The 1999 box-office bomb "The Boondock Saints" has become a cult classic in recent years.

This over-the-top action thriller saw the MacManus brothers turn from mild-mannered bar rats to religious vigilantes after a run-in with the Russian mob. Feeling that they were saved by God, Connor and Murphy MacManus take it upon themselves to cleanse criminals of their sins through merciless means. The Saints, as they come to be known by the media, become a household name after gunning down mob boss Papa Joe Yakavetta in a court room.

A decade later, director Troy Duffy and his Irish assassins are back for more delicious mayhem.

After a $500,000 weekend as a limited release in four cities, "All Saints Day" has been given the green light for wide release. This longshot of a sequel is a fanboy's dream come true. Though the original is rife with outlandish circumstances and can only be classified as a violent guilty pleasure for those who find solace in edgy action flicks, "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" stands as a testament to the power of cult followings.

As ironic and clichéd as the "All Saints Day" moniker is, it accurately communicates the purpose of this film, to appease the gore hungry masses. Ample gunplay and plenty of dark humor lace a film that has been created exclusively for hardcore "Boondock Saints" fans.

A pop culture casserole of depravity and twisted comedy, "All Saints Day" is the quintessential continuation to an equally appalling original. Gratuitous is an adjective that accurately describes every ingredient in this film, from the superfluous overacting of newly appointed sidekick Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr.) to the outlandish Old Testament style hairdos of the MacManus' brothers in the film's opening minutes.

Coaxed out of hiding by a copycat killer, who murdered a priest in Boston and left the brothers' trademark coin in the eye calling card, the MacManus' venture out of hiding and back into the limelight.

One glaring weakness in this sequel is the absence of Willem Dafoe's eerily eccentric Detective Paul Smecker. Though the image of Dafoe as a cross-dressing crime fighter will be forever burned in the brains of Boondock fans, his timeless albeit creepy character has met an untimely demise.

His replacement, Special Agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz) is little more than a pretty face. Benz attempts at recapturing Dafoe's swagger are completely hindered by her status as resident objectified female in this film's testosterone fueled formula.

Beyond Benz unfortunate performance, Billy Connolly returns as Ill Duce. The estranged MacManus patriarch is the perfect complement to his blood hungry offspring providing an ever-present narrative to motivate minds beyond the face value of his sons' grisly campaign.

"All Saints Day" is a worthy follow-up its predecessor because it does not pretend to be anything more than it is, a guilty pleasure that is tailor made for cult action fanatics.

'The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day'

CAST: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Julie Benz

DIRECTOR: Troy Duffy

RATED: R for bloody violence, language and some nudity

3 stars out of 5