Review of Machine Gun Preacher (2011) by Aidan H — 04 Mar 2012

'God doesn't want sheep! He wants wolves!' thunders Gerard Butler as the ex-junkie biker turned messianic warrior out to protect the orphans of Sudan's murderous war zones with extreme prejudice.

Switching between family drama in the US to the horrors of warfare, director Forster skillfully treads the fine line between social commentary and Hollywood actioner and its thanks to the charisma of his star and a capable supporting cast that it works as well as it does.

Critics of the film have stated they find the swerves in story line irritating but I felt the switches in the main character's morality a breath of fresh air in an industry that prefers their heroes clean-cut.

It has its down sides: at over 2 hours, a healthy chop could have been taken out of the middle section. Also, rising star Michael Shannon, so potent in Take Shelter, is here underused in the good buddy role.

That said, its a thrilling and compelling movie that, like its real-life subject, takes no prisoners.