ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

David Joffe I grew up in Pretoria in the 70s and 80s during Apartheid, and the way Bronwen Hughes has managed to reconstruct, capture and convey the overall "feel" of the time is nothing short of remarkable - this movie practically transported me back to my childhood. Her achievement is particularly impressive given she is Canadian - her achievement here warrants more praise, and it is a bit sad that the average non-South-African viewer would never truly be able to appreciate just what she has managed to pull off here.Thomas Jane's South African accent is by far the best I've seen in a movie.

Lucien Lessard Andre Stander (Thomas Jane) is one of the youngest police captains in South Africa. He's a dedicated cop until he killed an unarmed protester in a riot from the line of duty. Then he decides to change his profession by rubbing banks until he's gets caught by the same police force he worked with. Once he's in prison, he becomes friends with two criminals Allan Heyl (David O'Hara) and Lee McCall (Dexter Fletcher). They escaped from prison and they becomes one of the most successful criminals of the early 1980's for a brief moment. Which they become anti-heroes to the city. But there's way of crime is coming to end and crime doesn't pay.Directed by Brownen Hughes (Forces of Nature, Harriet the Spy) made an intriguing film with plenty of action and an refreshing sense of humour. Jane, who originally turned down the role at first. He gives an strong performance. Deborah Kara Unger appears as Stander's wife. This UK/Canadian/South Africa co-production didn't received an large released. But this movie will turned into an Cult Following.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an good-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also has trailer and an very informative commentary track by the director. This one of the most interesting true-life crime dramas in awhile. Don't miss it. (****/*****).

patt2374 All in all an excellent ride! They got the theme, feel and pacing just right. Thomas Jane was wonderful in this role. By far his best work with worthy material. The cinematography was perfect to set the feel of the era. A very nicely done script. You understand the character somewhat even if you do not agree with his actions. The movie never becomes preachy or sanctimonious. You get the impression that thought and feel went into the whole process. If all action movies had this type of follow though and attention o detail I would go to see a lot more of them. I hope this director makes more of them. It would be a great improvement over the standard fare.All in all an excellent ride!

jonathan45 Andre Stander is a white south African detective living and working under Apartheid. He has a beautiful wife and a respected high ranking father. We first encounter Stander at a moment of happiness in his life, he is getting married. But this happiness is short lived as Stander and the police are brought in to a township to crush an uprising of protesting blacks. The riot scene is shot in realistic fashion- giving a real feel of violence about to erupt on both sides. The camera remains tight on Standers face as he shoots his shotgun in to the belly of a rushing protester and then emptying the weapon in to the crowd of unarmed black protesters, Thomas Jane does a great job of showing some complex emotions here- disgust and rage and even the thrill of adrenaline. We get an inkling of how Stander feels about what he has done when he beats up a boasting sub-ordinate cop for a callous remark after the massacre. Unable to come to terms with the regime he protects Stander has a kind of breakdown and on a whim robs a bank. He later returns- in a tense and funny scene as the investigating officer!. Stander robs bank after bank in a variety of disguises and seems unmotivated by the money he steals with such brazen confidence, indeed we come to realise the act of robbing is more an act of defiance for the government he now despises coupled with a kind of release. When Stander is finally caught by his own friends in the police is it relief we see on his face?. Stander is sentenced for a long time, and in a key scene in court he tells the judge that he has fired upon unarmed men- this is what he feels he should be on trial for we are led to believe. In jail Stander meets two fellow cons who also have robbed banks and together they escape. The trio name themselves the 'Stander gang' and become notorious outlaws thrilling and terrifying the public. The other criminals enjoy the easy money, however for Stander the adrenaline of his crimes is no longer enough to keep him distracted from his inner turmoil and he seeks out the father of the young man who he shot years ago in the riots. He is beaten with a club by the distraught man who doesn't kill Stander, instead turning away in disgust. The angry father however cannot beat out Standers inner demons who are pushing him toward a bloody self destruction. By now the police are closing in on the gangs hideout and a bloody shoot out occurs killing one member of the gang much to Standers horror. Stander flees the country for America. Safe in the states in a moving scene he contacts his father by phone under a false identity- as the cops are bugging the line and lets him know he respects and loves his father. America offers little peace of mind for Stander, though we are shown the difference in the cultures as blacks are on equal footing with whites here.In an anger and drink fuelled burst of emotions he runs a red light and is pulled over by two cops, refusing to follow their orders he fights one cop for his shotgun and is shot numerous times by the other officer. a violent end to a man who was full of self loathing and disgust at his crimes. Well what can i say about this movie..., Thomas Jane gives a blazing performance with a difficult role and complex character. Thank god this wasn't given the banal t.v movie treatment. Thomas Jane is an uneven actor sometimes amazing ( as in this film) and sometimes..well rubbish ( as in Deep Blue Sea). The rest of the cast are excellent and pull off the difficult job of portraying real people with skill. I would recommend this movie for anyone who likes excellent acting and intelligent scripting and stylish , thrilling direction.