Machine Gun Preacher

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  • Opened September 23, 2011 
  • 2 hr 7 min
  • R | Disturbing Images, A Scene of Sexuality, Language, Some Drug Use and Violent Content
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 15+. More on child suitability

  • In this inspirational true story, Machine Gun Preacher is about Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who undergoes an astonishing transformation and finds an unexpected calling as the savior of hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children. Gerard Butler (300) delivers a searing performance as Childers, the impassioned founder of the Angels of East Africa rescue organization in Golden Globe-nominated director Marc Forster’s (Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland) moving story of violence and redemption. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon
  • Director: Marc Forster
  • Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

What's the Buzz?

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Fans say Go
89 fans
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So-so
Critics say So-So
43 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

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Heart wrearching

by stefyb

I thought this was a great movie. The acting was sublime and funny enough it wasn't a preachy movie. It just made you mad, sad and angry. A great vehicle for Gerard Butler....

Go
Well worth the price of a ticket

by jennyfaire

I watched Machine Gun Preacher and was both disturbed and thrilled. The disturbing part was how incredibly sad and scary the lives of the children are in that part of Sudan. And that this movie is...

Must Go!
Gripping and Human

by Character_Count

This movie did an excellent job of showing the human element of the story without belaboring pointless details. It brilliantly let us figure out the trivial moments of life while showing us the parts...

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Critic Reviews

70
The Hollywood Reporter
| Kirk Honeycutt

One can't escape the nagging feeling that the film doesn't dig deeply enough into its real-life hero. The film doesn't explore all those "whys" and "whats." Read full review

63
ReelViews
| James Berardinelli

The action sequences are energetic and suspenseful but they don't always mesh well with the dramatic material. Read full review

50
San Francisco Chronicle
| Mick LaSalle

Is he a hero or a lunatic? He's possibly neither, or possibly a little of both, but this is the problem with making a movie about a real person. Read full review

50
Philadelphia Inquirer
| Steven Rea

By the end of Machine Gun Preacher, its title character has become a cartoon. Read full review

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Souleymane Sy Savane and Gerard Butler in "Machine Gun Preacher."