Review of The Punisher (2004) by Oz S — 27 Apr 2014

Adapted from the Marvel comic created by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru and John Romita, Sr. This was the second screen adaptation of the comic, after Mark Goldblatt's take on the character in 1989. This version, directed by Jonathan Hensleigh (screenwriter of Jumanji (1995) and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)), tries hard, but it ends up being more dull and gloomy than thrilling.

Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) is an undercover CIA agent who has just completed one last job in Tampa Bay, Florida. He's now looking to settle down with his wife Maria (Samantha Mathis). However, crime kingpin Howard Saint (John Travolta) swears revenge against Castle, after his son Bobby (James Carpinello) was gunned down in a police raid which Castle was a part of.

Saint wipes out every member of Castle's including his father (Roy Scheider). Left for dead, Castle recovers with help from fisherman Candelaria (Veryl Jones), and he plots an elaborate revenge, where he takes down Saint's henchmen, sows the seeds of distrusts to bring Saint's world down.

It should have been a good film, and there was a lot of hype going around it at the time, meant as an adult alternative to X-Men and Spider-Man. But it's dark tone works against it, and maybe Frank Castle isn't interesting enough to have his own film, didn't stop Marvel trying again in 2008 though.