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The Boondock Saints (1999) Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe, Billy Connolly Director: Troy Duffy Rating: NR Category: Action/Adventure

Director Troy Duffy was supposed to be the next Tarantino. He was even being groomed by former Miramax head Harvey Weinstein himself, but after nearly ten years in the business, the wannabe auteur had compiled only two movie credits to his name – the cult classic “The Boondock Saints,” and “Overnight,” the documentary about Duffy’s rise and fall. And while the latter release exposed the director as the greedy Hollywood asshole that he was (the key reason behind why he never “made it”), “The Boondock Saints” represents Duffy’s true talent as a filmmaker. The film isn’t even all that good, and though the project reeks of several rookie mistakes, its undeniable charm continues to attract new fans each year.

Taking place in the middle of a raging war between the Italian Mafia and Russian Crime Syndicate, the city of Boston is blessed when a pair of unlikely heroes – Irish-born brothers Connor and Murphy McManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, respectively) – kill several mobsters while defending themselves in a bar fight. After miraculously healing their incurred wounds and making an accommodating appearance at the police station, the brothers take their good fortune as a sign from God. Loading up on plenty of guns, ammo and rope (you never know when you’re going to need it), the brothers McManus take the criminal world by storm as vigilantes destined to cleanse the land of evildoers. Hot on their trail is Detective Paul Smecker, a gay FBI agent (Willem Dafoe) uncertain as to whether he should be pursuing the brothers for arrest, or assisting them with their just cause, and a nefarious mercenary (Billy Connolly) who’s been hired by the Italian mob boss to take them out.

As Connor and Murphy become more famous, failed Ital mobster Rocco (David Della Rocco) joins the cause as a new recruit, helping to locate criminals worthy of the brothers’ unique blend of punishment, but sadly, the story only suffers from it. Rocco is an obnoxious and unsavory character who, much like Edward Norton in “Rounders,” serves only as a means of backing our heroes into corners they normally wouldn’t have backed themselves into. This relatively pointless subplot would have been better suited for the editing room floor, and if Duffy had only known better, the film could have soared as the fast-paced actioneer that his script is modeled after.

All criticisms aside, the real reason to see this film is for Willem Dafoe’s brilliant performance as the eccentric Smecker, the cross-dressing detective who comically berates the local cops when he’s not busy dancing around the crime scene. And though the action sequences can be quite violent, they’re always conveyed as if Smecker himself is there, uncovering the clues to the crime as it’s being carried out. This is, arguably, the only distinctive feature that separates Duffy’s film from the many others that he pays homage to (or steals from) along the way, but it’s also the best part, which leads me to believe that despite his bloated ego, Duffy is a talented man.

“The Boondock Saints” also has its share of gratuitous violence (including a scene where a cat is blown to bits by a shotgun), but it’s all in good fun, and if you take it any more seriously than that, then you’re just supporting all of those arrogant critics who’ve rallied against the film since its release. This is just fiction, people, and if you can’t sit back and enjoy an entertaining popcorn flick like “The Boondock Saints,” then you'll probably never understand the difference between the movies and real life.

DVD Review:
The two-disc special edition of “The Boondock Saints” finally gives fans what they’ve always wanted: an unrated cut of the film. It’s actually not that much different from the original version released back in 1999, but there’s some added graphic violence (and language) for your pleasure. Accompanying the new cut of the film on disc one are two audio commentary tracks, and while the one with writer/director Troy Duffy is very informative, the track featuring co-star Billy Connolly is more enjoyable to listen to. The second disc of the set isn’t as great as it probably could be, and though the seven deleted/extended scenes are a nice addition, there’s a reason why they were cut. Also included is a short outtakes reel and a printable script (via DVD-ROM), but neither of these make the set any more appealing.