On Dangerous Ground (1996)

When they learn of a secret covenant on the status of Hong Kong signed by Mao in 1944, Chinese factions, the British government, Hong Kong businessmen, AND the Mafia all try to be the first... See full summary »

Director:

Lawrence Gordon Clark (as Lawrence Gordon-Clark)

Writers:

Jack Higgins (novel), Christopher Wicking

Stars:

Rob Lowe, Kenneth Cranham, Deborah Moore

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Lowe	...	Sean Dillon
Kenneth Cranham	...	Brig. Charles Ferguson
Deborah Moore	...	Hannah Bernstein
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Carl Morgan
Ingeborga Dapkunaite	...	Asta
Daphne Cheung	...	Su Yin
Claude Blanchard	...	Don Giovanni
Yvonne Antrobus	...	Lady Kate
Richard Rees	...	Yuan Tao
Sam Mancuso	...	Marco
Peter Gilmore	...	Murdoch
Gilbert Martin	...	Angus
Adrian Cairns	...	Prof. Bellamy
Antony Zaki
Richard Orr	...	Michael Ahern

Storyline

When they learn of a secret covenant on the status of Hong Kong signed by Mao in 1944, Chinese factions, the British government, Hong Kong businessmen, AND the Mafia all try to be the first to take hold of it. Tough man Sean Dillon, pressured by Brigadier Ferguson into working for the British, does it his own way. But we see a new twinkle in his eye when he looks at sweet Su Yin... And can it be that pretty Inspector Hanna Bernstein is beginning to grow fond of Sean?

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Plot Keywords:

mafia | two part tv movie | terrorism | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

A TV movie for the Showtime network.

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Goofs

Just before Dillon enters the water to go diving in the loch, his snorkel is on the right side of his head (the wrong side), however in the underwater scenes the snorkel is on his left side (the correct side), and when he resurfaces it is back on his right side.

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Connections

Followed by Jack Higgins's the Windsor Protocol (1997)

User Reviews

Horrid, Bloody Horrid!!!!!! Avoid at all costs!

OK, there are so many things wrong with this movie, I don't know where to start. I have been reading Jack Higgins for probably a decade and a half, so I am quite familiar with his work and his characters.

First off, Rob Lowe???? Good actor, bad accent. Oh, wait, I forgot, he can't do an Irish accent. Also, Sean Dillon is described as a nondescript figure, as far as his build goes. The only qualities that make him the man we love is his 'Fair, almost white hair and his pale blue eyes'. Lowe, obviously, has neither of them. Well, almost the eyes... MAYBE.

Hannah Bernstein, an intellectual Scotland Yard inspector. They got that right. However, Jack Higgins repeatedly dresses her in trouser suits.

Brigadier Charles Ferguson, always in an unkempt state, dress-wise, except for his Guards tie.

Also, the movie would've been much better had they followed the book a little more closely. The way which Ferguson and Dillon meet was in a different book altogether. And they didn't even get it right! The initial meeting of Asta and Dillon, again, not accurate. The arrangement made for reservations at Loch Dhu???? NOT EVEN CLOSE!

In other words, as a Jack Higgins fan, I was embarrassed by this movie.

Details

Country:

Canada UK Luxembourg

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jack Higgins' on Dangerous Ground

Filming Locations:

Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carousel, Telescene Film Group Productions, Vision View Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color