Review of Punisher: War Zone (2008) by Fazeo F — 28 Jun 2010

When I saw the trailer for this film it looked really mediocre to me. I was a fan of the Thomas Jane Punisher so I didn't like seeing a new Punisher film without him and the trailer just didn't do anything for me. After reading some positive things about the film by people with similar tastes in movies I finally decided to see Punisher: War Zone and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a well made action film.

Director Lexi Alexander has easily made the most faithful Punisher film to date, she even proclaims that many of the scenes and shots in the film are literal carbon copies from the comic book. Punisher: War Zone is also by far the most violent Punisher film to date, Lexi Alexander does not pull any punches when it comes to showing violence and gore on screen, but since the comic book was very violent it only makes sense for the film to embrace that aspect of the comic book.

Though cgi is used in the film it didn't bother me as much as it has in other films, for some reason the cgi blood in the film didn't seem obviously fake like in other films that have utilized cgi for gore/blood effects. The film is action packed and the action is well shot, with little to no shakey cam/quick editing techniques which I hate.

What makes Punisher: War Zone so entertaining though is the rogues gallery of bad guys in the film. In these type of action films many times the bad guys are forgettable and cliched but the villains in this film all have a personality and elicit quite a few laughs from the audience. I particularly liked the father/son interplay between two of the mobsters, and Dominic West steals the show as Jigsaw.

Let's face it, The Punisher is not exactly the most colorful personality to play on screen but Ray Stevenson does a capable job as Frank Castle, and he handled the action scenes quite effectively.

If you are an action film fan then Punisher: War Zone should not disappoint you. Though three totally different Punisher films have been made I am one of the few people who has enjoyed all three but for completely different reasons. I thought War Zone was going to be some cheap cgi crapfest but it turned out to be a quality action film with exciting set pieces and a memorable cast.