lmayer2

I've always preferred the DC comic movie adaptions to the Marvel ones. There's just so much more to them. But one movie that proves me wrong is The Punisher. It has been one of my top contending comic book-to-movie films. The best thing about this movie is its deep, intriguing plot, garnering an R-rating, besides the regular PG-13 sticker Marvel movies usually receive. It's a break from the ordinary, taking a leap of faith. From the debut directing of Jonathan Hensleigh, Punisher is a thrill ride, as Thomas Jane gives a one hell of a performance. Jane makes very clean transitions onto new acting levels and his role in the Punisher is one of those transitions. Other superb aspects included the performance by John Travolta (in a similar zone as Pulp Fiction) and the editing. It's bearable but maybe the violence is a surprise from most Marvel movies. Nevertheless, Punisher is two thumbs up.

Many aspects of Midnight Cowboy made it a timeless classic, among critics of 1969 and present day. To name some aspects, the cast was done perfectly. Jon Voight owned the role as hustler Joe Buck and there was no one more scuzzier for the role of Enrico "Ratzo" Rizzo than Dustin Hoffman. Another superb aspect was the sound mixing, with Harry Nilsson's rendition of "Everybody's Talking'" dispersed evenly throughout the opening sequences of the film. The transitions in the film were inventive and clever, directed by John Schlesinger. Midnight Cowboy is an emotional pitfall, leaving the viewer with few, if any, missed points. The missed happiness of the film was drown out by the moral and heartbreaking touch Midnight Cowboy depicts on screen. This film includes a deep complexity, which is unfortunately surpassed by other thoughts about the film (such as its pornographic nature, just as American Psycho, that dampens the genius of the film). Cowboy needs no introduction, nor does it need explanation- it's 1969's "Cream of the Crop" and clearly aspires not to be western-based material (1969 already had way too much of that from such releases as True Grit, The Wild Bunch and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Its media continues to captivate and elude audiences and when viewed correctly, it has powerful, moral standards appropriate for its time, appropriate for any time.