Machine Gun Preacher

Although the title might suggest a grindhouse exploitation movie, director Marc Forster's Machine Gun Preacher is actually a would-be Stanley Kramer-style message movie, a true-life story starring Gerard Butler as Sam Childers, a born again Hell's Angels type who embarks on a missionary trip to Sudan, where he establishes a sanctuary for youngsters who might be kidnapped to become child soldiers. Childers also begins using force against the vicious thugs of the Lord's Resistance Army, who destroy whole villages in their campaigns to conscript children into their ranks. Had the film dared to address the question of whether Bibles and bullets should ever mix—the conflict between a religious calling and responding to violence with violence—it might have been a compelling “issues” film. Unfortunately, however, this winds up being a morally muddled movie that treats serious issues much too simplistically. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a soundtrack featurette (14 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is "A Discussion with Marc Foster" with the director (19 min.), "The Keeper" music video by Chris Cornell, and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven film.] (F. Swietek)