Boondock Saints II

Plot

Almost ten years have passed since the events of the last film, and a copycat killer is out mimicking the kills of the Saints. A new FBI officer, and protégé of the late Paul Smecker is investigating, and soon the boys, and Pa are back in Boston to clear their name, and settle an ancient history.

Direction

Troy Duffy returns as Writer/Director – and it almost felt as if he filmed every idea that he had. There are so many cliché’s within this film that it almost comes across as laughable. Most of them are poorly executed, and just downright annoying. The boys almost have a John McClane (Die Hard 4&5) plot armour to them (jumping off a roof, through a window shooting guns), and have their start where they are long hair and bearded – just to have a makeover shave scene a few minutes later.

There is a strange ‘grindhouse/exploitation’ montage thrown in just for something extra too.

Cast/Characters

There are many returning characters from the first film, who all feel like completely new characters. The boys don’t feel as likeable this time around, with the previous film they had a good banter with the community – this feels absent here.

Returning cops Greenly, Duffy and Dolly are all written bizarrely and seem like they are the three stooges, rather than more seasoned cops with ten more years’ experience since we last saw them.

Clifton Collins Jr is a strange addition to the film to fill the void of the much more fan favoured Rocco (who gets a brilliant third act flashback, and is the only thing that saved the film). He is a pale imitation to the late character. Most of his dialogue is just eye rolling annoying.

Peter Fonda plays a mixture of Italian and French bad guy who doesn’t appear until the last act.

The biggest faux pas for me was Julie Benz, who plays Smecker’s replacement, but while Smecker’s ability to tell the story of the shootouts was epic and flawless – hers are just absurd and cringe. She is a pale imitation of Willem Dafoe – and her chewing gum chewing, Southern drawl is the worst thing about this film.

Screenplay/Setting/Themes

There is odd and cluttered narration used at times, and the style of the film almost feels like it is a comedy at time with the overacting of several characters.

There is some silly use of symbolism (fire in the eyes of the villain’s glasses, wings falling off an angel in a fight scene), neither of which added to what the director wanted it to add.

The flashbacks for Pa, are overdone, and unnecessary – and try to add more to the almost forgettable final showdown. The entire arc on the boat is not needed, and just loud and migraine inducing.

Score/Soundtrack

There is a loud score that plays over dialogue, and plays manipulatively at times too. There was one good use, and that was during Rocco’s flashback monologue – and this saves the film from a lower score.

Overall

Having enjoyed the first film so much, I was so let down by this, I wish I could have unseen it. At 140m this is just a slog to get through. This was bad, bad, bad.

1/5