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!'
Review of Dangerous Orphans
