The Boondock Saints

Traveta reviews

The Boondock SaintsDistributed by
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

• Cert: R
• Cat.no: 2002807
• Running time: 110 minutes
• Year: 1999
• Pressing: 2001
• Region(s): 1, NTSC
• Chapters: 16
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Widescreen: 2.35:1
• 16:9-Enhanced: No
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Price: $14.98
• Extras: Audio commentary, filmographies, deleted scenes, outtakes, trailer.
  

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  Director:

  Troy Duffy

Screenplay:

Troy Duffy

Cast:

Conner: Patric Flarery
Murphy: Norman Reedus
Agent Smecker: Willem Dafoe
Ill Duece: Billy Connoly
Rocco: David Della Rocco

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Where’d this one come from?I wouldn’t have even thought twice aboutpicking up this hidden gem if weren’t for a reccomendation from afriend. I saw it for a cheap $9.99 marked down from it’s regular $14.98list price so I decided what the hell. If I didn’t like it I couldalways sell it to my local comic shop for five bucks back. But I wouldnever sell it, after finding this movie I’m going to try to spread theword as much as I can.

Having debuted in 1999, Fox transferred it to disc in 2001 although afew places claim it came out just this year. It mirrors Pulp Fiction andTarantino films because of it’s concept but it’s got a mind of it’sown.

The Boondock Saints tells the story of two Irish brothers living in aBoston neighborhood on the verge of a Russian mob takeover. After anight at the bar two members of the Russian mob pay them a visit and tryto kill them. They tie one brother to a toilet and the other is draggedoutside to be shot. Connor actually pulls the toilet out and drops it onthe head of one mob member from atop a roof! And then he jumps down andlands carefully on the back of another, crushing his spine. After thislittle stint, the press begin to refer them as saints. FBI agent Smecker(Willem Dafoe) brings them in and questions them but decides it was justself defense. They still have to stay one night in a cell and there theyhave a vision from God and are given a mission. They realize that it istheir duty to take out the filth that is crowding their streets in theform of pimps, mob bosses, and gang members. From that point on theybegin to take out mob members left and right as Agent Smecker begins toquestion whose side of morality he is on.

An above average movie that is well hidden. It does have it’s flawsthough. The pacing isn’t quite right in some parts and the killings areshown in flashback form as Smecker imagines them. Aside from that, thismovie is a hidden gem in the DVD bargain bin.

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Into the disc. This is where the movie loses some points. For somereason 20th Century Fox transferred this as a non-anamorphic picture.It’s a recent disc too which is why I don’t understand why thishappened. I mean this studio isn’t so good in the picture department assay New Line Cinema but they can and have done better. Pixelization is abother and can be distracting. Watch the scene where Connor and Murphyare in the vents above the Russian mob boss and you’ll see what I mean.The transfer just looks soft and suggests that it might have beentransferred from a Laserdisc or something.

The sound is decent though. Both 5.1 and 2.0 tracks are included withoutproblems. Dialouge is mixed well with the action and audible throughout.

The extras could have been a lot worse. Deleted scenes, outtakes, audiocommentary and a trailer. The deleted scenes and the outtakes are culledfrom workprint copies and bad in quality. The trailer, surprisingly,looks better in term of the picture than the movie as pixelization isnot present or anything. The trailer is actually pulled from a videorelease as it’s not the theatrical one.

Overall, The Boondock Saints has a few problems that keep it from beingperfect but at $14.98 this is a definite see and buy. Especially if youlike movies likeSnatch,Pulp Fiction,Reservoir Dogsand Jackie Brown.

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FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALLReview copyright © Traveta, 2002.

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