The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

Troy Duffy's much talked about sequel has finally seen the light of day--one decade after the original. The first Boondock Saints had a release date soon after Colombine which led to limited distribution. Some movies, like Collateral Damage, tanked because of situations like this but Saints found a devoted following on DVD. Colombine wasn't the only thing holding Boondock Saints back. The writer/director is well-known for his downright "assholishness." Watch Overnight if you don't believe me. While making the first film, Duffy burned every bridge he crossed and all but guaranteed that a sequel would never be made.

Two factors played into getting the sequel made. First, an undying demand from people like you and me. Second, Duffy's knowlege that no one would give him money for anything other than a Boondocks sequel. All interested parties took their places and eventually produced something I could pay to watch. But did they make something worth paying for?

Yeah, they did.

If you're planning on watching the new one, watch the first one the night before. That way, you can watch your favorite characters age ten years overnight. The crew is a little haggard but the principal players slip back into character with ease. As far the the new characters, Julie Benz holds her own as Eunice Bloom, the FBI Special Agent working on the Saints case. She winks at the camera a little too often but as a Dafoe replacement, she doesn't leave the viewer craving the old days. Clifton Collins Jr., who has proven, time and time again, that he's a force to be reckoned with, plays Romeo, a wild-eyed fighter who joins the Irish twins through their hi-jinks. A couple cameos towards the end of the picture won't disappoint. Trust me.

Let's talk about action. Yes, the sequel's funny. It's well-acted. The plot makes a decent amount of sense. But the action is, as they say in the fishing community, "off the hook." Shootouts, stand-offs, and FIREFIGHTS! The son of the executed Yakavetta mob boss has a priest killed in an attempt to bring the Saints back. It works. But when they do come back so do their executions. This time, the boys take on the entire crime family and place a lot of pennies on a lot of eyes. The body count is WAY up from the original. All in all, I still like the first one more but this was worth watching and definitely worth watching again. If you like it when (in movies) people shoot other people--this is the movie for you.