly, the acting throughout isn't that bad. The biggest problem in this movie is how heavy handed the message is hammered in. The movie villainizes the Christian preacher, Viliami 'Sione' Paletu'a, to such an over the top degree, it is pretty insulting. When LDS members give him a pig as a gift, he tells his son to throw the pig into the ocean and drown it. When his son doesn't, he buries him neck deep in the sand where he nearly drowns. Every time they cut to this preacher in the story all he is doing is yelling about his son is dead to him and telling his followers that the missionaries are of the devil. We are not given any backstory of WHY he has such a prejudice against the church, we just know that he hates everything about it. He is a one-note straw man set up to show how good the members are compared to this hate filled Christian preacher. It comes across as a very "woe is me" type of story. Saying that we've done nothing wrong and people come and attack us for no reason. There are people who will come unprovoked and beat up missionaries. The missionaries will just stand there and say that they love and forgive them. It is told in such a black and white, right and wrong way a Fairy Tale gives more depth to a Big Bad Wolf. It is distracting to think how church members are directing a story showing all members as good noble people and all the rest as heartless jerks. Beyond that, the movie really drags. It has serious pacing issues and just seems to end when they run out of film. If you want to know more about the church, talk to some missionaries. Yea verily, it came to pass that this film dwindled in mediocrity, and there was much sorrow.

source: The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith

It is wonderful missioner movie like slincence . .. nice christian movie watch with family.. inspiration movie like some good christian movie i m giving 10 to 10 like frist one other side of heaven movie . heroine changed but new actress acted well in this movie

This movie was truly a delight to see. I have been to many motion pictures this summer, but they have not filled that part of my soul which this one has. Thank you to the filmmakers and the cinemas for sharing this.

Even if you haven't seen the original Other Side of Heaven, I recommend this sequel. It's much better and doesn't rely on the first movie for its success. I found myself riveted to the highs and lows experienced by Elder Groberg and his family as they served in Tonga for 3 years. Their challenges, paralleled with a Tongan family's struggles, eventually intersect in a tear-inducing way. Faith, love, charity and focusing on religious similarities more than differences really are the keys to overcoming hardships. Go see it. You will be uplifted!

I think that this well done film kept to the original story as lived by Mr. Groberg. Inspiring and I look forward to re-watching.

You think you'd be safe showing the sequel of a PG Disney movie made by BYUTV about a general authority's mission to your family. Nope! This little ditty is PG-13 and not appropriate for younger audiences. The acting, screenplay, and directing is subpar - as is most Mormon culture movies. Put this movie in a sack and throw it in the sea.

I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since it's been years since I saw the first movie and can't really remember much of it's story. But we really loved this movie. It was full of adventure, funny, and very heart touching. My family members that aren't LDS welled up and really loved it too. It's a great story for everyone, beautifully shot and very professionally done. I highly recommend it.

If you saw the first movie The Other Side of Heaven, you will remember the sweet spirit of the storytelling and the heart of the beautiful Tongan people. This sequel is a heartwarming reunion with more inspiration and miracles. Bring tissues. I was a weepy mess. The film is filled with lessons for us to learn, and not just for "Mormons." While the movie will have special meaning for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, everyone can enjoy it and be touched by it. As we're told in this movie, if you wait long enough, all stories have happy endings. You can read my full movie review at MovieReviewMom (dot com) or on my YouTube channel. Here are a few of the highlights: Christopher Gorham is absolutely fantastic. He reminds me of Chris Evans as Captain America: his goodness. Director Mitch Davis chose Christopher because "he has a very gentle soul." He learned to speak Tongan very well in the first movie and his speech coach said his accent was perfect. Did you know that he is a trained auctioneer like his grandfather? The funeral scene was touching and heartbreaking. Abigail, the goat, in a dress. Adorable. The moment that really got me to tear up was after the storm when Nancy yelled, "Hoorah for Israel!" From then on, I went through quite a few tissues. I loved hearing the Tongan people sing often in the movie. When they were interviewing actors to play Thomas S. Monson, the moment they first saw Russell Dixon, they knew he was the right man for the job. After the real Thomas S. Monson watched the first The Other Side of Heaven movie in 2001, he immediately asked, "When are you going to make the second movie?" John Groberg said to director Mitch Davis, "I'm not getting any younger and neither are you, so it's time!" I always love it when you get to see pictures and video of the real people of a true story in movies. You get to see a lot of that during the rolling credits, as well as a photo update of the principle "characters" in the movie. The film was made in Fiji because the tax rebate to film there was 47 percent. There is some humor, which is always appreciated. You don't need to have seen the first movie, but it certainly helps in order to appreciate the history and significance of some of the relationships. The music is noticeably good and sweeps with emotion. Some Christian movies are heavy-handed and even cheesy at times, but this one will fill your soul and make you feel.

We took the whole family to this film not realizing it had the PG13 rating. Had to close the young children's eyes a few times. With that said, we found it to be very inspiring. Based on a true story, showing how God works in all of our lives even though at times bad things happen to good people. It is through times that God can work miracles in our lives if we trust Him.