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Friday, October 5, 2012

Machine Gun Preacher

Gerald Butler portrays the real life story of a Pennsylvanian drug dealer turned all around good guy Sam Childers. The movie starts out the day Childers is set to be released from prison. Sam’s wife Lynn picks him up and brings him to his welcome home party, where he finds out that she had quit stripping for money and has found the lord, he becomes enraged and starts screaming in front of his daughter Paige. Sam storms off on his bike and heads to the local biker bar, where he slips back into drug use. Refusing to change his ways Sam goes out and commits a robbery. On the way home after doing more drugs, he and Donnie pick up a hitchhiker.  After the hitchhiker threatens Donnie, Sam is forced to attack him in self-defense. Upon getting home he realizes how he’s lived thus far and asks Lynn for help. Lynn brings him to church where Sam is baptized and his outlook finally changes. He sells his bike, and gets a job in construction. Most people would think that was enough and ended it there, but not Sam.  He goes to the Sudan to help build homes for the devastated country. When he returns home he decides he and his newly formed construction crew will take on two jobs: one across from his home building a church for people who want to reform their lives, and the other job he will take on himself building a complex in the Sedan for the orphans. He buys land in the middle of a warzone and starts building a church and buildings for them, but the LRA has another plan burning down the complex and shooting up the area. Sam and the SPLA defend the area and drive them back. Sam is reluctant to rebuild until his wife encourages him to do what is right. However, not only does he rebuild, he fights back. Does he have enough will and firepower to do what is right and help the SPLA gain their freedom from the LPA?


“Machine Gun Preacher” is a movie that will grip you from the beginning making even the most cynical person pray to god that Sam can do it and help make the people free from oppression. The movie moves slow, but because it is based on a true story it will keep you interested. Gerald Butler who usually never plays a bad guy in any sense of the word actually plays a quite convincing one in the beginning, and at the same time he plays a convincing man with a cause. “Machine Gun Preacher” does have its action packed moments as well. Viewers will be heartbroken over the deaths of the Ugandan children and their fight for freedom. In all “Machine Gun Preacher” is a good movie, slow moving, but with good actors and a great plot you will not want the movie to end.

Good:
-Sam’s character development
-Good plot with complex characters
-When the action scenes come around they are good

Bad:
-Story is slow-placed
-More action scenes would be nice to pick up the pace
-A lot of children dying, so watch at your own risk

Scully Rating: 7 out of 10