Machine Gun

"Machine Gun Preacher" is an inspirational melodrama directed by Marc Forster and starring Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon. This film is based on the true story of Sam Childers a former gang biker who finds god, becomes a pastor and has dedicated his life and all his resources ever since to rescuing and protecting orphans in Sudan, Africa. Childers founded Angles of East Africa an orphanage located in South Sudan.

Marc Forster has under his belt an impressive resume with films like Quantum of Solace, The Kite Runner, Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball.

Reviewing this film has been very complicated because of its subject matter. The movie has a strong religious subject, addresses the civil conflict and severity of the crisis in Sudan, ideals, hypocrisy and religious fanaticism. This film will divide Christian audiences because of the redemptive arc of the tale.

This is one of those movies that will provoke both sympathy and aversion. Sam Childers (Butler) is not an ordinary preacher; he carries a machine gun and kills LRA rebels in self-defense looking at it as helping God's children. Sam had a troubled life, was a gang member, drug dealer, junkie, married a stripper, but his life dramatically changes around when he finds god or god finds him, as he states in the movie. He claims to be a soldier fighting for freedom and becomes a member of the SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army).

Mark Foster does a good job bringing such a complex and controversial story to the big screen utilizing his well-known visual skills. This movie has a lot of graphic and violent scenes, showing the horror caused by a civil war, torture, savage murders, and how entire villages are destroyed.

MPAA rating: R Runtime: 2:03 mins Production Co: Relativity Media, Virgin Produced, Apparatus Productions

MGP is a terrific plot, that is a good watch in some respects - the story is earnest, necessary, and vital - but the delivery is way too melodramatic - it's kind of preachy in a revival sense, and we get little or no real maturity - it opts instead for action and heightened emotions at every step.

The plot of the true story of Sam Childers, the ex-biker criminal and,frankly, low-life, who finds Jesus and then Africa is gripping in so many ways - but with a full throttled approach at every step we're not really getting insights to the real man, we just the highlights, and that's pretty crude film- making.

I wouldn't want to put people off watching this - it tries to highlight earnestly the horrific mess that Sudan is in - but it does so as an all out action film and that really doesn't do more than entertain - and that's the biggest fault of all.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the addicted gang biker Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) is released from prison and learns that his wife Lynn Childers (Michelle Monaghan) is no longer a striper and has converted to Christianity. One night, Sam and his best friend Donnie (Michael Shannon) give a ride to a hitchhiker that threatens Donnie with a pocketknife; however Sam reacts and stabs the stranger and dumps him on the road.

Sam is affected by the incident and is convinced by Lynn and his mother Daisy (Kathy Baker) to join their church and he is baptized. Sam finds a straight job in construction. He is well succeeded and when he meets a preacher from Africa, he decides to visit the continent. Sam travels to Northern Uganda and South Sudan many times and builds an orphanage for the victims of the cruel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Further, he fights whenever necessary and becomes a legend known as The Machine Gun Preacher.

"Machine Gun Preacher" is a film tailored to Gerard Buttler about the fantastic but unfortunately not well known biography of Sam Childers, an addicted troublemaker drug-dealer biker that changes totally his life and becomes the only hope for thousand of orphans in Africa.

The story and the screenplay are engaging with a perfect combination of drama and action. The only thing that irritates me is douchbags that write that this film like is a Christian propaganda. This is a true story and can be found everywhere in Internet and has nothing to do with propaganda, but reality and redemption. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Redenção" ("Redemption")

I saw this movie and was simply left speechless. It was amazing!! The story of Sam Childers is amazing. It really makes you think and wonder how can one person have so much willpower and stamina to keep doing what he has been doing all these years for these children. I was shocked by what the LRA has been doing to these children but unfortunately this is the truth and history keeps repeating itself especially in African countries. I have lived in Africa for many years and seeing somebody doing something about these atrocities does mean a lot (even though he is a "white savior"). If this is what it takes, so be it. Let's not denigrate it as I have seen so many do in their reviews. It is a very moving story and although it is extremely violent at times (let us not forget this is a true story and these things happened), it can be very touching and emotional. Gerard Butler's performance is Oscar worthy and Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon were also great even though their roles were short but then again the story is about Sam Childers. However, what I would really like to know is why some of the critics trashed this movie?? !! Most of the people who saw it found it excellent as I did. And why was it not widely distributed??? I think people should see this movie and be more awake and aware!! Was it too controversial for some?? It leaves me wondering !!!

The movie stars Gerald Butler and his life transformation from a pitiless biker to a church builder avenger.

A lot of criticism of this movie comes from people crying out against white superiority or religious propaganda, in my opinion this movie does neither and anyone that have read books and documentaries about Africa knows that the situation over there does require occidental involvement in any form to help those countries until they can manage their own states by themselves, of course dependency on foreign aid is another issue but let's no get into that.

My problem with the movie that is said to be based on a 'true' story comes from the script itself. I did not believe Gerard Butler's transformation from a ruthless bandit that forces his wife to go back to stripping instead of working in a mall, not saying that this is impossible in real life, but that the way they presented it was lacking realism.

The rest of the movie sends a good message about people implicating in Africa's civil wars, and especially Sudan although the situation has since changed with South Sudan's new sovereign state. A good way to this at home is perhaps to visit and give support to African based groups advocating for a united Africa with real bureaucracies, laws, corruption-free police.

For a movie that talks about Africa The Machine Gun Preacher is less than stellar compared to many others, not because of it's message but because of it's content and I didn't think it portrayed white superiority in any kind and I don't think supporting white Christian churches for their actions in Africa is a bad message anyone saying the contrary should ask themselves what are they doing that those churches aren't.