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MOVIES THE PUNISHER
The Punisher was one of my favorite comics when I was heavily into them, in the late 80s, early 90s. But, in retrospect, he was one of the least interesting characters. Very one-dimensional. His family was killed, and he was out for revenge, punishing all evil-doers. I think I enjoyed it because of the gruesomeness of his attacks. And his determination. Nothing stopped him. Even though he had no super-powers, like most everyone else printed on the comic page, Frank Castle kept fighting, letting nothing come in the way of his vengeance. I didn't see this movie in the theaters. I'm not sure why. Possibly because of John Travolta. There are few movies in which I can stand him. Or, maybe because of Thomas Jane. An unknown in my eyes before this film. And partially because of a teaser photo that hit the internet before the movie came out, with Jane in the skull T-shirt. It was a hokey picture, and it just gave me the feeling that they wouldn't treat this character and his story properly on film. So, now that it's on DVD, I was interested in watching. And I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it's not a work of art, but it is very enjoyable. And it's true to the character. Thomas Jane is great in this role. He was grisly and angry, but reserved and focused. Travolta was ok... one of his better jobs, but he didn't have a ton of screen time, and he was playing a bad-guy, which usually helps (not in Battlefield Earth, but that movie is on it's own level in so many categories). The action was good, the killings of Frank Castle's family were brutal, his retribution swift and deserving. Plus, he was one sick son of a bitch. There's some really gory kills, and I was happy to see it. I'm sure some "comic-book movie" fans were a little shocked walking out of this one. Quality: 6.0 Visuals:
5.0 Intensity: 7.0 reviewed
2004
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