The Punisher
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Movie Reviews of The Punisher
Movie Review: So much better than the 2004 version
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is so much better than the new 04 version. If Batman Begins
is the perfect adaptation from comic book character to big screen hero,
The Punisher (2004) is the perfect example of how to destroy a great
comic book character. The first thirty minutes are boring and
unoriginal. Whereas Christopher Nolan made good use of the first half
of Batman Begins to present a credible transition from rich man's son
to Dark Knight, Jonathan Hensleigh bores viewers to death by picturing
Frank Castle as the perfect American family man who then loses his
beautiful wife and perfect son in a cheap Mad Max rip off. In contrast,
the 1989 low budget but far superior version started off smack in the
middle of the action with a seriously disturbed ex cop already on the
rampage and the reason for his decline into madness was gradually
explained by means of flashbacks and memories form Louis Gousset Jr
trying to bring his old friend back into a sane life. But whereas the
comic book Punisher, brought to life by similarly huge 6' 6" Dolph
Lundgren in the first movie, becomes a bitter, meaner than hell, cold
blooded killer with no compassion whatsoever, the 04 Frank Castle turns
into your friendly neighborhood watchman who uses an ice cream cone to
"torture" his first victim. Batman Begins also has its share of humor,
but it is subtle and not out of place. The bad guys don't fare much
better. Whereas Jeroen Krabbe also had his share of trouble with the
Yakuza in the 80s version, at least he was a serious gangster not to be
taken lightly. John Travolta is a looser who can't stand his own
against other mobsters and is being pushed around by his wife. Message
to all Punisher fans: go rent the 1989 version or just stick to the
written word, but don't spent any money on this monstrosity which shows
no respect whatsoever to a great comic book series.
Movie Review: "I punish the guilty."
Summary: 4 Stars
Do you love 80s action movies? Have you been an Arnie, Sly, Bronson, Norris, Seagal, Van Damme addict for years? Do you like nothing better than sitting down with a beer and popping in Raw Deal, featuring Robert Davi?This film was made with you in mind. Do you like cheap, violent flicks? Lots of gunfire and bad guys getting riddled? That's what The Punisher is, and then some. It's pure comic book in every department. The acting, the script, the plot, the violence. Did I say violence? There are spiked balls to the head, throwing knives, arrows, bullets, grenades, bullets, cars, handguns, blood. The action is actually pretty damn good. Look here--it seems to be one of the few significant production values on site here. And director Mark Goldblatt has been an action film editor for years.
Dolph Lungren keeps it simple here. He scowls and broods. His accent is croaky. He's perfect as Frank Castle. Just a guy with a mission.
None other than Oscar winner Lou Gossett, Jr. has a major role here. I don't know if Lou has serious alimony to pay or what, but at least his professionalism amidst the mayhem was comforting. Also appearing is respected Dutch actor Jeroen Krabbe as a Mafia don. Which reminds me, not one member of the so-called "Italian Mafia" here looks even remotely Italian. Which is because the film was made in Australia (the comic book took place in New York) which explains just look a bit...foreign.
So, to recap. The story is ludicrous, the plot as riddled as Castle's victims, the acting at times laughable, etc. But an absolute must for 80s action cinema.
Complaints: I want more extras! I heard they had to cut this film for violence. And the biggest complaint: why has there NEVER BEEN A SEQUEL? This series could be huge on the direct-to-video market. Oh well.
Highly recommended for guys who loved Invasion USA.
Movie Review: Good but should have spent more time with Dolph
Summary: 4 Stars
They should have spent more time with the Punisher, but instead they focus too much on the two groups of bad guys in the movie, the Yakuza and the other mafia type gang. Dolph looks great in this movie, and a good feel starts to develop in the movie with him brooding, riding around stoically on his motorcycle clad in black leather and delivering some very unique to the Punisher, and also the best action movie quotes ever! 'Why are the innocent dead and the guilty alive','I punish the guilty' outstanding stuff! It would have been great to have more of that. The Punisher is way too cool and idea for them to just cut to the other, by comparison uninteresting characters. Exactly who decided to put those scenes with Dolph praying nude in the sewer? It would have been better with him in his cool black leather outfit like he wears in the rest of the movie. It would have been better with him clothed.The main characters of the Japanese gang are two women. They have too many women in this movie; the Punisher is more of a guy oriented comic book character. We even have to watch a scene where the blond woman walks around in some ridiculous thong outfit while the other Japanese lady plays the piano.
They also spend too much time developing the tough image of both gangs, when they could have been focusing on Dolph's character and shown more of the all out gun/explosive battles-that's more what the Punisher is all about. We don't want to watch endless scenes with gang members swearing at each other.
The also spend too much time with the two reporters. The action in the movie is extreme and the gun battles good, which makes you wish that would have been more the focus of the movie. Some of the violence is not for the squeamish, which could have been toned down in one of two spots, (the crossbow scene) but still good.
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
Movie Review: Frank Castle the way he should be
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie deserves a lot more recognition than it gets. When the subject comes up, I tell people how much I liked the first Punisher movie. This was before Punisher: Warzone came out (which I loved by the way) so I used to get that "what do you mean" look all the time because most people don't even know this movie exists.
From what I know about it, it only got theatrical release in Europe and went straight to video in the U.S. I first saw it on cable in the early 90's and thought it was awesome, Lundgren isn't the greatest actor in the world but the typical lack of any feeling that he tends to show in his movies is perfect for what the Punisher is, a killer. Lundgren blows Thomas Jane right out of the water with his portrayal of the Punisher. Jane is way too much of a light weight to handle such a dark character, he should have stuck with movies like the Sweetest Thing.
In my eyes, the 2004 version was cranked out just to jump on the bandwagon of comic book adaptations that have been coming out the last few years, so it naturally suffered because it was just another crap movie to be consumed by the masses. Hollywood figures if it comes out then we'll go see it, good or not. The original Punisher movie seems to have been made by people who actually wanted to make a good movie and did their best to make that a reality. It isn't perfect, but is certainly worth being remembered over that toilet raft that came out 2004.