Punisher: War Zone (Marvel Comics Movie Review)

Plot
Frank Castle, a one-man force of vengeance known as "the Punisher," battles mob boss Billy Russoti. But when the encounter leaves Russoti disfigured, he reemerges as Jigsaw, a psychotic villain with a small army at his command. Too bad for the baddie that the Punisher is preparing to annihilate Jigsaw and his reign of terror, armed with a cache of high-tech weaponry forged by the handy Microchip.

Jason’s Thoughts
Another Punisher movie, another movie reboot. This is technically the third movie based on the Punisher character and none of them are connected. Is the third time the proverbial charm? Well, that’s debatable, however, if you like tons of bloody violence and gore back with a heavy metal soundtrack, Punisher: War Zone is probably up your alley.

Punisher: War Zone was probably the most enjoyable of the three movies, and I feel that it captured what the character is really all about - vengeance with a huge arsenal of weapons and is a master of combat. All it really needed was an inner monologue and a Punisher van to bring it all together. And maybe Thomas Jane - I thought he played the role of Frank Castle/The Punisher much better than Ray Stevenson.

Much like the Incredible Hulk, Punisher: War Zone skipped the origins route - because we got to see that all take place in the last movie the was released four years earlier - and worked in the origins through flashbacks. Since the Punisher doesn’t have any superpowers, an origin story is fairly light anyway - family is killed, man vows revenge and takes out criminal families. Done. With the backstory all but removed, Punisher: War Zone kicks right off with a bang and carries the momentum throughout the film.

There is a few spots where it does slow down - it’s not all killing and violence - and tries to show a softer side to the vigilante, however, this is where the film lags, in my mind. Stevenson doesn’t seem to play these parts very well, which is where I was wishing Thomas Jane was back in the role of the title character, as I feel he would have played these parts much better. Aside from Stevenson, I feel the rest of the movie was well casted with the character doing a good job bringing the characters to life.

In the end, Punisher: War Zone was exactly what I expected it to be. It wasn’t a blockbuster by any means, nor should have it been, but it was filled with bloody and cringe inducing violent action and with bits of dark humor thrown in. Not all heroes live with a code of honor, and the Punisher is one of those guys. This film shows us that.

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