Santos Justiceiros II - O Retorno

This movie definitely let me down. It wasn't taken seriously, even by the actors. I'm sure it was very fun to make and I might have even enjoyed it a little bit if I didn't know the original existed. Granted, the first is a very hard act to follow, but it could have been much better. The first half of the movie I wanted to walk out, though the second was somewhat redeeming it just wasn't enough. I think Troy Duffy should give me my money back and start making music again. He had a brilliant idea with the first one and got very lucky making it so good, the second it is clear he was just having a good time with the cast and basking in the nostalgia of the first. I'm sorry, but this movie just isn't good.

Being a huge fan of the first film, it's kind of difficult to admit this, but The Boondock Saints: All Saints Day just fell short.

The major flaw with the original was that it was a Tarantino-esquire action spoof that was attempting to be serious. Complete with over the top shootout scenes, campy dialog, and insanely unrealistic situations, whether the creators knew it or not, the original Boondock Saints was never meant to be taken seriously. It was just a fun movie.

Anyway, about 15 minutes into this film, it seems as though Troy Duffy had realized this and decided to embrace what the first film should have always been: an entertaining, over-the-top, shoot 'em up flick.

Enter Julie Benz and the three detectives.

See, what made the three detectives from the first Saints funny was not the dimwitted, slapstick gimmick they had in this film, it was Willem Dafoe. It wasn't that they were THAT dumb, it was that Smecker was THAT good. The weird guy was better than the average joes could have ever dreamed to be, and laughs ensued.

In Boondocks 2, you have three actors who are trying way too damn hard to be funny, followed by Julie Benz trying to play a female Paul Smecker. These characters worked in the first film because they actually had a decent performance to play off of.

Don't get me wrong, Julie Benz is great on Dexter, but she was just god awful in this movie. They might as well have tried to pass off that Smecker had a sex change, and that he and Bloom were the same person. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, but in this case, it was probably an insult. Also, the Southern Accent was just atrocious.

Aside from that, this film seemed to have expanded on what the original should have always been. There was more laughs, more action, and more blatantly forced accents. Hell, even the obvious replacement for Rocco wasn't half bad.

Dump every scene with Bloom, Greenly, Duffy, and Dolly, and you have yourself a sequel that nearly matches the original.

However, they were still in the movie, and they ruined it every time they were on screen.

5/10

To tell you the truth, I was no big fan of the first Boondock Saints. I thought the violence was gratuitous, the plot stupid, and the dialogue boring. After watching this one, I can confidently say that Troy Duffy has matured and made a film with much more quality. Sure, the over-the-top violence is still here, and so is the naughty language, and even the crude jokes, but now, the plot and the dialogue seem so much more mature.

That said, there are somethings that could be improved in this film. I think this movie would have worked better as a 90 minute action flick, but it was actually pushing the two hour line, and I believe that is a bit too long.

However this is nitpicking. The Boondock Saints II is a funny, cool, action packed, and maybe even though provoking look into the actions of two vigilantes.

This whole movie feels forced, it is as though one of 'the saints' put a gun to the creators head and demanded a sequel.

The only people who are going to watch this are those who liked the original (which was a great niche action movie 8/10 stars). BSII fails to love up to the original in every way; interesting & entertaining characters are replaced with cheap & annoying ones; old gimmicks are simply rehashed; the leads look old & tired; recurring characters look lost & bewildered; and where the original BS story was simple, tight, & original, BS2's plot is overcomplicated and contrived.

There are some thrills and spills to be had in BSII, but it is difficult to watch something fall so far short from the quality of the original.

On the Fruit-Meter, BSII gets the "SULTANA (or RAISEN)' – The original grape was fresh and juicy, the sequel has lost all the original zesty flavours and has too many wrinkles.

I just saw the movie tonight at the advanced screening. If you're a Boondock fan, this movie is everything you'd expect it to be. It was awesome. Cant wait to see the third one, if there is one.

To be honest, I think the editing sucked in the movie cos at some points, there was no transition. Also, the director should have considered making a 2 hour 15 minute movie instead of the 1 hour 57 minutes. But it was good regardless. The movie was well written and had a lot of humor. The actors did a great job. The cinematographer was good too. The only thing I didn't like was the editing.

I don't want to spoil the movie by discussing about it. But I will be back after it releases on the 30th. Hope it gets released nationwide so that more people will know about the Saints.