The Punisher
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Movie Reviews of The Punisher
Movie Review: Good for what it is, not for what fans might try to make it...
Summary: 4 Stars
In regards to the accuracy of the first Punisher movie's storyline compared to the comic, the die-hard comic fans who complain are right. It fails miserably--no skull-adorned outfits to be seen, a changed backstory, no Microchip, none of the villains, etc. But the 2004 film fails on many levels too. We've had two misses so far, so if you want to see a faithful comic-book adaptation of The Punisher, please stop whining and get to work on doing it properly yourself; I'd personally like to see an accurate translation of the comic too!
But the Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane movies are all we have, and the '89 version is in my mind the better one. The 2004 film feels likes a bastardized cash-grab made to get in on the profit generated by recent superhero movies. Travolta's star power is plastic, prettyboy Thomas Jane is plastic, and imbuing The Punisher with sensitive humanitarian qualities is plastic. As with the 1989 film, the backstory and origin are changed from the comic, but the 1989 one is much more plausible, even if an unnecessary modification. And while the 2004 does include the all-important skull symbol, it's just that--symbolism. People may gravitate towards it as an icon, but if you think for a second that a white skull is more integral to the Punisher than ideals of vigilantism and vengeance, you've either totally failed to grasp what the Punisher has been about since his first Spider-Man appearance, or you've been quite profitable for Marvel's merchandising department.
The movie is actually quite similar to another critically-panned Dolph Lundgren adaptation, Masters of the Universe. Both fail at being faithful translations of their respective original storylines, but both end up being fun movies on their own merits, partly because they're so exaggerated.
I've seen a lot of complaints about some parts of this movie, but within the context of the film, they work well. Dolph does give an almost robotic, deadpan performance, but adds to the stoic and brooding nature of the character. Did you expect the Punisher to be pro-social? Having him live in the sewer is an odd choice, but Dolph is portraying a filthy, lo-tech Punisher, and it's kind of a humorous touch to his reclusive character. Lundgren looks the role, and in the movie's context, he fits the role, too. Would an ex-cop hiding out in the sewers have money for the same kind of arsenal as in the comics, or for a custom skull outfit? Lundgren's Punisher is anti-social and merciless, and feels right, moreso than Having Frank Castle partner up with a drunk ex-thespian was never in the comic, but it's no less plausible than any typical Marvel villain (and much more plausible than Jane's Punisher helping out neighboring tenants in an apartment, as if he would really care after his whole life was taken away by criminals).
Generally the best performances of the movie are those who most exaggerated (and probably had the most fun with) their roles. Kim Miyori is wonderfully sadistic in her role as the head of the Yakuza, and Barry Otto provides some surprisingly non-annoying comic relief in his inebriated role. As the cops, Louis Gossett Jr. and Nancy Everhard got the worst roles; although the acting is no real problem, their characters (especially Gossett's) fall too much into the stereotypical buddy-buddy cops with overdeveloped morals. That just made the end of the movie that much more satisfying, though.
I originally watched this on Showtime as a kid in the '80s, and while I think the '80s B-movie era which produced this film was the time that best served it, I think it can still be enjoyed today. Just remember that this should be taken as a low-budget action/vigilante flick it was meant to be--too many people try to make this into a superhero flick which it was never trying to be. It's more similar to Death Wish II, and Lundgren's deadpanning almost matches Charles Bronson's. There's also sort of a perverse sense of humor about the movie as with the Death Wish films. Quite honestly, sometimes it's just fun to see people get mercilessly blown away, stabbed, or strangled, especially if they've deserved it. Some of the dialogue is also so bad it's good. Check out the panda bear scene, or some of Dolph's classic one liners when being interrogated by the Yakuza or by Louis Gossett Jr.
Again, this isn't a great adaptation of the comic, and it may not be what Marvel intended the Punisher to be (in some ways the Punisher here is more similar to Marvel's old Nomad character). There's no doubt a better film could have been made under different circumstances. But given the resources, context, and environment of the movie, this is The Punisher that should have been made.
Movie Review: UNDERRATED SHOOT 'EM UP
Summary: 4 Stars
Marvel's Punisher has long been one of my favorite comic book characters. Not really a superhero, the Punisher is a flesh & blood mortal possessed by an insatiable hunger for vengeance on the underworld which murdered his wife and children. Very much an anti-hero, the Punisher is the ultimate vigilante who brings retribution to those whom the law either will not or cannot, neither asking nor giving any quarter in his unending one-man war on criminals everywhere.New World International's 1989 adaptation of the benighted comic book crusader is better than its usually given credit for. Starring the oft-maligned Dolph Lundgren, "The Punisher" largely succeeds in bringing the comic to life. Lundgren's raw, atheletic presence dominates the picture, and if Lundgren doesn't bring home any Oscars he proves once again to be a highly capable action hero, which is more than most people can lay claim to. While the script isn't exactly philosophical, Lundgren infuses his character with menace, nobility, and a certain tragic weariness that comes off just right, while the two brief opening and closing inner dialogues between the Punisher and God add great emotional depth to the story.
Lou Gossett Jr. is his usual excellent self as the cop out to crack the Punisher's case and also the vigilante's best friend, and Nancy Everhard is pleasant (if unnecessary) as Gossett's partner while Jerden Krabbe is tough and believable as a mobster that the Punisher must form an uneasy alliance with. A down-on-his-luck actor who becomes the Punisher's street informant, a ruthless female Yakuza and her high-kicking mute daughter round out the impressive cast of characters.
The sets are mean and dark, the action hard-hitting and well-staged, and the overall atmosphere gritty and exciting. Unlike some action flix, this one doesn't waste any time getting revved up, either. The body count starts almost as soon as the opening credits are over. Director Mark Goldblatt sets up one unflinching action shot after the other like ducks in a shooting gallery. The score is excellent, and fits both character and story perfectly.
Having said all that, there are some significant flaws. The plot itself is quite good (the Punisher's war on crime is interrupted by an invasion of the local mob by they Yakuza, who kidnap all the mobsters' children forcing the Punisher to become a rescuer of the innocent instead of an avenger of the guilty). However, the script has a lot of holes and the dialogue is sometimes silly. Moreover, like most modern comic book adaptations, the dialogue is often vulgar--ironic considering most of the Punisher's fans were and are probably quite young. But that says more about our culture and where it's at than it does this partular movie, and in any event it's a lot less raunchy or bloody than the likes of "Blade" (another comic book movie). I doubt that many modern teenagers would be even remotely offended. Further, one frequently gets the feeling more than one important scene ended up on the cutting room floor. I bet there is some potentially restored footage that might flesh things out a bit. Ultimately this is a low-budget movie with all the inevitable weaknesses--more money would have created more spectacular action and bigger thrills.
But if this is a B-movie it's still a good one. Now of course a big-budget Punisher is on the way and I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be even bigger and better than this version, but right now that still remains to be seen. Regardless, if you were ever a fan of the Punisher comic book or just like a solid action flick, you could do a whole lot worse than this one.
Movie Review: The Best Punisher Film
Summary: 4 Stars
The past decade was a very kind one for Marvel. Despite the obvious decline in popularity of comic books themselves, the company has managed to survive and remain very strong off milking out film adaptations of its heroes, the likes of which include the now highly successful franchises for Spider Man, Iron Man, and X-Men. Despite its successes, the company has also had its share of failures, including two entirely different reboots of the 1989 film for the anti-hero "The Punisher". Yet another one is now in the works. Perhaps the reason why recent Punisher films have failed is because of the moral ambiguity and general dark atmosphere of the character not being well represented in the modern "comic movie" style. The 1989 original Punisher film, which was despised by critics and unfortunately released during an inopportune time, preventing an American theatrical release, provides a different perspective - done in the late 80s/early 90s action film style. While not the premier film of this genre by any means, it does provide for some good old fashion fun action, an intriguing atmosphere and just the right level of moral ambiguity in the storyline that keeps the viewer engaged.
Set in what appears to be 1960s/70s era Mob controlled New York City, the Punisher, played by the B-action film icon Dolph Lundgren, is an ex-cop named Frank Castle who takes revenge out on the Mob for killing his wife and children 5 years prior. The film opens with him taking out the man who is responsible for their murders. The Mob has been crippled by Castles work, but while attempting to foil a mob drug deal, another crime group takes down the mob themselves, who are later revealed to be the Japanese Yakuza. When the Yakuza takes children of the mob bosses hostage, Castle chooses to aid the innocent children, at the expense of complicating his own moral dilemma. Are there plot holes? Yes. Is the storyline original or innovative? Not really. But film keeps up the pace well, doesn't get boring, and offers explosive action throughout. At the time of the films release, cinema was saturated by action films in this vein, hence why it was received poorly at the time, but now, in retrospect, it really is better than the corny nature of the more recent installments. As for the detraction from hardcore fans of the comic books, the Christopher Nolan Batman films deviate from the comic books quite a bit themselves, but would you say for that reason "Batman & Robin" is a better movie than "The Dark Knight"? Thats all I have to say to that faction.
"The Punisher" may not be Die Hard or Terminator 2, but it does succeed as a dark, kick ass action film no less. Who knows, with old school style action movies having seemed to have started to come back into the public eye in recent years, maybe it'll get a revival of its own.
Movie Review: If society won't punish the guilty, he will.
Summary: 4 Stars
While rooting around in a bargain bin at a local store, I came across this, the supposedly bad 1989 adaptation of a great Marvel comic. Being at a cheap price, I thought "What have I got to lose?" Action fans, your ship has come. This film has it all: bullets, babes, bombs, spiked balls, shruikens, impalings, poison, a Harley, and the mob. Dolph Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, an ex-cop who went underground (literally) as a vigilante, known to the media as "The Punisher", after the deaths of his wife and kids thanks to a car bomb, and after being declared legally dead. His line of work includes killing mobsters because of a hatred against them (they planted the family-killing car bomb), and because of this, The Franco crime family has weakened, along with dozens of others, forcing Gianni Franco, the leader of one of the families, to come in and take control of them. Franco has a plan to bring the families together as one unit (for ordinary citizens, this is bad news). However, this has attracted the attention of the Yakuza, Asia's most powerful crime syndicate, and their boss, Lady Tanaka, who decide to take over the families and all their interests. In order to sway the mobsters to their cause, they kidnap their children. Now Castle must fight to save the lives of the children of the people he has fought against for five years, while at the same time fighting alongside the man who killed his family.The cast works well, with Lundgren having a good performance, and Lou Gossett Jr. as Castle's former partner, trying to prove that Castle is still alive and is The Punisher. The disc has a widescreen transfer, and grain show up sometimes, noticeably in the end credits. The extras are severly lacking, consisting of production notes that look like movie trivia strung together with no enhancement, a trailer for overseas distribution (the film went direct to video in the U.S.), and cast and crew bios. Not Artisan's best, but then again, some of their early releases have no features at all. Good popcorn fun.
THE PUNISHER
(1989, R)
Frank Castle/The Punisher: Dolph Lundgren
Jake Berkowitz: Louis Gossett Jr.
Gianni Franco: Jeroen Krabbé
Lady Tanaka: Kim Miyori
Dino Moretti: Bryan Marshall
Samantha "Sam" Leary: Nancy Everhard
Director: Mark Goldblatt
Writer: Boaz Yakin
MOVIE: 4.5
VIDEO: 4.5
AUDIO: 5
EXTRAS: 2.5
MENUS: 2.5
OVERALL: 4
Movie Review: Dolph Castle, meet Frank Lundgren.
Summary: 4 Stars
Due to the influx of comic book movie hysteria initiated after the release of the lackluster blockbuster SPIDER-MAN, the viewing public is getting bombarded with everything super-hero (mostly the MARVEL variety). This craze has seen it's ups (X-MEN 1&2, HULK, BLADE), and downs (DAREDEVIL counts as three bad movies). Now it seems THE PUNISHER is to hit theaters in 2004 starring the 'shark wrangler' from DEEP BLUE SEA as the executor of all things mob. Why? The DOLPH LUNDGREN powered Austrailian made version of the same Marvel comic is good enough. That's right, good enough. Sure, my man Dolph delivers lines like "The guilty must be punished" like he's chomping on his kickboxing mouthguard, but he still kicks ass. The body count in this flick is what you'd expect if you have read the ultra-violent comic, and the action is well staged and fast moving. Loses some polish for okay acting, some cheesy momments, and a cop out two guys hugging with the gun that goes off "who got shot?!?!" showdown, but the filler is plush. The badass mute karate chick is great and the way she's dispatched even better. LADY TANAKA is way over the top, but fun to watch and it's nice to see a couple of main villians that are ruthless women. Dolph is Dolph, but I can't help but not see him as THE PUNISHER in this film. He does a good job bringing the ex-cop turned tough vigilante to light. So, my point is; why remake it? I'm a firm believer in 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. Hollywood has apparently run the idea mill to the nub if there are intended remakes of films such as this as well as a remake of SUPERMAN (what's wrong with the 1979 CHRISTOPHER REEVE version? Fx? I find the non-CG fx endearing and the story was great and engaging). The same applies here; decent story, fun mayhem, and LOU GOSSETT JR. Remake CAPTAIN AMERICA instead, I'm sure it's unanymous that the 1989 version of that film was bad enough to warrant one, because THE PUNISHER is a decent DVD distraction and worth the ten bones.