Punisher War Zone (quick review)

[lugaru]

Roger Ebert really articulated what I felt about the movie, in that it is a terrible movie that has been really well made. The gore effects are perfect, but incredibly excessive. The acting is good, but the characters being acted out are ridiculous. The movie looks amazing but very little happens that does not involve killing. In the end I enjoyed it as a Punisher fan and the new actor looks like he stepped off a Tim Bradstreet punisher cover but it needed just a little bit more humanity. Now on the inhuman side, the new punisher is frigging Jason, he is massive, powerful and scary, so even though he always is making sobby faces he is still a great intimidating lead.

[Jakew]

For me, it had the usual flaw of comic book movies (Daredevil, Ghostrider, etc) ... it's visually perfect, but ignores the amazing stories from comic writers (such as Garth Ennis' Punisher MAX), in favour of a script that is a mish-mash of various "cool" bits from the comics.

A successful comic-film pays as much attention to the writing as it does to the art.

[zuludelta]

I guess my opinion of the film is largely influenced by the fact that I didn't pay a single cent to see it (my LCS gave away a number of free passes to a special early screening a couple of days before the movie officially opened). I thought it was OK, and was especially more enjoyable than the earlier Thomas Jane movie, and is about equal to the 1989 Dolph Lundgren starrer in terms of cheesy goodness.

Would I have preferred a darker, meatier movie based on one of Garth Ennis' MAX storylines? Definitely. But I came in prepared to be disappointed and came out of the theatre quite entertained, which is a win in my book. Then again, I set my standards pretty low when it comes to comics and/or toy-based films, not because I don't think they "deserve" better movies, but because I've come to accept the fact that many producers and/or directors simply have a poor grasp of the material they're adapting (IIRC, the film's director wanted a straight-up "hard R" MAX adaptation, while the producers wanted a more humurous, PG-13 film based on the Marvel Knights stories, and the compromise solution they settled on led to the somewhat herky-jerky feel to the film).     

[GogglesPizanno]

The movie was a slasher film for action junkies. And on that I think it succeeded greatly.

The Punisher at its heart is a very boring one dimensional character and while I like the Garth Ennis stuff (what Ive read anyway) nothing about the character is ever going to scream complexity. The comics and the movie succeed by being completely over the top in mayhem and violence. That's where the Thomas Jane one failed. And the The Dolph Lundgren one fails (or totally succeeds depending on your POV) for being completely nonsensically surreal...

[lugaru]

Total slasher flick.

About the Punisher himself I think Garth Ennis did a good job of exploring the character, making him about as "deep" as any other comic character. As I see him right now he is die hard with a death wish, somebody addicted to war who chose the war on crime because it is one that will never end.

Back to the movie it does get a little bit cartoony at times so I agree that it is a bit of a bridge between Knights and Max.

Now if they can start cranking these things out each year with a bunch of TV actors like this one, I can see these movies getting very good very quickly. And man, if they do something like The Slavers or Mother Russia... I mean the punisher has the potential to become "the wire" of superhero movies. Also I hope they make the emblem just a tad more prominent next time and get rid of the neck brace, with that alone he will look perfect.

[GogglesPizanno]

I mean the punisher has the potential to become "the wire" of superhero movies.

Lets not go crazy now...
I loves me some superhero's as much as anyone, but I dont think anyone will ever mistake the Scorpion King for Lawrence of Arabia just cause its got sand and some nomads 

[thalaw2]

I take it the sickos what made the SAW series of movies had a hand in this project....yeeesh is it ever gory for a comics movie.  it was just too much and much of it was unnecessary.  I dont remember Frank being so unforgiving.

[GogglesPizanno]

You haven't read some of the later punisher stuff I take it...

[lugaru]

Yeah, he does not do anything much worse than what he has done in Punisher Max (read The Slavers for 3 really gruesome killings) but the movie has this playdough feel that I kept expecting him to put his fist through somebodies head, which he actually almost does at one point.

[thanoson]

So, saw this while being encapacitated with 2 sprained ankles and a bruised wrist. Loved this movie. It was everything I wanted in a punisher movie. Kinda like the new Rambo movie. Nothing was pretty about what he was doing. Loved the dark and orange tones going around.

However, I had some extra time on my hands and said, Hmmm... the Spirit. It can't be that bad can it? About 15 minutes of listening to the horrible dialogue and wondering how a girl could be standing in a part of the swamp, and then dive deep enough to truly be deep sea swimming, I started to fall asleep. This really was that bad. I assume Sam was having a blast in his Nazi uniform, but even he knew this was gonna have to bomb.

Still laid up. Hmmm.... looks like DB: Evolutions is on as well. This can't be that bad can it? TO BE CONTINUED........