The comic book superhero, The Punisher, has been portrayed twice in films. The first was the 80's film starring Dolph Lundgren and the second was the recent 2004 film starring Thomas Jane. In both movies, fans of Frank Castle (a.k.a. The Punisher) felt short-changed because the movies were not what the Punisher was about. They were restraining the deeply troubled vigilante too much and not giving the fans what they want.
When Punisher: War Zone was first announced, fans were mixed with the news granted that the first two movies were disappointing. With a low expectation, this movie turned out surprisingly well, despite how the critics bashed it.
Punisher: War Zone was a movie for fans. Finally, Frank Castle was let loose to inflict vengeance driven pain and punishment to villains all over his town.
The movie began when a big time mobster being set free after the death of the main witness for his trial. Monitoring the event, Frank Castle was furious of the unfair outcome. He then pursued his own brand of justice by infiltrating the compound where the mobster and his associates were celebrating his newly granted freedom. With the element of surprise, the Punisher killed off many of the villains. However, he unknowingly killed an FBI agent posing undercover. The agent had a wife and a little girl.
Also, one of the mobsters survived despite being cut up by jagged shards of glass. This guy was able to recover, but with serious scar problem. Reborn as Jigsaw, he had his own enmity towards the Punisher, but also to the agent's surviving wife and daughter. Jigsaw was determined to inflict his own pain and punishment to those he hated.
Gotta admit that the plot for Punisher: War Zone was flimsy. But it's a comic book movie that's actually like a comic book! The over-the-top violence and perfect portrayal of comic book characters drove the movie.
Punisher: War Zone was a non stop kill fest. No different from the comic books. It showed everything from heads exploding to getting decapitated. True to the comic books portrayal of a semi-deranged combat veteran trained in military arms, there were plenty of gun fights. It's a feast for gun freaks. Punisher: War Zone did not apologize for being too violent, because in the world of Frank Castle, there was only violence. That's how he dealt with the guilty.
Ray Stevenson in the title role was an excellent Punisher. He balanced Frank Castle the way comic book fans would see Frank Castle in real life. Not too much scowling, not too much cold expression. Fans of the comic books, at least those who can express their feelings online, agreed that Ray Stevenson was the best Punisher of the bunch.
Also deserving praises was Dominic West as Jigsaw. His portrayal of the insane character was easily overlooked. His Jigsaw was easily comparable to Jack Nicholson's Joker from the 1989 Batman.
Another character worth recognizing was Jigsaw's brother, Looney Bin Jim, played by Doug Hutchinson. The psychotic villain complemented Jigsaw in their quest to extract revenge on the Punisher and everything law and order in general.
Now that Punisher: War Zone is available on DVD and Blu-Ray, it's a recommended buy for your comic book movie collection. It's worthy of sitting alongside your Spider-man, Batman, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Superman dvds.
The author is a web producer and writes freelance on various topics, including "geeky" subjects such as DC Direct toys. He also writes on topics on education such as finding the best massage therapy college in your area.
