What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

I agree about the comments made that this movie was a major disappointment - but perhaps only cause its the sequel to Once were warriors. OWW conveyed real heart felt emotion with many excellent scenes, this broken hearted sequel on the other hand went in a completely different direction - more to the style of a typical mediocer action flick. No where near as good as the first but not a bad movie on its own.

PLOT IRREGULARITIES: Others have commented on this and its true - Sonny is no where in OWW, which on its own can be over looked. BUT in OWW there's a scene where Beth is talking about how Jake was "bosting about his baby boy" (refering to Nig) as if Nig was there first born child - but then all of a sudden Sonny appears on the scene. Sounds very much like a case of inventing characters just to make the sequel a bit interesting. Whether they achieved that or not is debatable.

I remember seeing this film when it aired on TV in New Zealand. I was staying in a backpackers lodge and to my horror Jake the Muss drove his car down my street! I had to pinch myself, before I realised that I was in fact staying in one of the locations used in the film. For a moment I thought it was a security camera I was viewing outside! From what I remember the film doesn't carry the impact of Once Were Warriors, which people still mention here in London when I tell them I'm from New Zealand. None of them however have even heard of this sequel, which I think says it all. It wasn't a bad film, but definitely requires seeing the original for it to have any meaning.

(Some people have been confused by the film's title. It is in fact a lyric from a song which was very popular in New Zealand when I was a kid in the 80's. As the film picks up from the characters shattered lives in the first feature, it is quite appropriate. So just what become of the broken hearted? Watch the film and find out).

I found the movie to have a significant number of 'loop holes' if I may, some parts of the story did not flow on from 'Warriors'. Great acting, from both old and new. Hats off to Nancy Brunning for her brilliant acting, and also to Temuera Morrison, for having the courage to play 'Jake' again. A moving and brutal sequel to 'Warriors', however, in my opinion, the First is always the best!! Rock on 'Once were Warriors'!!

Anyone expecting this film to be Once Were Warriors 2: The Continuing Misadventures of Jake the Muss will be disappointed. It stands as a great drama in its own right, and as a follow up to Once Were Warriors.

I think the reason it has come under heavy critical fire is because people were expecting it to be more of a sequel than a follow up, and were also expecting a similar emotional experience to Warriors, which is entirely different in this movie.

While Warriors wrenched your emotions back and forth, Broken Hearted barely has a scene without tension and sadness. There is no room to breath in this film, not even at the final reel, when we are suddenly confronted with the credits. A great film, and a great experience.

One thing that was inevitable about this film -- it was never going to be able to have anywhere near the impact of what it is the sequel for -- Once Were Warriors.

This isn't bad, but at the same time it's not great. Morrison resurrects Jake Heke, who is now fighting to save his son from a gang lifestyle after another of his sons is killed in a gangland shootout.

An excellent performance in a supporting role from Rawiri Paratene is probably the highlight of this tale, but I must admit that, by the end, I was beginning to recall again just how much writer Alan Duff gets on my nerves.