Great revenge flick (The Boondock Saints (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	The Boondock Saints (DVD)
Date:	21/09/09 (2 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gory and funny

Disadvantages: Not much in way of plot

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room

The Boondock Saints is a very divisive action thriller - it didn't fare too well with critics at all, but it was quite a hit on DVD, enough that it has a sequel due for release soon - Boondock Saints: All Saint's Day.

The film revolves around Conner and Murphy MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus), who are two Catholic Irish American fraternal twins. After they kill two members of the Russian mob in an act of self defense, they become badass vigilantes, believing that they were sent by God to clean Boston, Massachusetts of the evil and crime that pervades throughout the city. They must, however, contend with the advances of FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe), who is hot on their trail.

It's a very strange film in that audiences seem to enjoy it but critics dispise the fact that it's been met with cult status. It has a lot of style that is by now referred to as post-Tarantino, in that it is slick, casually violent, and has quick fire, catchy dialogue that riffs on pop culture in particular. Whilst it doesn't measure up to the likes of Tarantino, it is a rather amusing yarn thanks to the two leads, and also an appearance by Billy Connolly as Noah MacManus aka Il Duce, who helps the boys in their rampage. It does have style to spare, though - the violent action scenes in particular are well filmed, and whilst it's no film to define your morality by, it does deliver the visceral thrills.

This film could have become a complete mess (which some deem it to be), but Duffy manages to carefully steer the carnage in the right direction. Foul-mouthed, blood-soaked, hilarious and (arguably) morally bankrupt, I got a great kick out of this.

Summary: Impressively made if vacuous