I watched this for the first time just a couple weeks ago and now I own the unrated special edition. I couldn't believe a movie like this was not a major release. A very powerful movie with heavy subject matter. It's the kind of movie that really gets inside of you. I thought the actors were great except from some minor slipping of the Irish accent of the two main characters.

I truly think that this us an undiscovered gem of movies, a must own. That said, I think you also have to enjoy a certain type of movie to enjoy this like Braveheart, Goodfellas, etc. Some people might not like the violence, which I thought was necessary to tell the story effectively. I highly recommend this movie and wish there was a sequel or even a prequel.

my first dvd got scratched and the best price i could find was here on amazon

There is an actor in this movie that looks like the actor Willem Dafoe and is apparently named Willem Dafoe, but can't possibly be the real Willem Dafoe, because any actor that was worth a damn would not have anything to do with this crappy movie unless they were being blackmailed or had to finance a bad gambling or drug addiction.

I'll leave it at that.

The storyline, actors, and scripts are funny and brilliant! The Boondock Saints is extraordinary and thought-provoking! Entertaining from start to finish! Two thumbs up!

The Boondock Saints (1999), promises action, intrigue, an exposure
of the underworld and much more. Unfortunately, the mass appeal
of this movie simply is not there, as this work is a lot like FIGHT CLUB,
in that there is a demented story, totally disconnected from reality,
illogical, and very niche-minded in terms of the movie fan base who
will want to see this work again.

First, the entertainment aspect is questionable, for various reasons;
the foremost one being, the blood packs going off on a regular basis,
every 5 minutes, in various environments across Boston, every single
time with a Matrix-inspired slow motion of bullets, glass flying everywhere,
with the dynamic duo spewing bullets with semi-automatic weapons as if
there was an unlimited magazine of bullets in each pistol.

Secondly, there is an offensive suggestion that righteousness, vigilantism,
and the practice of reciting prayers and familiarity with religious chants is
the one and the same with a need for mass murder and lack of forgiveness
in others; the offenders cannot see past their noses or their own misgivings and

defects - which is not found in any religious teaching in Christianity,
except perhaps the one spoken about in this movie.

Third, there is a confusing interplay of the historical Boston, the
Irish Boston of the 1800's, the pubs, of St. Patrick's Day with modern-day
Boston, and the Russian mob, in the post- Berlin era with former KBG and
soviet Union military retrained as mobsters to enforce the dreams of real
estate speculators buying out properties in the USA for large scale projects.
Needless to say, the cursing and swearing seems futile in many cases, or
displaced to say the least ...

Law enforcement is not presented almost at all, or accurately at that
which is sorely confirmed over the entire picture.

The redeeming qualities of this picture (which unfortunately, fails to
carry the viewers in another time and space ...but rather, just makes
them frown time and again, in between hopes of the picture picking up,
making more sense, and getting morem - mature, doesn't happen) is Defoe,
playing a bisexual FBI detective, who investigates the vigilantism
occurring, and who at length, is torn between his own beliefs about the
need to clean up ruthlessly the underworld as it touches upon the majority
of the population who live their own lives in normalcy, versus his obligation
as a peace officer to investigate those who pulled the trigger, gather
evidence, and place them behind bars. His acting is vivid, fresh, articulate,
convincing, sincere, professional ...with some funny moments as the paradox
of his sexuality is exposed in his own attitudes and behavior.

The filming and editing of this movie is flawless, but with a more
complex, ambigious strategy as far as the soundtrack goes, from the eclectic
choices, ranging from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, to Matrix-style synth
pop in the action scenes, etc.

The film makers juxtapose mind-numbing bloodbaths occurring time and again,
with Operatic and Church chants, suggesting that, those committing violence

and deeds completely out of the bounds of the imagination, did lose touch
with their own humanity, feelings, rapport with society and their loved
ones, entering the realm of insanity, of course. One learns early that when
pain ceases to be felt, the body is vulnerable to maximum damage in risky
environments.

Overall, the potential of this work is almost entirely wasted, as it almost
seems inspired by FIGHT CLUB 3 years after the fact, in terms of
its unrealism, and admiration for when a man surrenders his own humanity
and goes insane, through ultra-violence. However, it is worthy of a rental
just to see the filming, scenes of Boston, and Defoe, however.