The Punisher $9.98
The one-man execution squad based on the marvel comics creation wont rest until he avenges the murder of his wife. Studio: Ingram Entertainment Release Date: 07/22/2003 Starring: Dolph Lundgren Jereon Krabbe Run time: 92 minutes Rating: R Director: Mark Goldblatt
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Last updated: October 19, 2009, 4:55 pm
The Punisher Cusomter reviews:
Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 100
(M. Randolph, 2009-09-30) This product was excellent. I purchased it for my sons' birthday. He had all the Punisher movies except this one. He was very pleased. It arrived in just a few days and was in great condition. Thank you for your great service Amazon. I will return for more great products in the future.
(L. Cabos, 2009-09-03) Following in the footsteps of b-MOVIE Legned William Smith (I am not worthy, I am not worthy), in this film the torch was truly passed. THE PUNISHER is basically a Marvel rip-off the multi-million selling series of books, Mack Bolan the Executioner by the late Don Pendleton. Both men their families are murdered by the Mafia. Ok it is a film that was shot "down under" and every now and then an Aussie accent will creep in. Leave your brains at the door and this film can be enjoyed.
(DL, 2009-09-03) Just to clarify - I saw this for the first time only recently. The whole `Punisher' thing passed me by in the 80s, although as a Marvel fan I was acutely aware of the character. I wasn't really into `macho gun-wielding dude' movies either (with the exception of Stallone's awesome `First Blood!) so I assumed this flick just wasn't for me. Recently however I saw the Punisher War Zone DVD on the shelf and thought `oh, why not?' It was okay but somehow unsatisfying. Like a lot of the Marvel movies it seemed to have all the visuals and comic-book references in the world but still lacked that crucial element that makes such a movie stand on its own two feet. Ray Stevenson kind of looked like Frank Castle but he didn't `feel' like Frank Castle. If anything he seemed to spend most of the movie on the verge of tears. I cringed as the heavy metal guitars kicked in during the arrival of the rasta couriers (an obvious nod to Ennis that added nothing whatsoever to the story) and generally the movie just seemed to be trying too hard to please comic geeks without having a good solid core of its own. But I was on the Punisher path now, so I tried the '04 version. Oh God it was horrendous! It was soooo cheesy I almost didn't make it through the movie. Watching Tom Jane stagger around feeling sorry for himself and baring his abs at every opportunity (while the blonde bimbo neighbour looked on with pity / lust) made me want to laugh, cry, throw up, or all three! The `he was such a beloved good ol' American boy' origin was nauseating. By the time he was doing his `they will call me Punisher' routine at the end of the film I was more than ready to concede that perhaps the Punisher wasn't my bag after all. Not this Punisher anyway. I was aware of all the lousy press that Punisher '89 had received and as I sat down to watch it (purely out of morbid curiosity and to complete the cycle) I braced myself for the worst... It was awesome! I don't understand the negative reaction to this movie at all. It really is a great adaptation of the character, taking the essential elements of the concept and boiling them down to a good, solid movie storyline that holds its own. Fans of the comic character get pure undiluted Frank Castle on a rampage, while everyone else gets a great action flick. And maybe `action flick' is the wrong term because this movie reminds me more of great 80s cult films like the Terminator and Highlander than cheeseball films like `Lethal Weapon.' That said the only thing `80s' about this movie is that it was made in the 80s (with the exception of Nancy Everhard's outfit and a couple of permed hairdos in the nightclub scene). There's no `heart wrenching' overblown origin, there's no love interest (I was worried Nancy's character would be, but thankfully she was just a sounding board for Lou Gossett's character), there's no redemption (which again I thought would be brought about by Franco's son but thankfully wasn't), no cheesy guitar motifs during chase scenes or 80s saxophones during reflective moments. Even the nightclub scene, which in any other movie of the day would've been full of Duran Duran jackets and had Pointer Sisters `I'm So Excited' blaring in the background, was spared the usual 80s trappings. If anything this movie probably bombed (New World's financial issues aside) because it wasn't 80s enough! It's ironic that Punisher comic fans damn this film for not being `comic booky' enough and then praise Garth Ennis' take on the character in the same breath. If anything Kamen, Goldblatt and co. were ahead of their time. Of course Punisher fans can't seem to get past the damn skull-shirt, whereas I think it's great that he doesn't have it in the film. The Punisher was conceived in '74, an era in which some kind of `costume' was compulsory fare for Marvel characters. Even Conan the Barbarian, introduced to comics in 1970 as a way of expanding Marvel's scope, was given an indentifiable outfit in order to `suggest' a costume. Gerry Conway's original idea for Frank Castle was just a basic hit-man with a little skull on the breast pocket, but John Romita jazzed it up to give it that comic book wow factor. And like all superhero outfits it looks great in the comics but would be absurd on film. Tim Burton recognised this when he gave Batman the body armour look, and no comic heroes have worn spandex since (Watchmen being a parody exception). That's why Cyclops famously makes a mockery of yellow tights in the X-men movie. Boaz Yakin claims he had Castle don a skull t-shirt in the original script but again that would've been kind of dumb. Lundgren plays a man who has basically snapped, a cold-blooded single-minded avenger. To then slap on a big white skull ("yeah, this'll show `em!") would really kill the reality and up the cheese factor. So Kamen and co., recognising the importance of the motif, instead worked the skull element into Punisher's weaponry, which I think was a really classy move. Not classy enough for the die-hards unfortunately. In terms of the story it makes perfect sense that Castle was an ex-cop rather than a Marine. Castle's origin, as told over time in the comics at this point, would've been far too convoluted for a 90min movie. Gerry Conway's origin had the Punisher on a rather fixed timeline - that of a Vietnam veteran on a rampage after the slaying of his family around '74. So by the time of this film, which was at the height of Mr P's popularity in '89, the Punisher had been on his rampage for about 15 years - thus stretching believability somewhat in terms of a good movie story. Also the character had strayed from the basic `Death Wish' rip-off he'd been in the 70s to a more hi-tech Batman-type vigilante in the late 80s. Again, what works in the comics doesn't necessarily make for a good movie script! The cop element works perfectly, maintaining the central idea while solidifying the implied backstory shared with Gossett's character, and creating an empathic situation between the characters without unnecessary exposition. Incidentally the original script did have a big backstory and you can see the footage on Youtube. It really showcases the contrast between Castle as a family man and the broken shell Lundgren plays in the finished movie (giving lie to any criticism of Dolph's acting) but ultimately it makes the film seem too much like a `Lethal Weapon'-type 80s cop movie and takes away from the darkness and focus of the finished product. Jeroen Crabbe plays a great believable villain (as opposed to the awful Godfather clones in War Zone) and Kim Miyori's Lady Tanaka is delightfully wicked. Lundgren is absolutely Frank Castle personified and, unlike the Jane or Stevenson versions, really carries the finality and insanity of the character to the end. What I love most of all is the subtle touches, things that could've gone horribly wrong but are given just the right amount of weight - in particular the interplay between Berkowitz and Castle, Frank's flashbacks to the death of his family, the final scene with Franco's son, Frank and Shake's `nice knowing ya' handshake, and of course the complete lack of any cheesy redemption. It's full-blown Punisher from beginning to end, neither sappy nor mindless. There are great subtle homages to the comics too - Frank's internal monologue which replaces the `War Journal' commentary in the comics and touches on Mike Baron's depiction of Castle as a `guilt-ridden Catholic', the storyline with Franco's son which echoes elements of the famous Grant/Zeck `Circle Of Blood' miniseries from `86, and the general depiction of Castle as a psychotic and irredeemable vigilante. It's such a shame this movie didn't do better but I guess, unlike Burton's Batman in the same year, ol' Punny wasn't entrenched in the popular culture enough to survive any reinterpretation. A pity. Right now we could be watching a great sequel with Lundgren as a 40+ Punisher in the spirit of the latest Rambo movie! I almost wish they'd done the stupid shirt after all just so the thing had fared better. But unlike the 70s Hulk (who had his name, origin, and circumstances completely changed and still was a hit) you win some and lose some. Perhaps the timing was a factor given that this is a very down to earth gritty realistic film in a day when everything had to be `bigger' and `flashier' and certainly `cheesier.' If anything it's like a good 70s flick. And why does a guy who cared little for the character in '89 suddenly find himself waxing eloquent about the whole thing like a damned expert? Well, now I'm a convert and am having a ball trawling through the various interpretations of Punisher from his humble beginnings as a minor guest star to the gritty urban vigilante he is today. I haven't enjoyed comics this much in years! All thanks to this little gem of a movie.
(Richard Almasi, 2009-08-30) This film remains the best film-adaptation of "The Punisher". I was a dedicated reader of the magazine-series and this film perfectly captures the spirit of the comic in my opinion. Compared to the 2004-version it lacks in storyline - like most action films from that era - but it makes up for it with action. [Some trivia: Dolph is a Kyokushin Karate 3rd degree black belt and has a Masters degree in chemical engineering]
(Rajdeep Singh, 2009-08-18) I love this movie as it was one of the first kind to show a comic character in action back in the 80s. However, I am very disappointed with the DVD release.Looks like studio just wanted to forget they ever produced this motion picture. I have Dolby stereo soundtrack with no sub-titles.A very lousy menu page which I can hardly find the menu options to select.Not much of special features(hardly). I bought this movie because It is a rare sight.I loved this one than the 2004 punisher which though had its great moment but could not live up to the dark background of this 80s powerhouse. I hope they release a special edition of this one.A great 80s watch.