Ray Stephenson takes over as Frank Castle, a man who punishes criminals since the tragic death of his family.
I enjoyed the last Punisher film, but this one is set apart during the opening scene via graphic deaths ala Rambo.
The acting, direction, sets, sound, etc. are all fine.
The real problem comes from the script and pacing. There's so much here compressed into so little time that you never truly get a sense of anyone's character except Frank.
Still, it's a decent movie that should entertain any action fan.
5 out of 10.
Punisher War Zone
Was on TV yesterday and I felt like laying off BL2 for a night. There are some spoilers here, you've been warned.
Firstly, I'll say I enjoyed this flick far more thoroughly than the original. In fact, the only thing that made me sit through that shit film was the knowledge that I'd get a Travolta death scene. Thomas "No, I'm not Hugh Jackman" Jane's turn as Frank Castle felt weak because I didn't buy his bad-assery. Ray Stevenson suffers from the opposite problem. I can't picture him doing anything except angrily killing people, so I suppose it's fortunate they skip over the Punisher's origin in a few sentences.
I'd like to say this is more than a standard action flick, because the Punisher is one of my favourite characters and I never understood how you can fuck up a movie about him. The look and feel of the sequel is darker and grittier than the first, but the violence goes over the top to comedic levels in more spots than is wise (much like Darkman decades before). The dude who plays Looney Bin Jim has this problem and every scene he's in is pure shit. Worst of all was his mono-a-mono brawl with Castle which is three minutes of the audience staring in wide-eyed disbelief as a scrawny, unarmed mental patient does flying off-the-wall monkey kicks and somehow holds off a dude that waltzed into the middle of a mafia dinner at the movie's beginning and executed a table full of armed killers.
Then there's the second huge problem, also known as the premise of the film, which has Frank Castle grappling with his conscience. That's something which should never happen, like Batman moping over his dead woman. Spiderman, Cyclops, and other assorted walking vaginas in the Marvel universe are there for that sort of thing. The Punisher is not a dude who feels pangs of guilt for his actions. When he feels good, he celebrates by going out and shooting villains. When he feels bad, he gets over it by going out and shooting more of them. Script should have had Jigsaw take out the agent due to Frank fucking up during the first incursion, not have Frank accidentally shoot him.
Given more of a budget and some better writing, this could have been a sleeper action hit. As it stands, it's mindless violence harkening back to simpler, more Commando-esque days.
Firstly, I'll say I enjoyed this flick far more thoroughly than the original. In fact, the only thing that made me sit through that shit film was the knowledge that I'd get a Travolta death scene. Thomas "No, I'm not Hugh Jackman" Jane's turn as Frank Castle felt weak because I didn't buy his bad-assery. Ray Stevenson suffers from the opposite problem. I can't picture him doing anything except angrily killing people, so I suppose it's fortunate they skip over the Punisher's origin in a few sentences.
I'd like to say this is more than a standard action flick, because the Punisher is one of my favourite characters and I never understood how you can fuck up a movie about him. The look and feel of the sequel is darker and grittier than the first, but the violence goes over the top to comedic levels in more spots than is wise (much like Darkman decades before). The dude who plays Looney Bin Jim has this problem and every scene he's in is pure shit. Worst of all was his mono-a-mono brawl with Castle which is three minutes of the audience staring in wide-eyed disbelief as a scrawny, unarmed mental patient does flying off-the-wall monkey kicks and somehow holds off a dude that waltzed into the middle of a mafia dinner at the movie's beginning and executed a table full of armed killers.
Then there's the second huge problem, also known as the premise of the film, which has Frank Castle grappling with his conscience. That's something which should never happen, like Batman moping over his dead woman. Spiderman, Cyclops, and other assorted walking vaginas in the Marvel universe are there for that sort of thing. The Punisher is not a dude who feels pangs of guilt for his actions. When he feels good, he celebrates by going out and shooting villains. When he feels bad, he gets over it by going out and shooting more of them. Script should have had Jigsaw take out the agent due to Frank fucking up during the first incursion, not have Frank accidentally shoot him.
Given more of a budget and some better writing, this could have been a sleeper action hit. As it stands, it's mindless violence harkening back to simpler, more Commando-esque days.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."