Machine Gun Preacher - Blu Ray Review

Machine Gun Preacher - Blu Ray Review

Released by Roadshow Home Ent
Rating: M

Everyone's heard of Joseph Kony since the whole StopKony movement through social media.

But this true life film may make you look at another side of the Kony issue.

It begins in southern Sudan in 2003 and with kids being snatched in the middle of the night. Then it heads to the USA where Gerard Butler's Sam Childers is being let out of jail. He's been a badass biker and it's not going to stop for a while even if his other half's found God.

But when Childers hits rock bottom with drug abuse and the horrors of his previous life, he turns to the church and converts to Christianity. Before long, his life's been turned around and Childers wants to head to Uganda to help save the children.

However, Childers doesn't realise that his devotion to his quest is blinding him to his life at home.

Machine Gun Preacher is a gritty film which doesn't shy away from showing the horrors of evil regimes, child soldiers and the reasons for freedom fighters.  The tale of redemption doesn't skimp on the realities and some may find that a little hard to watch in places - it's definitely a film which needs to be told and could be inspirational to some.

That doesn't mean though that it's a little heavy handed at times, cliched and occasionally, when Childers picks up a weapon, it has a tendency to go a little Rambo on the action front. Butler's not bad as the lead - opting for a quieter righteous anger as the preacher turned fighter but I never really found myself fully engrossed in his character portrayal. Michelle Monaghan is as solid as ever and there's no denying there's a strong message here but Machine Gun Preacher could have been a stronger piece if the sum of its parts were a little better put together.

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