Friday, April 08, 2005
The Punisher DVD Review
Like most fanboys, I’ve been thrilled with the quality of the Marvel Comic based films that have come out over the past few years. The first Spider-man was decent, both X-Men movies have been good… and while Hulk wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it was definitely mine. I’ve loved the two Blade films and while I didn’t think that Daredevil was great, I thought it was pretty good, too. Still, when The Punisher hit the big screen, I decided to sit it out and wait for the DVD. The reviews weren’t that great, the title character was played by an unknown, and the director didn’t have Sam Raimi’s, Brian Singer’s, or Ang Lee’s reputation to draw me to the theater. Nah, I thought, this time I can wait for the DVD.
We rented the DVD last night. We should have seen it in the theater.
I don’t know why The Punisher got such bad to middling reviews. Wendy and I both found it completely entertaining and worthwhile. True, it wasn’t a general crowd-pleaser of the Spider-man or X-Men variety, but that is appropriate for the character. If you don’t spend as much time with your nose in a Marvel comic as I do, I’ll briefly explain that The Punisher is a mortal man (no superhuman powers in this story) with a mean streak. A retired cop who’s family was murdered by gangsters, Frank Castle is a vigilante to the tenth power. He lives and breathes to punish those who live outside the law.
From the opening title sequence, the movie won me over. The movie begins with a title sequence and music straight out of a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. The critics who complained that the movie was one long, dark downer instead of a light, funny “comic-book” type of film should have known what to expect from the opening credits.
Over the course of two hours, The Punisher delivers all the standard fare of comic books and spaghetti westerns. Anti-heroes, quirky sidekicks, ultra violence, and broad, cartoonish characters are served up in spades. No subtlety here; no metaphoric content or subdued messages. This is a story about a man driven to murder, torture, and alcoholism by the slaughter of his family. Don’t go into this film expecting Spider-Man’s sunny innocence. Frank Castle makes Wolverine look positively cuddly. Think of a mortal man with the drive of The Crow and the ruthlessness of Blade. Think of Batman without the gadgets, the mask, and without the respect for human life.
John Travolta is fine as the villain, Howard Saint. The supporting cast is is good, but Tom Jayne as the title character is outstanding. One of my reservations about seeing the film was that the actor playing Frank Castle wasn’t big or scary enough to be convincing as the Punisher. True, Tom Jayne isn’t built like The Rock, but he plays The Punisher with enough cold determination and bitterness to win me over. By the explosive final sequence wherein The Punisher gets his revenge, I had no trouble believing that Tom Jayne could kill without remorse.
No, this isn’t a great film. It’s not as good as some of the comic book movies I mentioned above. But it’s better than the critics led me to believe. It’s a gritty chunk of film noir with a Marvel sensibility, and I look forward to the sequel.
¶ 7:58 PM
Like most fanboys, I’ve been thrilled with the quality of the Marvel Comic based films that have come out over the past few years. The first Spider-man was decent, both X-Men movies have been good… and while Hulk wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it was definitely mine. I’ve loved the two Blade films and while I didn’t think that Daredevil was great, I thought it was pretty good, too. Still, when The Punisher hit the big screen, I decided to sit it out and wait for the DVD. The reviews weren’t that great, the title character was played by an unknown, and the director didn’t have Sam Raimi’s, Brian Singer’s, or Ang Lee’s reputation to draw me to the theater. Nah, I thought, this time I can wait for the DVD.
We rented the DVD last night. We should have seen it in the theater.
I don’t know why The Punisher got such bad to middling reviews. Wendy and I both found it completely entertaining and worthwhile. True, it wasn’t a general crowd-pleaser of the Spider-man or X-Men variety, but that is appropriate for the character. If you don’t spend as much time with your nose in a Marvel comic as I do, I’ll briefly explain that The Punisher is a mortal man (no superhuman powers in this story) with a mean streak. A retired cop who’s family was murdered by gangsters, Frank Castle is a vigilante to the tenth power. He lives and breathes to punish those who live outside the law.
From the opening title sequence, the movie won me over. The movie begins with a title sequence and music straight out of a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. The critics who complained that the movie was one long, dark downer instead of a light, funny “comic-book” type of film should have known what to expect from the opening credits.
Over the course of two hours, The Punisher delivers all the standard fare of comic books and spaghetti westerns. Anti-heroes, quirky sidekicks, ultra violence, and broad, cartoonish characters are served up in spades. No subtlety here; no metaphoric content or subdued messages. This is a story about a man driven to murder, torture, and alcoholism by the slaughter of his family. Don’t go into this film expecting Spider-Man’s sunny innocence. Frank Castle makes Wolverine look positively cuddly. Think of a mortal man with the drive of The Crow and the ruthlessness of Blade. Think of Batman without the gadgets, the mask, and without the respect for human life.
John Travolta is fine as the villain, Howard Saint. The supporting cast is is good, but Tom Jayne as the title character is outstanding. One of my reservations about seeing the film was that the actor playing Frank Castle wasn’t big or scary enough to be convincing as the Punisher. True, Tom Jayne isn’t built like The Rock, but he plays The Punisher with enough cold determination and bitterness to win me over. By the explosive final sequence wherein The Punisher gets his revenge, I had no trouble believing that Tom Jayne could kill without remorse.
No, this isn’t a great film. It’s not as good as some of the comic book movies I mentioned above. But it’s better than the critics led me to believe. It’s a gritty chunk of film noir with a Marvel sensibility, and I look forward to the sequel.
¶ 7:58 PM
