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|  | THE PUNISHER: WAR ZONE review by Mark Walters
« Thread Started on Dec 3, 2008, 5:07am » | |
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
![[image]](http://www.bigfanboy.com/pages/reviews/filmreviews/2008/punisherwarzone/punisherwarzone1.jpg "[image]")
Review by Mark Walters
In 2004 Thomas Jane starred as Frank Castle in THE PUNISHER, based on the popular Marvel Comics character, released from Lions Gate, directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and produced by Gale Anne Hurd. I met Tom the weekend before the film opened. Since then I've become friends with the man. Why do I bring this up? Because it's only fair to assume that some out there may think I'm more than a bit biased going into the new Punisher movie, which doesn't star Tom, and which he publicly expressed his frustrations over upon walking away from the project. You must also understand that I've been a Punisher fan from the moment I started collecting comics in 1990. The very first Marvel comic I bought was an issue of Punisher. All of that said, I enjoyed the 2004 film for what it was, and was particularly impressed with Tom's performance. I didn't love it, but there were many things about it that I liked. It certainly wasn't perfect film, and there are many who have criticized it since its release, but one thing seemed a constant - people liked Thomas Jane as Frank Castle. Even the harshest critics praised his performance, despite their feelings toward the film it accompanied. That film saw a moderate amount of success, and did particularly well on DVD, enough to garner studio interest for pursuing a sequel. Thus began Tom's struggle. He, more than anyone, hoped the follow up to be everything the first film lacked. Tom wanted to make the Punisher movie that fans were hoping for, and right the wrongs from the first outing. He even went so far as to collect fan suggestions online, and take them into Lions Gate personally, in hopes they'd see things the right way. But it seemed as if he was hitting a wall at every turn. After meeting repeated opposition from the studio, and eventually downright frustration, Tom left the project completely. No one will ever realize just how hard that man worked to fix things. As Jane walked away, eventually Lions Gate began to piece together a new direction for Frank Castle, bringing in director Lexi Alexander (GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS) and actor Ray Stevenson (ROME). Thus PUNISHER: WAR ZONE was born. The new film follows loosely the idea of this year's INCREDIBLE HULK, in that it behaves somewhat as a reboot rather than a direct sequel. The filmmakers have promised audiences a more violent hero, and darker tone, and brought in the Punisher's most famous baddie - Jigsaw. So with all of the drama going into it, will this new outing work, or simply serve as a painful reminder of just how much everything went wrong?
The film opens opens with pretty boy mobster Billy Russoti (Dominic West) visiting the city's aging mob boss Cesare, and agreeing to see through a bio-terrorist shipment, but all the while hoping to take the top dog position in town. Before long The Punisher shows up and mows down Cesare and his entire crew/family. He even takes out the wife! Billy figures that Frank Castle has done his job for him, and that he can now take over crime around town. But Frank wastes no time coming after him as well. The police show up spoiling the Punisher's fun, but not before Castle throws Russoti into a giant glass bottle crusher - a rather uncomfortable situation for Billy and his once beautiful face. In the midst of the firefight, Frank accidentally kills an undercover FBI agent, which causes him to question his own violent actions. Back in his underground lair, Castle is comforted by his weapon supplier Micro (Wayne Knight of SEINFELD fame), who tells him that in every war there is "collateral damage"... which doesn't serve as much help to Frank, as we learn through flashback that his family became just that during a mob hit years ago. In the meantime Detective Martin Soap (Dash Mihok), who single-handedly runs the "Punisher Task Force" for the police department, is partnered with FBI agent Paul Budiansky (the fantastic Colin Salmon). Together the two go looking for Castle, but Frank has a new mission, upon learning that the severely injured Billy still lives, and may be going after the fallen undercover agent's family (Julie Benz and Stephanie Janusaukas). Making matters worse, he's broken out his violently insane brother, Looney Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison), to assist him in his mission. This is an act of revenge that The Punisher simply cannot allow to happen.
![[image]](http://www.bigfanboy.com/pages/reviews/filmreviews/2008/punisherwarzone/punisherwarzone2.jpg "[image]")
If you thought that extreme violence and intense gun play were missing from the first film, then man oh man are you in for a treat. This Punisher outing boasts way beyond excessive violence, easily reaching comic book levels, and on more than a few occasions going past many folks' comfort levels. This Frank Castle definitely shoots (or stabs) first and asks questions later. I lost count of the dead bodies within the first five minutes. While not a definitive sequel, this film could've easily picked up where the last one left off. It's established here that Frank has been wreaking havoc for at least 6 years, filling a library-sized police record room with countless files on fallen criminals. Ray Stevenson is brutally brilliant as The Punisher. While light on dialogue, his performance and facial expressions make him a likable and sympathetic anti-hero. Frank Castle has jumped right off the comic book page and into PUNISHER: WAR ZONE. For fans of comic book cover artist Tim Bradstreet, this may be the closest on-screen representation of his artwork and vision. You'll even get a treat out of the prominently featured Bradstreet Hotel, which houses the film's big finale. Stevenson possesses a quiet sincerity that comes through regardless of what is going on around him. Inevitably people are going to ask me if he's better or worse than Tom in the 2004 film. I think both actors deliver an undeniable quality in their performances. Ray's take on Castle is different, with echoes of what made Jane's turn so effective. Their each great in their own way. To say if one was better than the other would be hard to judge for the moment, but maybe time will tell, along with repeated viewings.
Then there's Dominic West. Yeesh. While his physical performance and makeup are successful respectively, his vocalization of Billy/Jigsaw is borderline painful. In fact, just about every supporting cop or mobster character is so over the top with their accents, it's not unlike watching a hammy Saturday Night Live skit. I guess with this film taking place in New York, someone determined that the New York accents needed to be played to the hilt. I wish they hadn't. But Jigsaw's voice is particularly distracting. It removes any and all realism that character might have had, and it's perhaps the biggest mistake in the film. Doug Hutchison is delightfully psychotic as Looney Bin Jim, frequently stealing the scene from Dominic West. For some reason Hutchison makes the thick NYC accent work, and he's just plain interesting as an actor. Where has he been since THE GREEN MILE? Other actors in the movie, like Julie Benz, Dash Mihok, Colin Salmon, and Wayne Knight, all turn in solid supporting performances (who knew Wayne Knight could play it serious!?), complimenting the sometimes ridiculous script and making Stevenson look even better than he already does.
And let's talk about that script. While the first act plays rather well, the second act sometimes gets sluggish, leading into a disjointed third act that rivals the messiness of SPIDER-MAN 3's finale. There have been rumors flying about director Lexi Alexander's horrifying cut of the film, which supposedly led to her removal from the project before its completion. Imagining what this film might have been in the wrong hands is scary. That's not to say it's awful, as it's not entirely. There are great moments here. Comic fans are likely to find a lot of glory scenes to boast about, but there are also segments that just don't flow well. I guess in any film you can find the bad with the good, but a character like the Punisher isn't hard to get right... or at least it shouldn't be. One saving grace is the excellent score by Michael Wandmacher, which elevates the quality and feel of this film to the level of a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. It's easy to hear Wandmacher's enthusiasm in the music, and it complements the film extremely well.
It's hard to give this film a definitive grade. I liked so much of it, but was bothered by little things. There's humor where there probably shouldn't be, and some of the violence goes way to far. I have no problem with Frank Castle exacting tough justice, but there's a limit on what the audience really needs to see, and this film often goes beyond it. It's important to note a few things when watching PUNISHER: WAR ZONE, especially if you find yourself enjoying it. This film, it's darkened tone, and it's boldness in violence, is all a direct result of Thomas Jane. He wanted a darker and more violent Punisher, and was trying hard to get the fans' wishes granted. If Tom hadn't walked away from the project, you'd be seeing a very different movie. Sadly, had he stayed, what would've resulted most likely wouldn't be good, as the powers that be were taking things in directions Tom didn't want to go. In essence, Jane leaving is what opened the doors for a retooling of ideas, for the addition of intense violence, and for what you now see before you. So if you like it, and you're thinking of bashing Tom, keep in mind that it's because of his actions that this film exists. I think the PUNISHER: WAR ZONE is entertaining, and I can honestly say it was better than I expected. While not a perfect funnybook film, it exhibits a boldness not yet seen in a comic book movie. Maybe it's at the very least a step in the right direction for some of the more brooding superheroes yet to grace the big screen. One thing is for sure, this Punisher makes the Dark Knight look like a pansy.
![[image]](http://www.bigfanboy.com/pages/reviews/filmreviews/2008/punisherwarzone/punisherwarzone3.jpg "[image]")
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