The Boondock Saints Blu-ray

The Boondock Saints

 (1999)

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller



Irish brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus live and work in South Boston. After killing a Russian mobster in self-defense, the brothers believe they have found their calling from God ridding the earth of human evil. So they set out to complete their divine deed by ridding the streets of gangsters, criminals and lowlifes; and as the body count rises, the brothers become local heroes (deemed the “Boondock Saints”) even as the police are on their trail. By risking their lives for their beliefs of Veritas (truth) and Aequitas (justice), the vigilante brothers take the law into their own hands…until they are pursued by unorthodox FBI agent Paul Smecker who follows their trail of bloodshed, but admits that the boys are doing exactly what he has always secretly wished to happen.

For more details about The Boondock Saints on Blu-ray, see The Boondock Saints Blu-ray Review

The Boondock Saints Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Anyone purchasing a copy of The Boondock Saints on Blu-ray, expecting to find a pristine looking film that dazzles the senses, is bound to be disappointed with the video contained on this release. Despite AVC Mpeg-4 encoding at 1080p, in the film’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1, this Blu-ray encode exposes the film’s visual limitations and budgetary constraints. Inconsistency reigns with The Boondock Saints; the print is dirty, scarred and abused, while cheap film stock hampers almost every frame.

Black levels vary throughout the presentation; deep in some scenes, crushed in others. Colors are often vivid, but occasionally dull. Detail also lacks consistency; it's exceptionally rendered throughout most of the film, while occasionally devolving into non- existent softness. While it is clear that The Boondock Saints looks better on Blu-ray than on DVD, the upgrade isn’t nearly as dramatic as the transition viewers have experienced with other releases. Proceed with caution.

The Boondock Saints Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


The Boondock Saints fares quite a bit better in the audio department; the film’s 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track does an exceptional job of presenting the action-packed film as dynamically as possible. I’m pretty certain that the original sound mix for The Boondock Saints was nowhere near as active as this track, but it’s a nice upgrade that manages to overshadow some of this disc’s video troubles. Thankfully, lossless encoding has helped to make the main characters’ Irish brogues a bit more intelligible, though the thick accents still occasionally come across as mumbled and rushed. Perhaps the original recordings are at fault; perhaps I’m just not accustomed to the dialect.

There’s plenty of surround activity in The Boondock Saints; directional effects and discreet spatial ambience are used to great effect throughout the movie. Bass is also tremendously effective, creating an exceptional bottom-end that anchors every action scene. Fans of The Boondock Saints are bound to be impressed with the track; I’m very pleased with the appreciable upgrade that the Blu-ray edition offers over previous DVD releases. Recommended.

The Boondock Saints Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Blu-ray Sales, March 8-14: Boondock Saints Blessed (Update) - March 18, 2010


• The Boondock Saints II Announced and Detailed - January 21, 2010


• Buy Fight Club and Boondock Saints, Save $5 - November 17, 2009


• Today on Blu-ray - February 10th - February 10, 2009


• The Boondock Saints Blu-ray Gets Detailed - December 5, 2008


• Boondock Saints Coming to Blu-ray - October 9, 2008

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