The Boondock Saints (1999)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Troy Duffy

Writer:

Troy Duffy (written by)

Release Date:

19 November 1999 (Denmark)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Brothers. Killers. Saints.

Plot:

Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent.

Plot Keywords:

Irish | Mafia | FBI | Fraternal Twins | Twin

Cast

Willem Dafoe	...	Paul Smecker
Sean Patrick Flanery	...	Connor McManus
Norman Reedus	...	Murphy McManus
David Della Rocco	...	David Della 'Roc / Funny Man' Rocco
Billy Connolly	...	Il Duce
David Ferry	...	Detective Dolly
Brian Mahoney	...	Detective Duffy
Bob Marley	...	Detective Greenly
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	The Chief
William Young	...	Monsignor
Robert Pemberton	...	Macklepenny
Bill Craig	...	McGerkin
Dot Jones	...	Rosengurtle Baumgartener (as Dorothy-Marie Jones)
Scott Griffith	...	Ivan Checkov
Layton Morrison	...	Vladdy

Also Known As:

Mission des dieux (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, language and sexual content.

Runtime:

110 min | South Korea:102 min (cut)

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Papiamento

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:R21 (cut) | France:-16 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | Japan:R-18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | Finland:K-18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Franchise Pictures

Trivia:

Rosengurtle Baumgartener's neck is tattooed with the phrase "Untouched By Man".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Conner is ripping the toilet out of the ground, the top gets chipped at the front and at the side. But when you see the top view of him carrying the toilet it's not chipped.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mackiepenny: Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Soundtrack:

White Rapids

The Saints Come Marching In!

The Boondock Saints is one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in my years of watching indies, and it proves conclusively that you don't need a massive budget to do a terrific action film!

Two blue-collar Boston Irish brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, who are both terrific!) rid their favorite pub of an influx of Russian gangsters, and soon decide they are on a Mission from God to execute all the 'heavy hitter' criminals from the city. While this makes them local heroes, it also sets sympathetic detective Willem Dafoe on their trail.

The story is reminiscent of the 'Death Wish' series, without the glossy superficiality of the Bronson films. At times funny, at times disturbing, it never loses momentum, with a twist ending is both satisfying and thoroughly insane!

While the violence is graphic, the story is character-driven, and never allows the executions to overwhelm the plot. You actually like the brothers, and may be hard-pressed NOT to root for them, even if you do feel a bit guilty about it!

The Boondock Saints is a fabulous film, one that deserves your attention!