Stander
Newmarket Films | Release Date: August 6, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Riveting true-life drama. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Crackles with forceful portrayals. Funny, violent, impassioned and inescapably poignant, Stander in no way sanctions Stander's turning to a life of crime yet has the courage to see him as a victim of apartheid himself. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
The movie is stirringly, thrillingly animated; Stander, as some say around Johannesburg, lives. Read full review
80
EmpireKim Newman
This needs its 'based on a true story' caption because otherwise you'd never believe it. Read full review
75
PremiereGlenn Kenny
The action is great, the story line unpredictable, the ending satisfying. Stander is crackling. Really. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
An extremely good picture that, with a little tweaking, might have been a great one. Read full review
70
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
That all the events filmed actually took place make Stander a highly entertaining ride. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The always-interesting Jane, a volatile and unpredictable character actor, fits the bill. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Loses some its bearings once it turns into a caper movie. The movie hardly bothers to explain the mechanics of the jailbreak or of the robberies themselves, which take place in a flurry of disguises and stickups that has a Keystone Kops flavor. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
With his periodic porn-star mustache, shaggy hair and reckless demeanor, the movie Stander embodies a certain brand of brooding outlaw cool that feels increasingly rare. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
The movie is bookended by a powerful indictment of apartheid and a study of white guilt. Read full review
60
VarietyRobert Koehler
Takes a notorious true story about a loyal soldier-turned-bank robber, and pumps it up into charged if uneven entertainment. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
It can be thrilling to watch Stander and his gang of gentlemen bandits rack up the loot without ruffling their (or anyone else's) shirt collars. The movie isn't content to rest there, though; it wants to be a caper with a conscience. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The story is so eager to highlight macho action scenes that it loses track of the important historical and political issues it raises. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Although notorious in South Africa, Stander is little known elsewhere and Canadian director Bronwen Hughes' unsatisfying account of his life and crimes is unlikely to earn him a spot on the outlaw celebrity A-list. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
Mostly a second-rate action picture that's content to use apartheid as a colorful background. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Attempts to pass itself off as a fast-paced caper picture doubling as a socially conscious apartheid drama but ends up equally unconvincing in both departments. Read full review
40
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
Kind of a bore. Read full review
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