The Saints Are Coming

The MacManus brothers have been living on small farm in Ireland when they get news that their beloved priest Father McKinney has been killed in their trademark style. The boys decide it is their time to return to Boston and seek vengeance on those who framed them. With the help of Romeo they are back at their old habits in no time, seeking justice and doing what the police seem to be unable to do.

Noah 'Il Duce' MacManus: Peace, they say, is the enemy of memory. So it had been for my boys. For some time now, their past had felt like a dream. Then, suddenly, it was back.

Troy Duffy’s original film was a masterpiece, it has originality, it had flare, it had comedy and it had good acting. I will admit being a huge fan of the first film I was sceptical when they announced a sequel. I was curious as to how they could create a new story since the brothers left Boston. Then as news broke about this film and a trailer was revealed it looked decent, still though the one question remained how could they bring back all the old characters and make it all work, how could they live up to the legendary status of the first flick. What Duffy did this time was he focused more on the humour from the beginning. Romeo was supposed to come in and be the comic relief as well as the cops being drawn into Eunice’s quirks.

Rocco: Theres two kinds of people in this world when you boil it all down. You got your talkers and you got your doers. Most people are just talkers, all they do is talk. but when it is all said and done, it's the doers that change this world. and when they do that, they change us, and that's why we never forget them. so which one are you? do you just talk about it, or do you stand up and do something about it? because believe you me, all the rest of it is just coffee house and bullshit.

There were two major things missing in this film, one being Rocco who was perhaps the best character in the first film. He makes an appearance through a dream sequence but that does not seem to cut it. The second notable factor is Willem Dafoe has been replaced by Julie Benz (who ultimately tries too hard to have the same mannerisms as Smecker did in the first film). As much as the new additions may have not lived up to the first film, the three cops were back, and Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and Billy Connolly all reprised their roles in this film. Had any of those three been replaced or left out, any real fan would have passed on this film. But let me make one thing perfectly clear, I don’t want another Boondock Saints film. These two stand as something unique and special on their own, and to create a franchise would ruin the cult classic many have come to love over the years. The ending revelation was a bit of a letdown, it is not how people expect the Saints to be viewed, however Duffy still needed a sufficient way of possibly ending his series.

Connor MacManus: You ready for this shit, my dear brother?
Murphy MacManus: Let's do some gratuitous violence.

The MacManus brothers may have a flare for going all out during the execution scenes, there may be those unbelievable action scenes where they manage to pull through and no one else does. Still there is something real about the religious beliefs of these characters. It struck me back when I watched the first one, that even though they are doing gratuitous violence they are executing those who are in the wrong. The MacManus brothers don’t execute good people, they go for those who have killed, and who are cold and ruthless.

The Boondock Saints remains one of the purely original series I have seen. In a time where people have difficulty coming up with plots and original stories, Troy Duffy doesn’t seem to have an issue with plot ideas. At the end of the day this film falls short of its predecessor while still managing to be an entertaining film. There has been plenty of hate on the internet for this film. Yes it is over the top, yes there is tons of violence, but remember folks these characters aren’t your average do it by the books type characters, and my advice is if you weren’t entirely pleased with the original this one won’t do it for you either. Skip this one if you found the original ok, and only watch this one if you the original is on your favourites list.


8/10