Review of Punisher: War Zone (2008) by Max H — 22 Aug 2015
The most recent attempt to bring the avenging angel of the marvel universe, The Punisher, doesn't hit the target...but it doesn't give you cancer either. Ray Stevenson's portrayal of Frank Castle is as close to the comic source material as one could want.
The violence is as hammy and extreme as fans could expect for a character who rose to prominence during the 1980s as a commentary on ultra violence. What I can't defend is the villains and supporting cast.
Dominic West's Jigsaw and Doug Hutchison's Looney Bin Jim make Bugsy Bunny feel realistic. Their accents alone make these some of the worst character portrayals taken from comics. One point that needs to be considered when watching Punisher: War Zone is that this is not serious.
Warzone shares more with Friday the 13th than The Dark Knight. This is Jason with bullets, and we should be cheering him the whole way. Taken as an inverted slasher, instead of character study, Punisher:Warzone is modern day ultra-violent nostalgia that should be enjoyed with popcorn, not analyzed with a fine tooth comb.
This review of Punisher: War Zone (2008) was written by Max H on 22 Aug 2015.
Punisher: War Zone has generally received mixed reviews.
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