One of the most underrated action movies of 2008 was Punisher War Zone. This movie is a breath of fresh air for the action movie genre. This being the third Punisher movie it leaves the other two in the dust. The first Punisher movie being the 1989 adaptation starting Dolph Lundgrenand, the second the 2004 starting Thomas Jane both leaving me feeling incomplete. This was not the Punisher I knew, not the Punisher I read in the comics. I have been reading Punisher comics since I was a kid and ever since Marvel introduced the MAX comic series The Punisher has been stronger than ever. Unfortunately these adaptations were not translated well onto the big screen, until now.
Punisher War Zone brings back to the screen the awesome blood and guts, no holds bar action from the 80’s that is loved. The movie brought back memories of how awesome Robocop, Commando, Total Recall, Rambo and other movies in that genre. Some people might argue that this type of violence is unneeded in movies today. I would have to agree except, it’s a dam Punisher movie. This is the way he has been written in the comics since I remember and even more so now with the MAX series. He gives no quarter to his enemies, ever, and this movie portrayed that on the big screen perfectly.
Punisher War Zone does it perfectly by not going through an origin story in the beginning. It has a few flash backs when he explains why he does what he does. This keeps it so there is very little time in between action scenes and will keep the person engaged. Also Ray Stevenson (Rome) is the most convincing Punisher yet. He is tall, brutish and is exactly what you would expect Frank Castle to look like if he was a real person. The villain in the movie Jigsaw played by Dominic West also had a strong performance and was a great contrast to the Punisher. He was a perfect balance in a villain to contrast the punisher. Jigsaw is a villianish gangster who will stop at nothing for revenge on the Punisher, killing for the same reason, but with a different purpose. The only thing that dragged the movie down was the addition of Jigsaw’s brother, Loony Bin Jim played by Doug Hutchison. His character did not fit the movie, he was very chaotic and weird, that made you feel more uneasy then feeling he is a crazy psychopath. If his character was rewritten or taken out, I do not think the movie would have lost anything.
This movie is a must see for all fans of the Punisher or even all fans of great violent action movies. Sometimes people need a little senseless entertainment in the movies, hell isn’t that what going to the movies is all about. I know the movie did not make tons of money, but that doesn’t matter. The Punisher might not be a blockbuster movie but I think it will become a cult classic for. When I buy it on DvD I will be showing it to my friends and they will regret not seeing it in theatres.
Punisher War Zone brings back to the screen the awesome blood and guts, no holds bar action from the 80’s that is loved. The movie brought back memories of how awesome Robocop, Commando, Total Recall, Rambo and other movies in that genre. Some people might argue that this type of violence is unneeded in movies today. I would have to agree except, it’s a dam Punisher movie. This is the way he has been written in the comics since I remember and even more so now with the MAX series. He gives no quarter to his enemies, ever, and this movie portrayed that on the big screen perfectly.
Punisher War Zone does it perfectly by not going through an origin story in the beginning. It has a few flash backs when he explains why he does what he does. This keeps it so there is very little time in between action scenes and will keep the person engaged. Also Ray Stevenson (Rome) is the most convincing Punisher yet. He is tall, brutish and is exactly what you would expect Frank Castle to look like if he was a real person. The villain in the movie Jigsaw played by Dominic West also had a strong performance and was a great contrast to the Punisher. He was a perfect balance in a villain to contrast the punisher. Jigsaw is a villianish gangster who will stop at nothing for revenge on the Punisher, killing for the same reason, but with a different purpose. The only thing that dragged the movie down was the addition of Jigsaw’s brother, Loony Bin Jim played by Doug Hutchison. His character did not fit the movie, he was very chaotic and weird, that made you feel more uneasy then feeling he is a crazy psychopath. If his character was rewritten or taken out, I do not think the movie would have lost anything.
This movie is a must see for all fans of the Punisher or even all fans of great violent action movies. Sometimes people need a little senseless entertainment in the movies, hell isn’t that what going to the movies is all about. I know the movie did not make tons of money, but that doesn’t matter. The Punisher might not be a blockbuster movie but I think it will become a cult classic for. When I buy it on DvD I will be showing it to my friends and they will regret not seeing it in theatres.
MΩ
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