Guest Reviewer: Rob Denner

Written and Directed By: Troy Duffy
Staring: Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Julie Benz, Brian Mahoney, David Della Rocco, Clifton Collins Jr., Peter Fonda, Judd Nelson, Paul Johansson, and Bob Marley

Review:

1999 seems like a lifetime ago. It was a time before George W. Bush, before “Homeland Security,” and before that other Star Wars Trilogy. I for one, blame the latter for the current lack of originality in Hollywood, and for introducing the mainstream to the godawful concept of the prequel.

As a young man of only sixteen, I worked as a clerk in a video store. I’ve always felt that this is where my passion for film began. It was during my tenure, that I discovered some of my favorite films, many of which I still consider great, even a decade later.

When the original BOONDOCK SAINTS was released direct to video, it was an under the radar film exclusive to the chain where I worked. There was no theatrical release, no promotion, directed by an unknown Bostonian, and with a cast that included Willem Defoe, Billy Connolly, and Ron Jeremy it was something that piqued my attention. This brutally violent dark comedy had everything that a boy of my age went crazy for. The story wasn’t exactly an original one, but it was the way it was told that made the film for me.

I normally like to avoid the phrase “cult classic,” because its just a promotional tool for people who weren’t “in-the-know” upon its original release and were just seeking to jump on the bandwagon. About two years after its release, Saints Fever had become an epidemic, and Writer/Director Troy Duffy offered up news of a sequel in development. At that time, fans were chomping at the bit for another bloody installment of the Brothers McManus.

A decade passed as the film languished in Development Hell. We were teased with script pages, and vague updates for years until it seemed that “All Saints Day,” had become mere fodder for the rumor mill and would likely never be released. Those who saw the documentary “Overnight,” learned of the true nature of the low budget release, and the story of a director who burned his bridges so badly, that he was nearly blackballed in the film community, a sure sign that the long awaited sequel was dead in the water.
In 2006, the original film was screened at select theaters the day before Halloween. The screening was preceded by a personal message from Duffy, assuring audiences that the sequel would indeed see release in the next few years, thus re-igniting Saints Fever once more. Four years later, the film is finally released to a nationwide audience, and after a decade of fandom, I for one was sorely disappointed.

The concept of a sequel is simple: a continuation story designed to fill the audience in on what happened after the events of the original. Gone are the days when a sequel actually had a decent plot, and stood as a decent film in its own right. They’ve been replaced by an excuse to use a built in audience to cash in on the success–cult or otherwise– of the original (it ranks right up there with the never ending stream of needless remakes). The integrity of the original product is forever sacrificed for a half assed grab for money. The sad fact is, in todays society, the money always follows when you have a built in audience.

BOONDOCK SAINTS II: ALL SAINTS DAY, appears to have begun as a genuine attempt to continue the vengeful adventures of the McManus brothers, but over a decade of lost interest, it evolved into a convoluted carbon copy of what made the first film great. Beloved characters whose deaths created true tragedy, are replaced by third string versions. Memorable scenes from the original are blatantly rehashed with “artistic license,” even the jokes sound the same. A joke repeated, is almost never as funny the second time around.
We learn that Connor (Sean Patrick Flannery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus) have been hidden away from the world in their native Ireland with their hitman father, Il Duce (Billy Connolly). All three are brought back into action by the murder of a Boston priest, and the Saints are being framed by a killer dwarf– thats right, a killer dwarf, just because he put coins in the priests eyes. All at the behest of Concenzio Yakavetta, played by Judd Nelson, an actor whose career was in Development Hell almost as long as the film itself. The character obviously seeking retribution for his fathers murder at the close of the first film (3rd string character replacement number one).
The return of the ‘keystone cops’ played brilliantly by Brian Mahoney, Dave Ferry, and comedian Bob Marley. Still as awkward as ever, the Saints’ return has them acting like they’ve seen a ghost, which becomes the standard throughout the movie, for both the characters and the audience. The detectives regress to teen boys when Julie Benz’s ATF Agent Bloom shows up to conjure up the spirit of Paul Smecker (#2).

Meanwhile, the Saints set out to return to the States via an abnormally short sea voyage. Of course they pick up a Rocco-esque sidekick along the way as we are treated to the third of these sub par character replacements, a hyperactive Mexican named Romeo, played by virtual unknown Clifton Collins Jr.

Perhaps I’m being a tad subjective here. The film did have its interesting moments. In particular, an extended series of flashbacks that create a “prequel within the sequel,” following the early years of the man who would be Il Duce. I’ll admit even I smiled when they showed the prototype for six holster vest infamously worn by the character during the front yard firefight scene of the first film. I guess there’s also something to be said for a walk down memory lane, but it becomes more nauseating than nostalgic. So much so, that it got to a point where I wondered whether I was watching a sequel or a remake, which only made me want to watch the original film for the thousandth time instead of this.
The few original moments in the film lend nicely to a cookie-cutter sequel formula, action scenes punctuated by shocking twists poorly disguised as moments of closure. One begins to wonder why with so many ends–both loose and otherwise– tied up, would the final act end in a cliffhanger.
Stop wondering, because the answer is simple: Troy Duffy’s been out of the limelight for ten years, and he never wants to go back into the shadows. This film wasn’t necessary to begin with, but with so much invested in the original, any fan of the original couldn’t help but shell out hard earned money to see the result of ten years of anticipation.
Chalk it up to hype past its prime, but much like its recent counterparts in the music industry, after a decade of change this “reunion” feels a few years too late.

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