The Punisher

The Punisher
by Mark Goldblatt

The Punisher
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Bryan Marshall, Dolph Lundgren, Jeroen Krabb?, Kim Miyori, Louis Gossett Jr.
Director: Mark Goldblatt
Cinematographer: Ian Baker
Producer: Mace Neufeld
Producer: Robert Guralnick
Producer: Robert Mark Kamen
Producer: Simon Heath
Producer: Su Armstrong
Writer: Boaz Yakin
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 89 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-04-20
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Live / Artisan

Movie Reviews of The Punisher

Movie Review: "The Guilty Will Be Punished"
Summary: 4 Stars

This first adaptation of the Marvel Character is not exactly a masterpiece...but it's not a wreck either. Dolph Lungdren was not a bad choice at all to play this part, just the direction they creators took wasn't the best to take. Let me start by mentioning that The Punisher here does not wear the famous skull on his shirt; it is the most important piece on a character like this. It would be like having superman without the "S" or batman with out the bat on his chest. Also, The Punisher here does not care about wearing armor...I mean come'on, what's the harm in wearing it? Anyways there are countless mistakes here. Like the number of kids Frank Castle has is wrong, how they were murdered is also incorrect.


The plot for those unfamiliar is quite simple and straight forward. Frank Castle (Dolph Lungdren) is an ex cop turned vigilante, who will stop at nothing to kill the corrupt. It a simple story that has been seen countless times. But the adaptation here is...not the worst, but not exactly the best either. The action is neat, the story is ok, but there's just so many inconsistencies and cheesy dialogue that bring the film low.

If you are a fan of the comic, buy it, if not than just skip it. Keep also in mind that this movie was made in the late 80's, meaning that it's one of the earlier adaptations of Marvel. The best adaptation to date is the 2004 movie with Thomas Jane. The new one with Ray Stevenson is garbage, ignore it.



MY PERSONAL RATING: 3 ? OUT OF 5

Summary of The Punisher

First, a few facts. Dolph Lundgren expresses emotions ranging from stoic to, well, really stoic. There are holes in the story large enough to pilot the Exxon Valdez through without spilling a drop. And the film is littered with action movie clich?s. But none of this matters. The Punisher succeeds because it stays true to its origins, the Marvel comic of the same name. Studio-engineered films such as Batman never quite capture the mixture of loyalty and betrayal, justice and revenge, moral ambiguity and emotional truth that are the hallmarks of the graphic novel. Films such as Darkman do. So does The Punisher. Lundgren plays Frank Castle, a dedicated policeman whose family was wiped out in a mob hit. He went underground (literally) and, as the Punisher, has been exacting his revenge, killing 125 mobsters in the past five years. But when the yakuza (Japanese Mafia) moves in on the mob's territory and kidnaps their children, it's up to the Punisher to rescue the kids. The action blazes, Lundgren (a former full-contact karate champ) moves with feral grace, the production design is a pleasure to watch, and director Mark Goldblatt (whose credits as editor include such big films as Starship Troopers and True Lies) has a clean, efficient style. --Geof Miller

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