What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

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.

I've seen "Once Were Warriors" and must say I found myself quite taken by it. So it was a day of much rejoicence, when I found out, that a sequel had been made. I bought it, and have just seen it. And.

There's a certain nostalgic feel, to seeing Jake the Muss and co. again. As they are very interesting characters, I was naturally interested in seeing how they were doing. And I was happy for Jake, when I found out that maybe he was finally realizing his responsobility. It's good to see someone mending.

But what's with the title, ehh?? Can you tell me that?!? A title like "What becomes of the Broken Hearted?" makes me all soft inside of that dark, sinister evilminded spirit of mine (Took that last bit a little to far, didn't I?). But there's absolutely no answer to that question, as the film shifts from drama to action-movie featuring Jake the Muss, Snake-gangs and some bold guy with a lot of freakin' tattoos! It's not really fun to watch. It doesn't say much about anything or anyone, and it offers no answer to that question it raises. It just ends for no reason what so ever.

There's some dad-son stuff. Some repending. A little bit of anger, hate, love-stuff, but we've seen that stuff before, haven't we folks?

I'll give this one 7, becuase I'm just a sentimental, softhearted (rich, goodlooking (You never know what kinda chicks might read this stuff) kinda guy. If you haven't seen "Once Were Warriors" you're going to hate this one for sure.

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.

...That Ape is Dooley from the first film? And one of his gang members in the fight scene at the end of the movie is the guy that Jake decked in the bar for putting on the juke box from the first movie?! Surprised nobody has picked up on this!

The movie is great, not so much the harrowing insight into domestic abuse and child neglect, alcoholism and its results. More a tale of redemption, sorrow and revenge. I'd recommend everybody who liked Once Were Warriors see this, as it's a very fitting follow up.

Jake the Muss brings the goodness again, a few exciting fight scenes, a bit of domestic abuse and a whole bucket load of redemption and realisation at the hands of some unlikely people who help him see the errors of his ways.

7 out of 10.

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).