A dark, violent and very well constructed short-film, "The Punisher: Dirty Laundry" is a nice follow-up for fans of 2004's "The Punisher."
I think what happened to the "Punisher" franchise over the past decade has been a shame. I personally thought that 2004's "The Punisher" (starring Thomas Jane) was a fantastic adaptation of the comic, boasting a great tone and a wonderful interpretation of the character. Evidently, the studios didn't like it so much. After teasing a sequel for some time, the series was rebooted with "Punisher: War Zone"- a weird, hyper-stylized, low-budget freak-show of a film that had a lot of nice moments, but was just too silly and weird and questionably constructed for its own good.
And it was a shame for fans like myself, who yearned to see a follow up to the 2004 film. The reboot came (and subsequently under-performed at the box office), and it seemed we'd never get to see more of Jane's take on the character.
Cut to 2012, with "The Punisher: Dirty Laundry." A fantastic short film from director Phil Joanou, in which Jane is finally able to reprise his role from his previous outing. (Although it's never specifically made clear that this is the same "Punisher", I believe the implication is that this is indeed set in the same "universe" as the 2004 film) We follow Frank Castle, aka "The Punisher" as he observes the dark events in the city around him, and contemplates whether or not to take action and punish the corruption and crime around him.
Everything in this short works quite well. Jane and the other performers present (including a small role from Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman) give awesome, evocative performances that hit the material home. Direction by Joanou is very strong and slick for such a small production. The script by Chad St. John hits just the right tone, and is suitably claustrophobic and oppressive. The setting and look is perfect for the script and character. Everything gels fairly well.
That being said, there are a few detractors here. The film's direction, while quite good, does fall into the annoying "shaky cam" style a few times too many. (I wish we could be rid of shaky-cam style camera-work for a few years, honestly) And the music... is very... distracting! It fits the mood perfectly, but the fact is the score for this short was taken from Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight", and it can't help but pull you out at times. I honestly thought Heath Ledger's Joker character was going to pop up at some point, because once you hear his iconic theme in the background, he's almost all you can think about. It's a shame, because the tone and style of the music is just perfect for this film, but because it's already well-known and notable music, it does more harm than good.
Those complaints being said (and that complaint about the music is actually a pretty big issue, even though it seems like it should be inconsequential), this is still a great short film. And a great follow- up for fans who wanted to see more of Jane in the role of The Punisher. It re-invigorated my hopes for future "Punisher" projects in a way that I hadn't experienced since I first saw the 2004 film. And I hope the strong fan reception of the short leads to more "Punisher" projects (whether they be shorts or perhaps another film) with Jane.
I give "The Punisher: Dirty Laundry" a very strong 8 out of 10. Fans of the character (and 2004 film) should definitely check it out. As should anyone looking for a fast, dark ride.
And it was a shame for fans like myself, who yearned to see a follow up to the 2004 film. The reboot came (and subsequently under-performed at the box office), and it seemed we'd never get to see more of Jane's take on the character.
Cut to 2012, with "The Punisher: Dirty Laundry." A fantastic short film from director Phil Joanou, in which Jane is finally able to reprise his role from his previous outing. (Although it's never specifically made clear that this is the same "Punisher", I believe the implication is that this is indeed set in the same "universe" as the 2004 film) We follow Frank Castle, aka "The Punisher" as he observes the dark events in the city around him, and contemplates whether or not to take action and punish the corruption and crime around him.
Everything in this short works quite well. Jane and the other performers present (including a small role from Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman) give awesome, evocative performances that hit the material home. Direction by Joanou is very strong and slick for such a small production. The script by Chad St. John hits just the right tone, and is suitably claustrophobic and oppressive. The setting and look is perfect for the script and character. Everything gels fairly well.
That being said, there are a few detractors here. The film's direction, while quite good, does fall into the annoying "shaky cam" style a few times too many. (I wish we could be rid of shaky-cam style camera-work for a few years, honestly) And the music... is very... distracting! It fits the mood perfectly, but the fact is the score for this short was taken from Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight", and it can't help but pull you out at times. I honestly thought Heath Ledger's Joker character was going to pop up at some point, because once you hear his iconic theme in the background, he's almost all you can think about. It's a shame, because the tone and style of the music is just perfect for this film, but because it's already well-known and notable music, it does more harm than good.
Those complaints being said (and that complaint about the music is actually a pretty big issue, even though it seems like it should be inconsequential), this is still a great short film. And a great follow- up for fans who wanted to see more of Jane in the role of The Punisher. It re-invigorated my hopes for future "Punisher" projects in a way that I hadn't experienced since I first saw the 2004 film. And I hope the strong fan reception of the short leads to more "Punisher" projects (whether they be shorts or perhaps another film) with Jane.
I give "The Punisher: Dirty Laundry" a very strong 8 out of 10. Fans of the character (and 2004 film) should definitely check it out. As should anyone looking for a fast, dark ride.
- TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness
- 4 may 2014