When the MacManus brothers, hiding in Ireland, hear that a beloved priest has been murdered by the mafia, they return to Boston and seek revenge for h

A cult phenomenon returns with The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. The vigilante MacManus brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, reprising their roles from the first movie) have retired to Ireland, but a copycat killing of a Boston priest brings them back to dish out their unique brand of quasi-spiritual justice. The story line doesn't differ much from the first movie; the brothers have a new sidekick (Clifton Collins Jr., Capote) and a new pursuer, FBI agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz of Dexter, striving to take the place of Willem Dafoe from the original), but it's basically a series of shootouts in which the brothers pop up "unexpectedly" and blast a bunch of cartoonish criminals to pieces. The Boondock Saints was not a good movie, but it had a weird, unique energy--you couldn't tell if the movie took itself so seriously that it was ludicrous or if it was mocking itself while reveling in its absurd extravagances. All Saints Day has the same ridiculous swagger and baroque macho dialogue, but this time the spark is missing (with the exception of Collins, who brings all his dependable live-wire energy). Some cult fans will be disappointed, but others will still find things to enjoy. Also featuring Scottish comedian Billy Connolly (reprising his role as the elder MacManus), Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club), and Peter Fonda (Easy Rider). --Bret Fetzer


Stills from Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (Click for larger image)