The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
The MacManus brothers have been in deep hiding with their father, Il Duce. When word comes that a beloved
priest has been killed by the mob, the brothers return and mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to
those responsible.
They say good things come to those who wait. The "thing" is the sequel to the immensely
popular cult classic The Boondock
Saints, and "those" are its legions of fans eager for more from Writer/Director Troy
Duffy, the man behind the original picture that made him something of a minor legend of
filmdom. Unfortunately, The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day proves that, for once,
anyway, that truisms aren't always true. An excessively vulgar, poorly-acted, lazily-scripted, and
altogether obnoxiously overlong movie-watching experience, this long-awaited sequel fails to live
up to its predecessor in every way imaginable, and worse yet, it offers nothing that makes it a
worthwhile picture in its own right. It's hard to classify everything that goes wrong in All
Saints Day. The film is a sloth that moves about twice as slow as the second hand on an
audience member's wristwatch, its action scenes
are repetitive and few and far between, its dialogue unnatural and forced, its old characters a
shell of their former selves, its new characters not at all memorable, and its structure haphazard
and confused. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day is the perfect movie for zoning
out; there's nothing here that's at all important, and the movie seems to play on a loop with
only an occasional sprinkling of a new element to allow one part to stand out from another.
in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.
Brothers-turned-vigilantes Conner and Murphy MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman
Reedus, reprising their roles from The Boondock Saints) have left the United States to
lead
a far simpler life in Ireland with their father Noah (Billy Connolly, also reprising his role). When
word
reaches the brothers that an innocent priest has been gunned down by a Saints copycat assassin
in Boston, they cut their
hair,
trim their beards, and pick up their trademark Beretta pistols once again for some good old
fashioned revenge. On the boat back to the States, they meet Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr., Sunshine Cleaning),
a
Mexican fan of the Saints' work who convinces them that he needs to become part of their team.
The brothers-plus-one leave a swath of violence in their wake as they track down a killer that's
believed to have murdered the priest as a ploy to get the brothers back on Western shores. On
the case is FBI agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz, Rambo) who must
not
only work the crime scenes but reel in a trio of misfit local detectives, including the clueless
Greenly
(Bob Marley, another actor reprising his role from The Boondock Saints).
It's not that The Boondock Saints is the end-all, be-all of motion pictures, but it's a solid
genre entry that's deserving of much of the praise it receives for its unique take on the classic
tale of vigilantism, its collection of inspired performances, and many quotable lines. Director Troy
Duffy burst out of the gate with a film that's rightfully remembered as a solid picture and an
exceptional first effort, but his follow-up ten years after the fact never once captures even a hint
of the same magic that made his debut film a winner. Both films emphasize style over
substance, but All Saints Day goes a step further, eliminating substance from the
equation completely in favor of a seemingly unintentional assault of flashy visuals and
poorly-conceived and
dreadfully-delivered chic dialogue that Duffy seems hellbent on shaping into the next Pulp
Fiction (or The
Boondock Saints, for that matter), but fails miserably in the process. The result is a movie
that's disturbingly
forced to the
point that there's simply no fun to be had in this go-round. Duffy's latest effort tries far too hard
to be hip, happening, and cool; it recycles the same jokes over and over again, both material
that worked before but doesn't now, as well as new recurring gags that are only good for
exercising the eyes with the old "roll back into the head" maneuver. Indeed, All Saints
Day obscures
whatever plot there is with its barrage of stale and unfunny material that even manages to
lessen the series'
trademark action-as-ballet sequences. Indeed, All Saints Day quickly devolves into a
two-hour
romp of nothing that's as boring as it is inconsequential.
Even the actors seem to realize that All Saints Day is a sequel pretty much in name only,
and that the script calls for them to merely play caricatures of their former selves, or to have
the new characters simply be caricatures of those figures from the first film that they're
replacing. Yes, All Saints Day
sometimes feels like one of those really bad Dance Flick or Meet the Spartans
sort of cheap parodies that is this time setting its sights on The Boondock Saints. It's a
strange sort of situation here, seeing a franchise self-destruct as quickly, messily, and painfully as
it does with this film. It's bad enough to see and hear Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus
bumbling around trying to do whatever it is that Duffy wanted to be done with this film, but the
real sucker punch comes from Julie Benz and her terribly phony and harmlessly annoying
Southern accent. She tries her hardest to channel Willem Dafoe's character from the first film
while at the same time crafting her own unique personality, but neither one works either
separately or in conjunction with one another. Every character both new and returning are
overplayed and underdeveloped, with only Billy Connolly lending something of a calming and
evenly-keeled performance amidst what's little more than a Boondock Saints-inspired
circus act gone terribly awry.
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day arrives on Blu-ray with an unremarkably solid
1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The film is fairly drab and and a bit on the dark side, but that never
hinders the level of fine detailing seen throughout the picture. Whether the opening overcast shots
in Ireland or the rougher interiors that house the majority of the transfer, viewers will marvel at the
realistic detail of everyday objects like woven sweaters, wooden crates, facial construction, and the
like. The transfer's color palette isn't particularly vibrant but it does offer a solid rendering of every
hue asked of it, no matter the filtering or lighting conditions employed in various scenes.
Additionally, black levels are generally excellent, flesh tones retain a mostly neutral tone
throughout, and no evidence of harmful tinkering in the transfer process is to be found. The print is
expectedly free of dirt and blemish, save for a throwback-style sequence that's equal parts Grindhouse and Black Dynamite.
Complimented by the retention of a fine layer of grain, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints
Day's transfer isn't going to wow seasoned Blu-ray watchers, but it's a solid experience
through-and-through that makes for another fine example of Sony's high-quality handiwork.
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day shoots up sound systems with a robust DTS-HD
MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. While not a top-flight Action movie listen -- this one's a bit more
reserved than some of the all-out sonic assaults found on discs like Terminator
Salvation or District 9 -- All
Saints Day delivers a heaping helping of sonic goodness from the first gunshot to the last.
The film's trademark signature, obviously, comes from the prodigious shootouts that are littered
about the film; the lighter reports of silenced Beretta pistols or the beastly bangs of a shotgun all
deliver a shattering, hard-hitting cacophony of gunfire goodness that should bring a smile to
every listeners' face, even when the movie itself fails to do so. All Saints Day's musical
presentation is equally aggressive, with many of the tracks not only cranking out plenty of crisp
and distinctive beats through the upper ranges, but also belting out a hefty low-end that adds
even more pizzazz to this listening experience. Sony's DTS track also enjoys plenty of surround
information. Action scenes are awash in back-channel information, and the track also yields a fair
amount of atmospherics, distinctive effects, and musical support across the back two channels.
Dialogue is generally clear and precise, though it can become lost under the more powerful action
scenes and musical presentations. At the end of the day, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints
Day pounds out an upper-echelon but not quite reference-standard lossless soundtrack.
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day delivers a quality selection of extras for this
Blu-ray release, headlined by a pair of audio commentary tracks. The first features
Writer/Director Troy Duffy and Actors Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and Billy Connolly. A
fairly typical group commentary that manages to stay more off topic than on, the participants --
with plenty of adult language on tap -- talk about anything and everything, Boondock
Saints related or not. A hyperactive, jovial, and barely coherent listen, fans of the talent
might find a few giggles here, but those hoping for some tangible insight into the production need
look elsewhere. Track two once again features Duffy, this time accompanied -- but not until
partway through the track -- by Actor Willem Dafoe. A clearer and more coherent listen, Duffy
begins by thanking the fans for making this film possible and goes on to talk about what makes a
sequel good or bad, the film's plot, the various ideas that went into the story and the evolution
from one film to the next, character traits and developments, his own personal approach to
filmmaking as a writer/director, and much more. Dafoe's entry only helps this track and injects a
bit of additional life into it just when it needs it. Of the two tracks, this is hands-down the better
listen.
Unprecedented Access: Behind the Scenes (1080p, 25:49) offers a combination of raw
behind-the-scenes footage and interview snippets with cast and crew who speak on the film,
the acting, the characters, the process of shooting various scenes, and plenty more. Billy
Connolly and Troy Duffy: Unedited (1080p, 9:22) features the actor and the writer/director
reminiscing about their Boondock Saints experiences. The Cast Confesses: Secrets
From the Set (1080p, 7:13) takes a rapid-fire look at the world of The Boondock
Saints with emphasis on the creation of the sequel, the new characters and tattoos as seen
in the movie, and the camaraderie of the cast. Next up is Inside the Vault: The Weapons
(1080p, 8:28), a piece featuring film armorer Charles Taylor showcasing the collection of firearms
seen in both Boondock films. 'The Boondock Saints' Hit Comic-Con (1080i,
57:02) follows primary cast and crew members at the Comic-Con convention, with the bulk of
the piece featuring a Q&A session with a room full of fans. Also included are two deleted scenes
(480p, 2:38);
BD-Live functionality; Sony's MovieIQ connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Black
Dynamite, Universal Soldier:
Regeneration, The Damned
United, The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus, Halloween II, "Breaking Bad," Snatch , Moon, Zombieland, and The Da Vinci Code.
Perhaps a sequel would have worked better when the original was still fresh in Writer/Director
Troy
Duffy's mind, but the ten-year layoff between films has yielded a picture in The Boondock
Saints
II: All Saints Day that just doesn't pass muster as a follow-up to one of the 1990's most
audience-lauded cult classics. While the film retains some trademark Boondock action
scenes, there's little else
here of value. The characters are flat, the writing is horrendous, the pacing is lacking, and the
film
just tries far too hard to live up to its predecessor and ultimately falls flat on its face with
practically every
frame. Indeed, All Saints Day literally wears out its welcome before the first 15 or so
minutes, and it's unfortunately one of the lesser movies of 2009 and one of the worst "most
anticipated sequels" in generations. Nevertheless, fans can count on getting a great technical
experience out of Sony's Blu-ray release. No surprise here, the studio has blessed the movie with
a
solid video presentation, a quality lossless soundtrack, and plenty of extras. Fans that have seen
the film and want to purchase can lay their money down with confidence, but newcomers to
All
Saints Day -- even those familiar with the original The Boondock Saints -- should
give
this movie a rent before purchasing.
Undoubtedly thanks to the cult following of The Boondock Saints, its sequel The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day was the top-selling title on Blu-ray during the week ended March 14, according to Nielsen VideoScan First Alert, narrowly beating 2012 in its second ...
Writer/director (and former bartender) Troy Duffy became a cult hero when The Boondock Saints was released, a film loved by fans for its intense action sequences, witty dialog, and an unforgettable performance by Willem Dafoe. Ten years later, Duffy released the ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced 'The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day' for release on Blu-ray on March 9. This sequel to the cult crime movie 'The Boondock Saints' was made possible by the home video success of the first film. In it, the MacManus ...
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