by John P. Meyer

Writer/director Troy Duffy's follow-up to his cultish 1999 actioner falls solidly into the "shoot 'em all and let God sort 'em out" category.

If you pay too much attention to the big picture message and philosophical implications behind Troy Duffy's script for Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, you're likely to despise the film. Unless you're an advocate of vigilante justice.

If, however, you're jonesing for a spectacularly choreographed, artfully filmed shoot 'em up in the bloody tradition of Sam Pekinpah or John Woo, you will be delighted.

As those who've seen the first Boondock Saints are aware, that film was light on female roles, but in his long-anticipated return to Boondockville, director Duffy has given filmgoers a doozy in the character of FBI Special Agent Eunice Bloom. This slinky, sexy, southern drawlin', whip smart operative is played by delicious Dexter dame Julie Benz -- though you may not recognize her in the role, since her character here is so radically Type A. (Plus, there's that sly, knowing smile. And the cowboy hat.)

Our story begins in Ireland, where the brothers MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, as Connor and Murphy) are leading a quiet country existence with their dad (Billy Connolly) in the wake of the violent events that culminated ten years previously in a Boston courtroom. Flanery and Reedus sport flowing locks and shaggy beards, giving them the appearance of extras on the set of Braveheart. But their hirsute status doesn't last long, because when word reaches them that their old priest has been murdered in Boston under circumstances which make it appear that the "saints" were involved, Connor and Murphy waste no time getting back to fighting trim.

Along the way back to the U.S. (via tramp steamer), the boys meet and befriend a bare knuckles brawler by the name of Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr., playing heavily on his Latino heritage for the role). Romeo wants in on the bad-guy killin' action, and he has his own Beantown insider connections to offer up as collateral. This, along with his unbridled enthusiasm for the cause, wins him a place beside the MacManus boys as they begin the bloody process of discovering who's behind the priest killing.

Back at police headquarters, Special Agent Bloom makes a big initial impression on the trio of softboiled homicide dicks from our last Saints installment: Detectives Greenly, Duffy, and Dolly (Bob Marley, Brian Mahoney, and David Ferry, reprising their roles and looking older, if not wiser). Bloom quickly establishes her bona fides in the areas of criminal forensics and cursing; furthermore, she is drop-dead gorgeous, which bodes well for late night investigative brainstorming sessions at the precinct house. (Or so thinks Detective Greenly.)

It becomes pretty clear that the characters of Romeo and Bloom have been slotted into position as direct replacements for Rocco (David Della Rocco) and Smecker (Willem Dafoe), neither of whom made it out of the original film alive. (In fact, I think Bloom wears the same black dress that Smecker wore in the last film.) But fear not, Rocco fans (of which there are apparently many, judging by the wild audience reaction at Thursday night's preview screening): Your guy gets some high profile screentime in Saints II via the cinematic miracle of dream sequencing. And he has a lot to say about John Wayne and ice hockey.

There are other plot developments involving Da MacManus' childhood and a shadowy organization that may be working behind the scenes pulling all sorts of strings. The eventual outcome of events takes us in a new and unexpectedly genre-spanning direction -- but I wouldn't dream of spoiling it for viewers, except to say that the door has been left wide open for a(nother) sequel.

For maximum enjoyment, Boondock Saints II should be taken as a series of dream-like, slow motion, operatic gunfight set pieces, highlighted by the one in which Special Agent Bloom -- meditating over the crime scene after an epic shootout -- mentally projects herself into the action of several hours past. In her imagination, she's decked out cowboy style and sports a slick-action Colt .45, which she spins and fans with impressive virtuosity. While looking SMOKIN' HOT. (Yowza.) In interims between the gunplay we get the same level of profane, wise-cracking dialog that fans of the first movie have come to appreciate.

Just don't expect anything designed to contribute to the enrichment of the human condition.

The morning after their North Texas preview screening event, director/writer Troy Duffy and actor Norman Reedus sat down for an interview. It was a pretty early PR event for guys who had been carousing with fans into the wee hours, and yet they were both fairly coherent.

Norman and Troy: I salute your road warrior stamina.

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