Stander
Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    91
    Riveting true-life drama.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    80
    This needs its 'based on a true story' caption because otherwise you'd never believe it.
  3. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    80
    The movie is stirringly, thrillingly animated; Stander, as some say around Johannesburg, lives.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    80
    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.
  5. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Ruthe Stein
    75
    An extremely good picture that, with a little tweaking, might have been a great one.
  6. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Glenn Kenny
    75
    The action is great, the story line unpredictable, the ending satisfying. Stander is crackling. Really.
  7. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Pete Vonder Haar
    70
    That all the events filmed actually took place make Stander a highly entertaining ride.
  8. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    70
    The always-interesting Jane, a volatile and unpredictable character actor, fits the bill.
  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    70
    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.
  10. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: M. E. Russell
    67
    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.
  11. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    63
    The movie is bookended by a powerful indictment of apartheid and a study of white guilt.
  12. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    60
    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.
  13. Variety
    Reviewed by: Robert Koehler
    60
    Takes a notorious true story about a loyal soldier-turned-bank robber, and pumps it up into charged if uneven entertainment.
  14. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    50
    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.
  15. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    50
    The story is so eager to highlight macho action scenes that it loses track of the important historical and political issues it raises.
  16. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    50
    Mostly a second-rate action picture that's content to use apartheid as a colorful background.
  17. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    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.
  18. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Laura Sinagra
    40
    Kind of a bore.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. clivef.
    10
    Great flick.
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