| "Vengeance has a name." |
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Punisher: War Zone
SCREENER/APPROX. 103 MINS/2008/USA MA15+
SCREENER/APPROX. 103 MINS/2008/USA MA15+
8
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Marvel Comics The Punisher AKA: Frank Castle has had the big screen treatment 2 times in the past, first time was in 1989 starring Dolph Lundgren
in what I think is a very underrated film, next was in 2004 with Thomas Jane in the lead role in a softer version. The latest big screen version of
everyone’s favourite vigilante who considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture to be acceptable crime-fighting
tactics started life as a follow up to the 2004 film but over the next 4 years evolved into a reboot. But it seems the public did not like the more
brutal more true to his comic book self as PUNISHER: WAR ZONE is the lowest grossing film based on a Marvel Comics property. Film critics for the
most part gave it negative reviews with snob Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film two out of four stars, writing that the film's
only flaw is "that it's disgusting".
The plot is pretty thin, Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) has been the Punisher for six years as the story opens. He kicks things off by pretty much
killing everyone at a mob party, this scene will have gore-hounds going off as The Punishers cut's off heads, breaks necks, jams chair legs into
eyes and blows a shit-load of people away in a shower of blood and gore, during the battle Billy Russoti (Dominic West) escapes to his recycling
plant hideout.
Frank tracks him down and kills one thug who turns out to be an undercover FBI agent, during this battle in another standout gore set piece:
Russoti is thrown into a glass-crushing machine which ends up leaving the gangster hideously disfigured. After all this goes down Agent Paul
Budiansky (Colin Salmon), the partner of the deceased agent, joins the NYPD's "Punisher Task Force", with hopes of bringing The Punisher to
justice. Frank guilt stricken over killing an innocent man attempts to make reparations to Donatelli's wife, Angela (Julie Benz) and daughter, Grace
(Stephanie Janusauskas) to no avail. He starts to think about hanging up the skull and MANY guns Meanwhile, a facially mutilated Russoti,
recovered from his run-in with the Punisher, frees his deranged brother, "Loony Bin Jim" (Doug Hutchison), using a new alias - "Jigsaw". He and
Lonny Bin Jim set out to take over the underworld and get money back of his that Donatelli had at the time of his death, Jigsaw and LBJ target
Donatelli's widow who The Punisher has set out to protect. Jigsaw’s next move is to raise an army to bring a stop to Frank's rampage and we
move to films final battle.
It's a shame that this was such box office flop as Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a positive review, writing that the "film
was great. It stays true to the comics and the origin. Sure, the plot was a little thin, but it's one of the best action packed and violent films I've
ever seen in my life." I agree. After Thomas Jane decent but all too weak version of the comic legend, Ray Stevenson gives us a great version of
the character as he gets to flex some acting muscle as well a shit-load of guns and cutting weapons, Dominic West has a field day as Jigsaw one of
the Punisher's few recurring villains with some good support from Doug Hutchison as Loony Bin Jim. The supporting cast is also great with he likes
of Dash Mihok, Romano Orzari, Julie Benz and Stephanie Janusauskas and Seinfeld fans will get a kick of seeing Newman himself Wayne Knight as
Microchip.
Gore-hounds will also love this movie as the gore and violence comes at a non-stop pace: throats cut, bones broken, faces caved in, spear run
through, stabbings, gore filled gunshot hits etc. I find it hard to believe that the OFLC passed this with a MA15+ and not a R18+, the gore and
violence reminds me of another action classic of last year RAMBO (but does not come close to level in that one). Soundtrack is also fantastic as
great tracks by the likes of SLAYER, SLIPKNOT, HATEBREED and STATIC-X fill out the movie and the wicked new song WAR ZONE by ROB ZOMBIE.
Since this was a screener I can't say anything about the picture and sound quality ditto for the extras, but form what I have read the extras look
interesting and can't wait to check them out
Action and comic fans I recommend you check this out ASAP it's not the perfect PUNISHER film but it's a great violent action movie.
in what I think is a very underrated film, next was in 2004 with Thomas Jane in the lead role in a softer version. The latest big screen version of
everyone’s favourite vigilante who considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture to be acceptable crime-fighting
tactics started life as a follow up to the 2004 film but over the next 4 years evolved into a reboot. But it seems the public did not like the more
brutal more true to his comic book self as PUNISHER: WAR ZONE is the lowest grossing film based on a Marvel Comics property. Film critics for the
most part gave it negative reviews with snob Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film two out of four stars, writing that the film's
only flaw is "that it's disgusting".
The plot is pretty thin, Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) has been the Punisher for six years as the story opens. He kicks things off by pretty much
killing everyone at a mob party, this scene will have gore-hounds going off as The Punishers cut's off heads, breaks necks, jams chair legs into
eyes and blows a shit-load of people away in a shower of blood and gore, during the battle Billy Russoti (Dominic West) escapes to his recycling
plant hideout.
Frank tracks him down and kills one thug who turns out to be an undercover FBI agent, during this battle in another standout gore set piece:
Russoti is thrown into a glass-crushing machine which ends up leaving the gangster hideously disfigured. After all this goes down Agent Paul
Budiansky (Colin Salmon), the partner of the deceased agent, joins the NYPD's "Punisher Task Force", with hopes of bringing The Punisher to
justice. Frank guilt stricken over killing an innocent man attempts to make reparations to Donatelli's wife, Angela (Julie Benz) and daughter, Grace
(Stephanie Janusauskas) to no avail. He starts to think about hanging up the skull and MANY guns Meanwhile, a facially mutilated Russoti,
recovered from his run-in with the Punisher, frees his deranged brother, "Loony Bin Jim" (Doug Hutchison), using a new alias - "Jigsaw". He and
Lonny Bin Jim set out to take over the underworld and get money back of his that Donatelli had at the time of his death, Jigsaw and LBJ target
Donatelli's widow who The Punisher has set out to protect. Jigsaw’s next move is to raise an army to bring a stop to Frank's rampage and we
move to films final battle.
It's a shame that this was such box office flop as Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a positive review, writing that the "film
was great. It stays true to the comics and the origin. Sure, the plot was a little thin, but it's one of the best action packed and violent films I've
ever seen in my life." I agree. After Thomas Jane decent but all too weak version of the comic legend, Ray Stevenson gives us a great version of
the character as he gets to flex some acting muscle as well a shit-load of guns and cutting weapons, Dominic West has a field day as Jigsaw one of
the Punisher's few recurring villains with some good support from Doug Hutchison as Loony Bin Jim. The supporting cast is also great with he likes
of Dash Mihok, Romano Orzari, Julie Benz and Stephanie Janusauskas and Seinfeld fans will get a kick of seeing Newman himself Wayne Knight as
Microchip.
Gore-hounds will also love this movie as the gore and violence comes at a non-stop pace: throats cut, bones broken, faces caved in, spear run
through, stabbings, gore filled gunshot hits etc. I find it hard to believe that the OFLC passed this with a MA15+ and not a R18+, the gore and
violence reminds me of another action classic of last year RAMBO (but does not come close to level in that one). Soundtrack is also fantastic as
great tracks by the likes of SLAYER, SLIPKNOT, HATEBREED and STATIC-X fill out the movie and the wicked new song WAR ZONE by ROB ZOMBIE.
Since this was a screener I can't say anything about the picture and sound quality ditto for the extras, but form what I have read the extras look
interesting and can't wait to check them out
Action and comic fans I recommend you check this out ASAP it's not the perfect PUNISHER film but it's a great violent action movie.
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