(9/14/2004) Thomas Jane ("Dreamcatcher", "The Sweetest Thing") stars as Frank Castle in this updated version of "The Punisher", based on the Marvel comic of the same name (duh). John Travolta once again chews the scenery as Howard Saint, a big-shot money launderer. Saint's son, eager to impress his father, tries to horn in on an arms deal, only to die in a FBI sting arranged by undercover agent Castle. Saint, with some input from his wife, gives the order to wipe out newly-retired Castle and his family (and by the way, the scene where his wife and kid get it has been almost directly lifted shot for shot from a scene in "Mad Max"). But, surprise, Frank doesn't die and now the guilty must be punished...

If you didn't know already, this is the 2nd movie version of "The Punisher"; the first, released in '89, starred the Great One a.k.a. Dolph Lundgren. It was pretty much reviled by everybody for not being faithful to the comic... the poor dope didn't even have a Death's-Head shirt. Even I (as a comic book reader at the time) couldn't get behind it totally, and I'm a fairly staunch Lundgren defender. The story was cheesy, the casting was pretty bad (Jeroen Krabbe as a New York mafioso? Can we get serious for 2 minutes here?), and the acting was only average, excepting Dolph and Louis Gossett Jr. Still, that first movie had a grimy action-exploitation feel to it that felt as though it came straight out of the pages of "Punisher: War Journal".

The 2004 version has a heck of a lot going for it: a great cast, action that's spectacular without ever seeming to go over the top, and writing that's above average for a movie in this genre. But, fot all its merits, this version has basically the same flaws that the 1989 film had: No Microchip (Frank's techno-wizard sidekick, for those who didn't read the comic back in the day), and not enough faith to the original source material (although Frank finally gets his skull shirt here). Most of the Marvel films that have been released in the last 5 years or so have been based on the newer series of comics, instead of the superior older versions. Now, I'm realistic enough to know that there will probably never be an utterly faithful film adaptation of a comic book, but it'd be nice to see a movie where they hold on to at least 90% of the original story. For instance, while the Punisher did travel around from time to time in his quest to, uh, punish, the comic had a fairly strict New York basis. What's with the Tampa and Puerto Rico bit? For a movie with a low budget, I understand how filming at certain locations could be cost-prohibitive, but do they honestly expect me to believe they couldn't find some place in New York to film on the cheap? Also, where's the battle van? And a million other little quibbles which, if you haven't read the original incarnation of the comic, probably won't bother you a bit.

It's too bad that the 2 film versions of "The Punisher" couldn't be blended somehow. If one were to ever to be made--and it's high on my "To Do" list--it'd have to star Dolph. While I do like Thomas Jane (and he does cut a badass figure in that skull shirt), Dolph Lundgren's portrayal was better (immeasurably helped by certain scenes with Lou Gossett, of course); he really shows you a picture of a man in pain. In the '89 version, you could feel Castle's hurt... when you weren't snickering at the crappy plot, that is.

So, to sum up, this new "Punisher" move comes out ahead of the 1989 version, but not by as a wide a margin as some people might have you believe. The 2004 version, while having a better cast, plot and production value, kinda lacks the pulpy/B-movie grittiness that the Lundgren version had going for it, and the new version suffers for that. If I had to choose based on good, solid moviemaking, this fresh version of "The Punisher" would win hands down, no contest, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. But if you want to experience that nearly indescribable B-grade violent action, that down-n'-dirty undercurrent that ran through the 3 or 4 "Punisher" titles that existed in the character's late 80s/early 90s heyday, check out the Lundgren version. Or hell, just get them both... most places have the old version for 6 or 7 bucks (perhaps even less), and the new version ain't going anywhere soon.

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Created May 05, 2009 at 9:57pm • Submit your own review...