Even though I was a fan of comic books as a kid, “The Punisher” was a character I never really got into. Occasionally, I’d catch him in an issue with Spider-man or some other hero. What’s odd about that is that I have always had a fascination with the underworld and vigilantes. For years I read “The Executioner” paperback series, and totally got into the exploits of Mack Bolan as he waged his one man war against the Mafia. The dude was violent, deadly, and unrelenting. So why didn’t I read any of “The Punisher” series? I honestly can’t say, but in retrospect I kind of wish I had. The only real exposure I ever had to the character of Frank Castle was the 1989 film “The Punisher.” Directed by Todd Castle, it was an abysmal film made even worse by the casting of Dolph Lundgren in the title row. Lundgren was best known for fighting Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky V” and as being the main squeeze of veteran rocker Grace Jones. Beyond that, his talents were rather limited.

For years, the character languished in terms of cinematic availability while becoming ever more popular in his hometown of comicbooksville. One wondered if he would ever resurface on the silver screen.

Finally, in 2004 we were treated to an all-new feature film, this time with Thomas Jane in the lead. Fans of the series had a hard time at first with the casting of Jane. Undoubtedly he would be better than Lundgren, but he was saddled with having done a feature called “The Velocity of Gary” where he played a homosexual wannabe porn star opposite Vincent D’Onofrio and Salma Hayek. He had already been in several features where he played more ‘straight’ forward characters, but this was the one fans latched on to.

Then there was the casting of John Travolta as Howard Saint, the man responsible for killing Castle’s family and starting him on his rein of vengeance. Travolta had become popular again after his career was saved by his turn in “Pulp Fiction”, but in recent years he’s played a few over the top bad guys and fans were worried that he would deliver another one-note character. All in all, things did not bode well for the new version of “The Punisher.”

As it turns out, “The Punisher” was a far more entertaining film than I expected it to be. It was also far more violent than I had anticipated. I cannot attest to the story and how well it related to the comic version of The Punisher’s origin, but I can say it was filmed with a certain comic glee. Violent yet playful, this made for an interesting dichotomy.

I talked to several of my friends who had seen the film to get their take on it, and for the most part they didn’t like it. They thought it was silly, and at times almost cartoon-like. I tried to point out that it was based on a comic book, but that didn’t change their outlook one bit. As I watched the film, I felt as though I discovered something they didn’t. In spite of all the violence, death and mayhem, don’t take the film seriously. I saw it as an extremely dark comedy and reveled in its twisted take on the art of vengeance. In the end, I liked it quite a bit. I’m actually hoping for the much talked about sequel.

As for the DVD that Lion’s Gate is releasing this week, it’s a surprise in many ways. The film itself didn’t make what you’d call a box office bonanza, yet they took the time and effort to fill the disc with some excellent extra features. I’m not a huge fan of commentaries, but the one here by director Brian Hensleigh is extremely good. He seems quite comfortable behind the microphone and doesn’t mince words. He’s not afraid to point out things he would have done different.

There are a couple of featurettes that focus on the film’s stunts and effects, while the included “War Journal” features a look at the making of the movie. You’ll also find a feature called “Drawing Blood” that allows viewers and fans an inside look at the studio of Tim Bradstreet, who is one of the more popular Punisher comic book artists. We get to see a lot of his work on the conceptual movie poster art he created.

Best of all is the feature “Army of One”, which is an in-depth look into the character of the Punisher. It chronicles his history as a comic character and the artists and writers who give him life. We hear from Gerry Conway and John Romita Sr, who originated the character, as well as Steven Grant who was at the helm of the Punisher’s solo title for many years. Fans will be thrilled to hear from Garth Ennis, who is currently in charge of the franchise for Marvel Comics.

“The Punisher” unfortunately suffered from far too much trash talk from people with little or no talent of their own, which caused it to be underrated by the masses. I’ll grant you that it’s not for everyone with it’s over the top violence, and certainly those with a limited sense of humor. But if you get the joke, it’s well worth a watch.
4Directed by: Jonathan Hensleigh
Starring: Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Roy Scheider, Laura Harring, Ben Foster, Rebecca Romjin-Stamos
Extras: “War Journal - On the Set of the Punisher”, “Army of One” Featurette, “Drawing Blood” Featurette, “Keeping it Real” Featurette, Deleted Scenes
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: 9/7/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (For Pervasive Brutal Violence, Language and Brief Nudity)
Website

We'll give The Punisher a B-.