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Machine Gun Preacher

2011

Marc Forster

Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon ...

5.8

4,922

Action. Drama The story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing biker tough guy who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who've been forced to become soldiers.

	Author	Review
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"[It] illustrates some of the ways that a terrific story can turn into a bad film despite the best intentions of everyone involved"	NEG
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"A combination of uplift and gritty violence, and the parts don't fit (...) [The screenplay] is efficient scene by scene, but seems uncertain where it's going or what it's saying (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Kirk Honeycutt The Hollywood Reporter	"Machine Gun Preacher nicely balances the action and drama, uses its locations well and has the good grace to celebrate a relatively unknown do-gooder, whatever his motivations may be"	POS
United States	Eric Kohn IndieWire	"[It] repeatedly shoots itself in the foot (...) The script suffers from a constant identity crisis: No matter how real the twists, it can’t avoid the mutually troublesome pratfalls of didacticism and incredulity."	NEG
United Kingdom	David Hughes Empire	"It’s gratifying to see Butler giving a proper acting role the old college try. Despite his best efforts, Forster’s film, while pulling no punches, still somehow manages to miss the mark. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly	"It's like Machete remade as an awards-bait snoozer"	NEG
United Kingdom	Catherine Shoard The Guardian	"The film overall kicks a little harder, holds out a little longer, but essentially what we have here is ham: honey-cured, slightly glazed, and tasty enough for a while, at least (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU

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