Punisher

I really liked this film, it´s true to the comic, and in some parts is better. For example in the comic Frank Castel has a truck full of weapons (most of them hi tech weapons) but were he gets the cash to pays for them. It´s a better adaptation than most flicks from those years (captain America for example) and it´s full with a lot of action and blood, its like a predecesor for Kill Bill. I give the movie a 7 out of 10.

Grosly undervalued, the Punisher is 15 years later still one of the better Marvel Movies. Of course the movie has a weak plot, and sure it never really surprises it's audience, but it captures the spirit of the comic far better than many other Marvel-movies.

After the murder of his family, Frank Castle goes on a rampage against organized crime. He starts a war against criminals everywhere. The movie shows the Punisher for what he is, once a broken man, now a killer with a shade of humanity far hidden inside.

As a movie, the Punisher is average, there are far better movies in the action-genre. But as a comic-adaptation it is at the very least true to the comic.

The Punisher was made in 1990 but it remains my best comic-book adaption on screen ever. The film has captured the dark atmosphere of the comic-book like no other movie I've ever seen. Dolph plays Frank Castle, an ex-cop who retired after his wife was murdered (by the Mafia) to become a heavily-armed vigilante who lives in the sewers, called The Punisher. The story is about the Japanese Yakuza trying to take over the Mafia's business in America, causing a gang war on the streets. When the Mafia refuse to make an agreement, the Yakuza kidnap all the children of of the mob bosses to hold them for ransom. This is where Dolph has to save the day, rescue the children and put an end to the war. Louis Gosset Jr. is excellent as Dolph's ex-partner, Jake, who is now determined to find him. As The Punisher, I couldn't have thought of a better choice than Dolph. He fits the role perfecttly, and is unrelentingly cold throughout the movie. The plot is pure hokum, no doubt, but the movie looks and feels just like the Marvel comic. But this is no children's comic book movie, as the movie is packed with graphic violence that gave it a lot of negative publicity. It's a shame this movie bombed at the US box office, because it really is a great movie. If you haven't seen this gem, go rent it or buy it now!

This movie was one of the first Warner Bros films made in Australia and edited and partly shot at Warner Bros Movie World on the Gold Coast. Dolph Lundgren was perfectly cast in the role although the pencilled 5 O'clock shadow took a little getting used to!

It was true to the character in most respects but for the sake of budget they changed his origins from ex-military (which would have involved more expensive flashback scenes) to ex-cop thereby making Louis Gossett Jr's role more of a kindred spirit to the man he is pursuing.

Punisher is a loner and he has a sour taste in his mouth about the way the world is .....the criminals are more viscious than ever and the law seems weaker than ever! Frank Castle is different, he lives by his own code and others die by it!

It had an R rating here in Australia and deserved it very muvch so!! The bloodletting element was extreme but then Punisher is not the sort to sprout speeches to bad guys and hand them over to Commissioner Gordon is he?

The movie deserved to do better at the box office than it did but I won't be pining. I've bought the video and Frank and I go to work together in the comfort of my living room often.

Punisher rules, because there is no justice from fools!

I watched this movie when I was a young kid and I remember thinking "...Eh..." However, while browsing Borders, I saw the DVD for $6.99 and decided to give it another shot. I expected a fun action flick with lots of explosions, death-defying stunts, cool death shots, and a badass lead character. I was not disappointed. After reading so many bad reviews here on imdb I decided I need to write a review defending this movie. I don't know what other people expected when they saw this movie, but I certainly didn't expect much more than a cool action flick, and that is exactly what "The Punisher" gave me plus maybe a little more.

First off, Dolph Lundgren's stiff acting and menacing demeanor make him perfect for the part of the hell-bent, socially backwards loner determined to punish the scum of the Earth (His significant acting shortcomings are his assets here). The writer and director did a good job of showing many different facets of his personality and actually created a deeper characterization of the Punisher than I would have expected. Louis Gossett Jr. plays his his part competently enough. In fact, the acting was not all that bad all around (suitable enough for an action flick).

The action here is also pretty solid. Some examples: The opening sequence where Dolph punishes the trash-talking mob boss and his henchmen with style. In one scene, Dolph is driving a bus with children in tow while a hundred Japanese are firing machine guns and crashing their cars into the side of the bus...way cool.

The plot is pretty standard revenge bit with some minor twists and turns, but the ending is pretty cool and less predictable than most action thrillers, but then again thats not saying much :-)

FINAL RATING: 6/10 I doubt it will make anyone's top ten list, but this low budget action genre flick delivers the goods with solid action and semi-interesting characters, which is more than I can say for many big budget Hollywood action flicks (e.g. Cobra, Mercury Rising, The Watcher, the Art of War). Its not a movie to be analyzed, its a movie to enjoy. Action junkies should dig it, others should probably stay away.