Machine Gun Preacher

I was avoiding this one because I'm far from a Gerard Butler fan, but this had a great rating on Netflix and I was looking for something entertaining. Butler is a good fit for a man who struggled with drugs, booze, and guns (though I guess struggling might not be the best word for the guns...), but he also does well in the redemption part. Sam Childers would be better playing himself because he's clearly a badass. The pictures during the credits don't do him justice I'm quite certain. He completely changes his life after he fought with and stabbed a hitchhiker him and his friend pick-up. The hitchhiker did try to hold a knife to his friend, which was a bad idea. The movie tries to balance his family life with his calling, which is building and maintaining in orphanage in war-torn Sudan. He goes to unbelievable lengths to sustain and protect his shelter/orphanage. It's a great story, especially after seeing the amazing documentary "The Devil Came on Horseback". The reality is Sudan is as close to hell as possible and the efforts of Sam Childers make a monster difference in the kids he saves. Bottom Line: 8.4 out of 10. The movie is excellent, though I have an enormous soft spot for movies like this. I thought they spent too much time on the family struggles, but Sam Childers life probably deserves a TV series and even that might not be enough time to do it justice. I think it's probably worth reading more on Sam Childers.