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As far as cult
films go, “The
Boondock Saints” is about as good
as you get. Made back in 2000, writer/director
Troy Duffy’s adventures with the MacManus
Brothers as they laid waste to what seemed
like every criminal in Boston, left its
mark in cinematic history.
This over the top violence fest is still
a gloriously fun watch, even ten years later.
So what happens when Duffy decides to reunite
his stars for a sequel? Does he strike gold
again? Close… but not quite. It’s
still crazy violent and very funny (in that
dark comedy kinda way), but lacks the punch
of the original.
“The Boondock Saints II: All Saints
Day” takes place 8 years after the
events of the first film. The MacManus Brothers
(Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus)
have found inner peace living on a secluded
farm with their father (Billy Connolly).
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They have put their violent past behind them…
until they get word that a popular priest was
killed and was made to look like they did it.
Before you can say ‘Sure and Begorrah’,
the brothers are showered, shaved and armed to
the teeth, ready to clear their names and once
again clean up the streets of Boston.
Most of the original surviving cast is back,
including the ‘three stooges’ detective
Greenly (Bob Marley), Duffy (Brian Mahoney) and
Dolly (David Ferry), all of whom are hysterical
in their fear of being found out by the new FBI
Agent in charge that they helped the brothers
out years ago. And speaking of the new FBI Agent,
instead of the awesome Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe)…
we are given the ultra sultry Special Agent Eunice
Bloom (Julie Benz), who is full of her own surprises.
Along the way, the MacManus Brothers opt to add
Romeo (Clifton Collins, Jr.) to their entourage
as backup… and the butt of every Hispanic
joke you can think of.
The plotline of this sequel involves the flushing
out of the brothers by mob boss Concenzio Yakavetta
(Judd Nelson), the son of the mobster gunned down
in the first film. Or so it seems. Turns out there
is a deeper vendetta at work, meant to flush out
more than just the brothers. The plotline runs
so much deeper in fact, that it occasionally is
a little hard to follow. But truth be told, “The
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” isn’t
about plot. It’s not about making sense.
It’s about delivering over the top action
sequences and ultra dark comedy, and it delivers
it in spades. Still, not quite up to par with
the original, but damn close.
What holds the film back is the simple fact that
Duffy has obviously learned a thing or two about
filmmaking and the movie suffers because of it.
It seems too polished, lacking the rough edges
that made the original so much fun. There is also
the lack of Agent Smecker. Willem Dafoe’s
cross-dressing FBI Agent is (mostly) sorely missed,
and as much as I adore Julie Benz, her Agent Bloom
just doesn’t fill the gap. She attempts
a horrible southern accent that unfortunately
makes every appearance like listening to nails
on a chalkboard. But that’s it. Those are
the only two things that didn’t work for
me. Overall, the movie was a blast and I look
forward to the possibility of a hinted at third
film.
Sony’s Bluray release offers an exceptional
picture, though the sound mix doesn’t always
hit the mark. At times the music seemed to overpower,
which was a bit distracting. From an extra features
standpoint the disc excels. You’ll find
multiple cast and crew commentaries, deleted scenes
and several featurettes. Most deal with behind
the scenes action, but there are some great interviews
from Duffy and Connolly as well as a look at “The
Boondock Saints” when they visited the San
Diego Comic-Con.
I can’t say that I love “All Saints
Day” as much as the original… after
all... it was the original. But Duffy and company
obviously poured their hearts and souls into this
project and whatever shortcomings there are, the
fact that the sequel exists at all makes up for
all of them.
Directed by: Troy Duffy
Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery; Norman Reedus,
Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Judd Nelson,
Bob Marley, Brian Mahoney, Peter Fonda, Billy
Connolly
Extras: Deleted Scenes; Filmmaker & Cast Commentaries;
Unprecedented Access; Billy Connolly & Troy
Duffy Unedited; Inside the Vault; The Cast Confesses;
The Boondock Saints Hit Comic-Con; MovieIQ, BD-Live
Specification: Widescreen Hi Def (2.35:1); 5.1
DTS-HD MA
Studio: Sony
Release Date: 2/9/2010
MPAA Rating: NR
http://www.sonypictures.com
We'll give The Boondock Saints II: All Saints
Day a B-.
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