The Punisher (Marvel Comics Movie Review)

Plot
Undercover FBI agent Frank Castle is devastated when his wife and children are murdered after witnessing a Mafia hit. So with nothing left to lose or to live for, Castle becomes "the Punisher" -- a one-man judge, jury and executioner.

Jason's Thoughts
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with The Punisher.  I had my doubts prior to watching the film, mostly because I am probably one of the handful of people that actually sat through the first attempt at putting The Punisher on the big screen.  Yes, the one made back in 1989 starring Dolph Lundgren, better known as the Russian from Rocky IV.  

This time around the role of the Punisher is played by Thomas Jane, the same actor who portrayed Mickey Mantle in 61*.  I liked him in the role of Mantle, but I wasn't sure how he would come across in the darker role of the Punisher.  I have to say that he grew on me as the movie went along and he played the role almost to perfection.  This isn't an easy feat either due to the antihero vigilante style of the comic book.  

The story sticks fairly close to the source material from what I can tell, and at the core is a revenge movie with tons of blood and violence.  I couldn't even tell you how many people are killed in this movie, but it seemed to be a lot, and it was expected.  And while it is a dark and grim story, it did take a break from being an all out action film by adding in bits of suspense and drama.  Surprisingly,  it also had bits of humor, albeit dark, and had a few comic relief characters to help move it along.  All of these aspects worked well together.

I have to applaud Marvel and the producers for not pulling any punches and trying to make a few extra bucks by dropping it down to a PG-13 rating.  The Punisher is not a PG-13 comic book character to say the least.  This isn't about a man with superpowers, this is about a man with a fully stocked arsenal that wants to get revenge on those who killed his family.  Almost like Batman without the corny outfit.

Another plus for The Punisher is that it, like Spider-Man, featured a role for a wrestler.  Kevin Nash was cast for the role of the Russian, and while he didn't have any lines, he was involved in one of the best action sequences in the movie.  The fight between the Punisher and the Russian was fun to watch and scores extra points for the gruesome finale.

Overall, The Punisher surprised me is one of those good movies that you can just sit back and enjoy, unlike the 1989 version.  For those of you wondering why that movie wasn't a part of this marathon, it didn't make the list as it is (thankfully) very hard to find.  

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