The Punisher

The Punisher put my faith back into revenge movies. The action in this film is unbelievable and grim. I found myself not wanting the story to end. Many of the movies based on superheroes in a comic book tend not to sticks gritty and real. This one was and then some. The movie has surpassed my expectation and I certainly look forward Punisher 2.

The next film sets itself up for a kick butt start. They should take a page from X2 or the Lethal Weapon series and just open the next film with a wild battle. You can grab the viewer right away and still tell your full story right after. I hope the entire cast as well as the director returns because they crafted one quality origin story here. In summary, I enjoyed everything about this dark tale.

If you like the old Clint Eastwood & Charles Bronson revenge movies then you'll like this film. Great pace and action that's gritty but extremely enjoyable. I can't say I knew anything about this Punisher character before seeing this film but I thoroughly enjoyed it none-the-less.

The Punisher is a shining example of revenge and vigilante-style justice done right. It's also yet another comic book adaptation done properly. In fact, this may be the first time I wished we could give half-vaults, because it was just that good. In the compendium of comic movies, this falls just shy of the two X-Men movies, but it is right there with Spider-Man and easily surpasses Batman, Superman and The Hulk. The fact that it is an R-rated movie killed any possible chance of decent box-office numbers, but it was a necessary step to take, and the quality of the movie just makes up for it. Hopefully this was Thomas Jane's breakout role.

I can't call this a bad movie but its also hard to consider it good. Thomas Jane was a great choice for Frank Castle but he isn't given a chance to show his Punisher off. The story is slow and tries to be a Character study but misses the mark even on that. A little more action and a higher body count would really have helped this film. Travolta gets to ham it up and does a good job as the main Villian but even he wasn't given enough time to really develop the Character. I dont hate the movie.

I went to see this movie solely because Thomas Jane is in it, who is my latest celeb crush after seeing Stander. I don't read comics, and therefore knows nothing of the comicbook hero, The Punisher/Frank Castle. I didn't expect much, same as I wouldn't (and didn't) of movies like Batman, Catwoman, or The Hulk.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I was actually impressed! (Not easy to do) The dramatic and violent story was amazingly well balanced with the comedy and one-liners. The violence was not half as bad as I expected (although the one with the guillotine and the one with the knife through the chin at the end a bit unsettling...) And I appreciated being spared explicit lovescenes or a corny romance between Frank and Joan. Even the swearing was piped down considerably.

Of course, this is not Oscar material, but the acting was satisfying, and the story not bad at all. One to enjoy...

This movie came onto the scene with very little fanfare. It isn't a CGI powerhouse. There's no Matrix/Kill Bill style fight scenes. But what it lacks in modern trends it more than makes up for in a good old fashioned revenge plot. Touting a story that would have been fit for a Clint Eastwood flick like Outlaw Josey Wales or Hang 'em High, the Punisher takes the viewer on journey into the soul of a gritty vigilante. Thomas Jane plays the lead role to perfection, his voice acting is incredible. Although this isn't your daddy's (or Dolph's) emotionless Punisher. He is much more cerebral here than in most of the other media he has popped up in, and more human, but not any more humane. Using the tried and true style of fist fights and pyrotechnics this movie keeps the character rooted in his all too mortal persona. The supporting characters turn in equally descent roles, the likes of John Travolta worked well, although nothing outstanding. No doubt about it, Thomas Jane ran away with this one. He's just a normal guy doing super-normal things, with a lot of gunfire and explosions to boot. If you are in the target demographic (Male aged 17-30) you will definitely enjoy this film. If not, proceed at your own risk.