Rating: 
Directed By: Lexi Alexander
Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West
Plot Synopsis:
Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. With the “Punisher Task Force” hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished. (TrailerAddict)
Review:
Marvel’s The Punisher has always been plagued by bad film adaptations. The utterly awful Dolph Lundgren 1989 The Punisher has always left a bad taste in the mouth for fans of the comic. In 2004 Thomas Jane donned the Skull T-Shirt in a curiously bloodless The Punisher with John Travolta sinking an otherwise enjoyable action flick. Now, in 2008 we have attempt numero tres with Ray Stevenson (Outpost, Rome) as Frank Castle. Easily the best version of The Punisher we’ve seen on screen, Punisher: Warzone brings back the carnage that makes The Punisher the character we love.
Punisher: Warzone got crucified by critics during it’s theatrical run. Sporting a 25% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes, it wasn’t the smashing success Lionsgate and Marvel were hoping for. I ask you snooty critics, “What the hell were you expecting? The Reader?! Slumdog Millionare?”
This is an action flick, and a damn good one. The carnage is everything an R rated action movie should have, and while not as fully awesome as 2008’s Rambo, Punisher: Warzone delivers on all levels. We’re talking Horror flick gore. No one’s this ballsy with action flicks these days. I was reminded of the ultra-violent 80/90s flicks with Schwartzenegger and Stallone. Before the emo-ization of the action hero. Here we have the return of the badass, and I’m on-board.
Is Punisher: Warzone a good film? Probably not. We have pacing problems and some bad New York accents and goofy dialogue. But, that’s not we’re spending our money on this flick. We want to see Frank Castle kick bad guy ass. And we get that. Ray Stevenson was born to play The Punisher. You totally believe him as an Angel of Death, punishing the wicked. What he also brings to the table is a world weariness and even a dash of regret. I’d love to see him reprise his role in the future.
Also notable is Dominic West as the film’s baddie, Jigsaw. Not to be confused with the Saw villain, Dominic is fun to watch as this homicidal maniac with his face pieced together. Doug Hutchison as Jigsaw’s brother Loony Bin Jim is also extremely fun to watch. I had a lot of fun seeing these guys as maniacs.
Overall, Punisher: Warzone is an action flick and comic book adaptation with gigantic balls. I had a lot of fun with this, so set your brain by the door, grab some snacks and enjoy watching really bad dudes get what’s coming to them!
Rated R for pervasive strong brutal violence, language and some drug use.
