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Love this movie, wasn't sure what to expect when I first watched it but fell in love with it. It is funny in unexpected ways and it is a great movie to watch.
I've loved this movie since the first time that I saw it. I just purchased the second one and hope that it lives up to the first one.
Sadly, this independently produced actioneer got lost in the politics of its day. Mind you, "The Boondocks Saints" is not remotely believable, but it is a terrific, entertaining, action-packed opus with colorful character, blue dialogue, and Duffy's imaginative staging. Later, our heroes hear voices and believe that the Lord wants them to destroy evil men. He provides our heroes with all the information that they need to start wiping out mobsters with extreme prejudice. According to Duffy, the Columbine massacre prompted the distributers to curb release of the film because of its violent fare. Afterward, they place pennies on the dead man's eyes. Connor rips out the toilet--possible but not likely--and goes to the roof and drops it on the biggest Russian and saves his brother from certain death. Basically, "The Boondocks Saints" is a beer & pizza saga that shows some tolerance for homosexuality because one of its chief characters--an erudite FBI agent--is gay but not gay is an over-the-top way.
Actually, despite its far-fetched storyline, "The Boondocks Saints" spouts the message that evil flourishes only when good men look the other way. The patrons are celebrating Saint Patrick's Day when three imposing big bruisers, among them Ivan Checkov (Scott Griffith), walk in to lay down the law and encounter the McManus twins, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery of "The Suicide Kings" ) and Murphy (Norman Reedus of "Deuces Wild"), who precipitate a barroom brawl with them. The MacManus brothers receive help from one of their loony friends, David Della 'Roc (David Della 'Roc' of "Jake's Corner"), who serves as an errand boy of sorts for the Boston mob. They handcuff Connor to a toilet and threaten to kill Murphy. Duffy hammers this theme home in an early scene when the minister recaps the real-life tragedy of Kitty Genovese.
Bartender turned director Troy Duffy's contemporary action melodrama "The Boondocks Saints" bears all the influences of Quentin Tarantino with its ultra-violent shoot-outs, use of profanity, over-the-top situations, fractured time lines and gallery of memorable characters. Consequently, "The Boondocks Saints" advocates vigilantism. Make no mistake, however, Willem Dafoe and David Della 'Roc' steal the show. Our heroes give themselves up and Smecker lets them go and informs the Boston press that they killed the Russians in self-defense. People who love cats may not enjoy "The Boondocks Saints" because a cat is accidentally shot and splattered like a tomato against a wall Of course, the actual cat was never harmed, but some cat lovers cannot differentiate between reality and illusion so this film may leave a dire taste in their mouths. The heroes--who perform primarily good deeds--dress in black like the Columbine gunmen and wipe out Russian mobsters galore.
They tied the biggest Russian to the bar and set his butt on fire. Nevertheless, this ranks as first-rate entertainment if you enjoy gritty gunplay, provocative characters, and some surreal staging. In 1964, Genovese was raped and murdered near her home while thirteen eyewitnesses cowered in either fear or indifference to her plight back and did not intervene. Later, when Smecker presents the details of the crime to his colleagues, he is in the same shot with our heroes when they perform their community service. Meanwhile, Smecker investigates each convoluted crime scene and shows the Boston Police, particularly the three detectives on the case, Dolly (David Ferry), Duffy (Brian Mahoney) and Greenly (Bob Marley), why he is such a genius. Roc is the crazy one of the bunch and he lacks the focus of the MacManus twins. The Cold War has concluded and Russian criminals have migrated to America and the Russian syndicate is buying up property in Boston, much to the chagrin of some leaseholders, like poor old Doc (Gerard Parkes of "Short Circuit 2") a barkeeper afflicted with Tourette's syndrome who runs McGinty's Bar. Close behind them in his peripheral role is Gerard Parkes who has only a couple of scenes, but he is unforgettable, especially with his use of the F-bomb and the A-word followed in rapid succession.
Each execution gets wilder and crazier until the mobsters catch up with them. Two multi-lingual Irish lads from South Boston awaken one day after they hear the Lord tell them to hit the vigilante trail. When they ice top-level hoods, Connor and Murphy utter a prayer while they have their victim on his knees and shoot him through the back of the head so that their bullets exit through the eye sockets. By now, our heroes have become `saints' in the newspapers, and they obtain a cache of silenced automatic pistols with which to carry out their work.
Although the chronology of the scene is fractured like a Tarantino bloodbath, Duffy appears to invoke the kind of cross-cutting that worked so well for Hong Kong director John Woo so that we get to see both the crime and the analysis of the crime. Meanwhile, Smecker has so underestimated the MacManus brothers that he never imagines what they have been doing until Roc loses a finger during a shoot-out and he connects them with Roc. Smecker hooks himself up to his portable CD player, pops on his disposable gloves, and analyzes the crime scene to the strains of classic composer Puccini's operatic La bohème. Unfortunately, whatever credibility that Duffy generates for his message is obliterated by those kinetically staged gunfights, rampant profanity, and the melodramatic plot twists. Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus are perfectly cast as brothers and they kindle a lot of charisma as vigilantes in the tradition of Charles Bronson from the "Death Wish" movies.
The next day two of the Russians, including burnt butt, barge into their apartment. FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe of "Platoon") launches an investigation because he is part of the Organized Crime Task Force. By this time, the mob has declared war on them."The Boondocks Saints" is for action-oriented film fans who know they are only watching a movie.
You cannot get a better movie than the Boondock Saints. Just be warned if you watch this movie once, you will have to watch it over and over again because you will not be able to get enough of it. Troy Duffy does an amazing job with this movie and his style of directing is amazing. Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus give amazing performances. Even though this movie is more skewed toward a male audience, as a female who loves bloody, action packed movies I found that this movie kept my attention the whole time and took me on an awesome journey full of blood and vengeance. If I could give this movie more than a five star rating I would.
DVD was in great condition, and the shipping was quick. One of my favorite movies, and I think I got a damn good deal on it. Thanks.
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