Dangerous Orphans (1986) User Reviews

Killers Of All Stripes At Work And Play.

[rsoonsa · 6/10 · 20 August 2005]

This well-constructed film made in New Zealand moves along briskly as it relates its tale of crime and criminals, along with a sprig of romance as embellishment to complement the whole. Three young boys meet in an orphanage where they swear a vow of fidelity among them, later maintaining a growing friendship. One of the men, Harry O'Malley (Peter Stevens) was orphaned due to the slaying of his father by two burglars and Harry's craving for vengeance has remained vital, buoyed by promises of assistance from his two sworn friends. The quiddity of revenge stimulates subsequent events involving the trio, including such as a murder of an American narcotics dealer in Auckland, among others; embezzlement of five million dollars in Geneva; and the importation of a hired assassin by irate drug cartel kingpins in an attempt to achieve their own plan of reprisal. A rather basic storyline has no particular freshness to it, but its interest to a viewer is increased by elements of melodrama, in particular Harry's love affair with the ex-wife of his primary target, and many positive contributions come from members of the cast and the crew. Director John Laing very correctly paces the work and conjoins with cinematographer Warrick Attewell to create admirable compositions in virtually each scene, through consistently inventive use of camera, colour and lighting. Unfortunately, sound quality and editing do not measure up to the better elements of the film that include capable acting with strongly rounded turns from Jennifer Ward-Lealand as Harry's lover and Michael Hurst as the more clever of the orphans.

Overly complex thriller

[JohnSeal · 4/10 · 7 January 2008]

By the time you finally figure out what's going on in this New Zealand-made thriller, it's almost over. Peter Stevens, Ross Girven, and Michael Hurst star as three life long pals out for revenge against the local crime lords responsible for murder and mayhem in the 'hood. The three have been friends since spending their childhood together in an orphanage, where they pledged undying allegiance to one another. Now grown to adulthood, the threesome have a serious chip on their collective shoulder and are out to steal the ill-gotten gains of local drug dealers. This sounds straightforward enough but the story is presented in fragmentary fashion, with multiple flashbacks, too many characters (including my favourite, the midget lawyer), and poor editing. Flashbacks aside, there's also a dearth of back story, and only one of our heroes seems to be gainfully employed--as a Shakespearean actor, no less! All three seem to be quite comfortable with guns, surveillance equipment, and money laundering, however, and we never get any inkling of how they acquired such knowledge. Dangerous Orphans is a baffling concoction indeed, but it does feature one truly immortal line of dialogue: 'The days when you could threaten me with your pecker are long gone!'