Customer Reviews

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(51)

 

 

This movie has been getting a lot of backlash from the fans of the first movie. People are saying that "It wasn't like the first one" or "It's ten years too late". I'm a fan of the first movie and I enjoyed this one immensely. Of course it isn't like the first one, but 10 years too late? Not to me. Duffy gave himself a decade to make a followup to the cult phenomenon and, well, 10 years later, he gave is possibly the greatest sequel to the first movie one could ask for.

Returning to the roles of the insanely badass McManus brothers are Sean Flanery and Norman Reedus, and boy, do they do great here. Also, in place of the lovable Paul Smecker is Julie Benz as Eunice Bloom, a sexy, funny, and smart FBI agent, who, in her words, is "so f--kin' smart, she makes other smart people feel like they're retarded" (she stays true to her word!). And also, Billy Connolly as the daddy, Il Duce. But, in place of David Della Rocco is Clifton Collins Jr. as Romeo, a HILARIOUS Mexican dude, whom, believe it or not, tops Rocco by a thousand! And believe me, the cast here is SPECTACULAR! Not a single disappointment.

It is 8 years later. The McManuses are living a quiet life on a farm in Ireland, and the brothers (albeit with hilarious long hair and beards). One night at dinner, a priest comes in and gives them the news: They're in trouble. A Boston priest has just been killed, and the killer had done all he can to make it look like the McManuses are responsible. Upon hearing of this, it's time to shave the beards and cut the hair, and jump on the boat back to Boston. On the boat, they meet Romeo, a hilarious and quirky Mexican dude who is interested in joining them. After a rough patch, he joins them, and the minute they are off the boat, they are a team of three. Their goal is not only to get their names cleared, but to get their revenge on the person who killed the priest.

However, while that is happening, Paul Smecker is gone and has been replaced by Eunice Bloom, a sexy, funny, and undoubtedly quirky FBI agent. Upon her investigation at the crime scene, she comes to the conclusion that the saints did not kill the priest. It was done by a member of the Yakavetta family, who also wants revenge: On the saints, for killing Pappa Joe. However, despite the cops' and Bloom's positions, they decide that they are just as in it to investigate the murder as The Saints, and worlds collide, with more chaos and action you can handle!

I won't give away more, because this movie is simply a must see. Basically, if you liked the first movie, you will like this one a great deal. It has the original brothers, who give great performances, it has tons of action, lots of blood, and is a great time at the cinema for sure. The movie is well paced and well filmed. It is easier to tell that it was shot on a higher budget than the original, which is a good thing, you can see it in the cinematography, you can see it in the effects and everything. In short, if you loved the first movie, go see this movie for sure. Duffy has managed to top the first movie in every way imaginable, which is a bold statement because the first movie was awesome too. But be sure to see this! Oh, and the ending. The ending is AWESOME, with a cameo from someone you may know of!

IN TOTAL:

Entertainment: 10/10
Sex: 0/10
Violence: 100/10
Laughs: 10/10
Action Fator: 100/10
McManus Brothers: Every bit as badass as the first
Romeo: Better be in movie three
Julie Benz: Don't worry, she's great guys
The Ending: Yes, there will be a third one, as the ending shows!
Troy Duffy: Earns forgiveness, even after seeing "Overnight"
Litres of Tomato Ketchup: A few grocery store shelves worth

***SEE IT!!!!***

In 2000, "The Boondock Saints" which was written and directed by Troy Duffy received a limited release in only five theaters in one week. Critically panned, one would think the film would fade to obscurity. But this was not the case. Similar to Kevin Smith's "Clerks", "The Boondock Saints" amassed a huge underground following and had become a cult film grossing $50 million in domestic video sales.

The first film revolved around three Catholic Irish anti-heroes - Poppa (played by Bill Connolly) and his two fraternal twin sons Connor (played by Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (played by Norman Reedus) MacManus who are vigilantes that take on the Russian mafia with their way and their style of vigilante payback.

A decade later, with the popularity of the first film, "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is backed by Sony Pictures and given a nationwide theatrical release in 67 theaters and due to fan demand, more cities were added to the release. Once again, the critics were not so supportive of the film but yet the fans have once again come to support the film and the film made over $10 million in the box office but now Blu-ray and DVD release will be unleashed to the masses and I have no doubt that once again, "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is going to do well.

In "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day", eight years have passed and after the three men murdered Giuseppe "Papa Joe" Yakavetta (and countless members of the mafia).

When a priest was murdered, someone tries to frame the Saints and now the police (especially the Saint's friends on the inside) are worried that the Saints who have been quiet are back to cause more mayhem. The public is still divided on their feelings towards the Saints.

Meanwhile, the Saints are called in for their help and to avenge the death of the priest. As the two travel back to the U.S. by boat, a man named Romeo (played by Clifton Collins Jr.) who has idolized the Saints wants to be part of their crew and needless to say, he has to earn his place amongst the group.

As for the police, Greenly (played by Bob Marley), Duffy (played by Brian Mahoney) and Dolly (David Ferry) worry that their friends may be back and with the FBI sending one of their top investigators named Eunice (played by Julie Benz) to assist them, they worry that the FBI may find out that the three detectives assisted the Saints back then. Eunice is not only intelligent and sexy (easily catching the attention of the three detectives) but she can easily come up in her mind of what happens at a crime scene plus she's also known to be very good with her gun as well.

While the Saints look for who killed the priest, the FBI and police looking for the Saints, the media hype has attracted the attention of Conzezio Yakavetta (played by Judd Nelson) who wants revenge for the Saints murdering his father on public television. So, once again, the Yakavetta family are planning to get their revenge against the Saints.

Who will end up victorious?

VIDEO:

"The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is featured in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1). Cinematography by Miroslaw Baszak did a pretty solid job with the overall shots. The action sequences are well-done, enjoyed the lighting of several of the sequences. Those well-lighted scenes are vibrant while certain scenes are cold and bluish. I didn't notice any artifacts, nor did I notice any DNR. The picture quality has a fine layer of grian, blacks are nice and deep and overall, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment did a solid job in terms of picture quality for the Blu-ray release.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is presented in English, French (Par) and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. As expected with a film that features guns ablazing, the film does feature a good amount of surround channel usage with the gun shots and bullets zipping through the air.

For the most part, dialogue and music is front channel driven but the action sequences definitely put your surround channels to good use and there is also some use of LFE as well.

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" comes with the following special features in Standard and High Definition with English Stereo and optional Spanish and Portuguese subtitles:

* Audio Commentary with writer/director Troy Duffy, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and Billy Connolly - An entertaining commentary by Troy Duffy and the main cast discussing the film and just having fun discussing the film.
* Audio Commentary with writer/director Troy Duffy and Willem Dafoe - Interesting commentary since Willem Dafoe is not seen throughout the majority in the film but it's like listening to two friends having a discussion while watching the film. But they do touch upon the messed up treatment from the first film and how things were much better in the sequel.
* Deleted Scenes - Featuring two deleted scenes: Detectives Mourn Death and Romeo Plays Chess
* Unprecedented Access: Behind-the-Scenes Featurette - (25:49) Behind-the-scenes of the making of the film and the director, producer and talent talk about working on this second film.
* Billy Connolly & Troy Duffy: Unedited - (9:22) Troy Duffy and Bill Connolly hanging out and Troy explaining how he wanted Bill to become Don and more. Bill talks about wanting to be part of this film despite his agent not wanting him to be part of it.
* Inside the Vault: The Weapon Featurette - (8:28) A Blu-ray exclusive. Charles Taylor (Heady Armorer) shows us the weapons used on "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day".
* The Cast Confesses: Secrets from the Set Featurette -(7:13) A Blu-ray exclusive. The cast talks about being reunited for the sequel. The main cast talk about their characters and behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the film.
* The Boondock Saints Hit Comic-Con - (57:02) A Blu-ray Exclusive. Featuring Troy Duffy and the cast leaving to San Diego Comic Con, the autograph signing and the panel. A lot of fan excitement and an absolutely awesome special feature!
* BD-Live Enabled With movieIQ, you can get real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the film.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is literally an adrenaline pumping, action-packed, kick ass film which I found much better than the first and literally had a lot of fun watching it.

What I find interesting is that "The Boondock Saints" was a film that didn't even have a chance for a theatrical release but found a humongous cult following on video. And here we are with the sequel, the critics obviously share a different opinion towards this film but among the viewers, they loved the film. As for me, I really enjoyed the film and felt this Blu-ray release is awesome!

I enjoyed the addition of the new characters, enjoyed the action sequences, the weapons and enjoyed the story of this sequel. It's a much different tone compared to the first film but the film definitely benefits from a slightly higher budget. And the surprise ending... I never saw that coming. So, I'm really excited for the possibility of a third "Boondock Saints" film.

It's important to point out to those not familiar with the film is that "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day", the film is more action. Yes, there is a storyline but for those expecting something deep are probably not going to find it in this sequel. The performances of the talent may seem off at times and I'm sure many will have issues with the Irish and the Southern accents used by the talents.

If anything, I expected nothing but an action-packed film featuring a lot of gun fighting, plenty of action and profanity but I really enjoyed the addition of Clifton Collins Jr. as Romeo and Julie Benz as Eunice. Collins brings the comedy portion with his character and Julie Benz brings the sexiness. And both characters definitely kick ass!

The Blu-ray release is absolutely fantastic although I can see some fans who have not upgraded to Blu-ray being a bit upset that the Comic-Con featurette (and two other featurettes) are only Blu-ray exclusives but as this is a Sony Pictures film and there is a move by the industry towards Blu-ray and Blu-ray exclusives not featured on a normal DVD release are to be expected.

Overall, "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" was an enjoyable action-based film. A lot of guns, a lot of violence, a lot of profanity and just overall, a fun film. There are also a good number of surprises, especially deaths of major characters in this film which was quite surprising.

If you enjoyed the first "Boondock Saints", you'll definitely enjoy the sequel. Definitely recommended!

This is possibly the WORST sequel i have ever seen in my life. I LOVED the 1st one so much i actually gave the DVD as gifts to several people. This "all saints day" mess plays like someone else wrote a "parody" sequel. I really had hopes for it. Troy Duffy is a giant ego maniacal tool bag who got lucky with the 1st one, this one totally fell short.

I've seen the movie twice on the big screen and will still have to have the DVD for home viewing because the cheers and laughter of my 'frenzied' fellow movie goers drowned out some of the dialogue in places. I refuse to compare this film to the first because it can stand on its own as more than just another action film, it is a work of Art on the screen with all the tragedy, depth, symbolism, brotherly love, witty dialogue, tension, and purpose of one of Shakespeare's plays, only with a modern day twist. There are some scenes that only my 'Chitty-chitty bang bang' and 'Starsky and Hutch' generation may 'get', but that's o.k. Makes me feel special. Clifton Collins Jr. and Julie Benz stole every scene they were in! Rather than attempt to have Benz fill the big shoes of Willem Dafoe, Duffy brilliantly gave us a smart, unique character who stands out in her own high heels. We also are filled in on a glimpse of the back story for Connolly's character as the father; why he became a hit man who preys on mobsters and how he was caught. I felt more sympathy this time around for the father and his losses, as well as a deeper understanding of why the brothers were compelled to take on their mission. Not only is this a great continuation of a fantastic cult classic, it gives the audience a deeper look into the Saints. Of course I must add that Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr.) is one of those unforgettable characters who brought the humor to the forefront. I might add that the music was great. Hope to see the soundtrack on sale soon.

Chrissy K. McVay

Oh its just awful! The first Boondock Saints is a great movie, great quotes, great action, great story, just great! BS II? Its just that, b.s. It's SO cheesy and cliche. The acting is terrible; its almost embarrassing to admit being a fan of the original movie. The worst part is how they replaced the detective character. The same quirky almost idiot savant of detective work who listens to classical music & sees things that NO ONE else even noticed. But wait! They made her a smoking hot female. Maybe then no-one would notice that it's the exact same character. If you like the original movie PLEASE do not watch II. Leave your memory unblemished and remember the saints as what they were.

This movie easily made my number one on the list of 2009's best titles. What instantly made me expect this movie to be great was that Ebert said it was awful. If the learnid and refined critics say its bad....then chances are its good. Everything that I loved about the first movie was brought back ten fold in All Saints Day. It was much longer, so there was room for a truly great story to develop. And the timing on all the humor was nearly perfect. One thing that I was really relieved about was that Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr) did NOT turn out to simply be a Rocco replacement. There are other characters and thier great performances but talking about them would spoil the plot. Bottom line: This movie is great! Period. And anyone who walked out ten minutes in has no right to bad mouth this movie since they didn't see it all the way through.

I'll get right to the point here, because I know that if you're actually looking at this movie, you obviously saw the first one, and if you're reading the reviews, then you probably didn't make it to one of the 10 theaters the second one came out in. So is it as good as the first one? Yes. I will elaborate on the things that stood out for me. First, it is lower budget than the original. This is noticable immediately by the way the cinematography looks like a made for T.V. film. It's good cinematography mind you, beautiful shots, amazing direction, but you can just tell it's a cheap camera or something by the way it looks when the camera moves. It doesn't look like you're seeing a change of scenery, it looks like a camera pan on the set of a TV soap opera. This isn't as apparent as the action picks up, but right away you can tell it's low budget, and that's saying a lot compared to the first one. Other than that, everything lives up to the original, or surpasses it. It looks like all of the actors are having a lot of fun making the film, as you get a genuine sense that they are enjoying themselves every second of the movie. It's funny, it's action packed, and it's a great continuation of the original. If you didn't get a chance to see it in theaters definitely get this as soon as it comes out. I was lucky enough to see it in theaters, and I will be pre-ordering it as I can not wait to see it again. GREAT MOVIE. Thank you to everyone who decided it would be a good idea to film a sequel to The Boondock Saints. This is more than I ever expected to get.

Hiding in Ireland with their father (the grey haired assassin from Boondock Saints) for the past 8 years, the MacManus brothers are being pulled back to Boston by someone who killed a priest using their trademarks (pennies on the eyes). Of course the returning crew of police detectives from Boondock I (who have since sainted the MacManus brothers for doing what they only dream of doing...rid society of scum) don't believe they are responsible and have the pretty, big belt wearing FBI Agent Eunice Bloom (from Buffy, Angel and Dexter) who agrees. They realize that someone wants the brothers to come out of hiding. The Yakavetta Family Mob Boss (played by Judd Nelson) only knows that he wants revenge for his father's death, and the death of the Saint's is the only answer. Meanwhile, we find out how and why the Elder MacManus became a killer (ironically it was the death of his father by mobsters). There is also his eventual capture and incarceration as a result of his brandishing his own sense of justice. As the person at the center of this charade is unveiled, you will marvel at the quick and easy pace of the movie.

Now while I loved part 1, there were times in part 2 that I thought they tried way too hard. The easy flow of humor from Boondock 1, at times seemed forced in 2. I also don't think that Bloom was half as good as Dafoe's Smecker. But all in all I was satisfied with the final product, and I am sure that we will see the Saints again, I just hope Duffy goes back to some of the magic he created in Part 1. For those who just want to pick up Part 2 without seeing Part 1, I wouldn't suggest it. As a stand alone, you probably won't get or appreciate it, OR understand Part 2. But as a sequel you'll appreciate it where the Saints have been and where they are going because this movie picks up right after the last one. Either way, have a "Saint Marathon" one weekend and gooble up a great story.

I saw harsh reviews saying that its the new Transformers 2 = awful awful awful movie. But I agree with "B Nice" that Transformers 2 wasn't that bad. Take the movie for what it is: just an action packed summer blockbuster with comedy and a hot chick. What did you expect, a Best Picture out of Transformers 2? Of course not. Enjoy the special effects and stop criticizing the rest (sorry had to vent and defend Transformers 2, its decent, not terrible... like this one). But something like Boondock Saints 2 deserves more criticism than Transformers because the first is a cult classic and a new addition to the series may devalue the first. I agree with the average rating for this movie - 3 stars. I feel I had to voice my opinion because there's two extremes posted: awesome or awful. It is neither.

If I saw this one first then the original, I would have thought this was a good movie. However, seeing the epic first one and then this, I was a little let down... hence, your people's references to Transformers. However, like Transformers 2... it was decent in its own right and not as bad as many people are saying.

Now I will compare it to The Godfather series. For example, there are flash backs to the old days and it tries to be like The Godfather Part II in that way. I immediately thought of that when I watched it and even though I recognized it was trying to be like it, I still enjoyed those scenes... even though it was a little unoriginal.

The movie as a whole was not nearly as good as number one, but it doesn't make it a failure. The character Romeo was great. The concept was great... but the "artsy" scenes with the woman were a fail. Using sex appeal in those montages were insanely cheesy. That's the only thing. The woman FBI detective is just over the top with the accent (obvious it's not a real one) and she's trying too hard to be sexy. If she toned it down, this would have been a better movie. The accent is distracting and some of the scenes with her try too hard to be like Boondocks 1 scenes with Willem Dafoe. But it failed... If you're looking for something enjoyable and decent, this meets that requirement. Sex appeal, comedy, action. But the first had that (minus the sex) and was a great movie. This is where it falls short and probably because of the woman (not because she is one, but because she was over the top -- saying that to defer comments on sexism -- also I am straight... I'm just throwing that out there in advance so whoever comes out and says I am gay that the sex appeal devalued the movie... but it really does, it's over the top and cheesy in the montages).

It's enjoyable but doesn't meet the fans expectations of a great movie... hence my middle of the road review. Not awesome and not awful. The end action scene I expected more too... but still decent (just because not as good as first doesn't make something terrible) and the movie did get me excited for number 3. I do not want to give it away, but the value in this movie is the ending (and you'll know what I am talking about when you see it)... the end gets your hopes for the next installment to get back on track and to be as good as the first again... I just hope they tone down the woman character a bit and work on those "faux-artsy 'how the crime went down'" scenes.

UPDATE: LOOK AT MY COMMENT ATTACHED.

I knew something was terribly different/wrong from the moment there was dialog. I thought to myself "why didn't they stick to the original director & scriptwriter?" Well I was shocked to find out that it was done by the same guy (Troy Duffy) - I can't for the life of me understand why then the script & the acting was so horrendous. Anyone who wrote a good review on this -sorry excuse of a movie- is either (A) Part of the movie and desperately wants to score some residuals. (B) Someone who cant tell the difference between a low budget B movie that comes with bad/over acting & brainless dialog. If you're wondering why William Devoe chose not to be in this movie - watch the movie- all will be revealed.