Other than Spider-Man, the early ‘00s saw Marvel’s films focus on the grim and gritty side of their intellectual property. Wolverine was leading up the X-Men. Blade, Daredevil, and the Hulk all got the big screen treatment. So I suppose it made a certain amount of sense that their next venture would adapt the biggest edgelord in the Marvel universe: Frank Castle AKA The Punisher. The result was The Punisher, an unquestionably dark crime story with no aspirations to be anything more. Yet somehow, those mild ambitions resulted in one of the most watchable films in the genre, at least prior to the MCU.

Story of The Punisher

Delta Force veteran Frank Castle works for the FBI. Or, more correctly, he WORKED for the FBI. Having finished one last mob-busting operation in Tampa, Frank retires to spend more time with his family. Unfortunately, that last mission comes back to haunt him. Somehow, confidential information leaks to the exact wrong parties.

Castle’s last op resulted in the death of Bobby Saint, the son of mafia boss Howard Saint. And now, la famiglia wants to balance the scales. In a surprise attack at the Castle family reunion, Saint’s men kill the entire extended Castle family. They shoot Frank, leaving him for dead.

But Frank Castle doesn’t die. And with no family or connections to temper his worst impulses, he sets out to enact bloody vengeance upon those who wronged him.

The plot gets a little messier from there, but it sticks the landing with a stirring finale.

Themes of The Punisher

There are no deeper themes here.

All the best Punisher stories do one of two things. Either they explore the systemic failures of society that led to the Punisher, OR they discuss the ultimate futility of Frank Castle’s war on criminals.

This…isn’t that. There’s no real element of social critique, and Castle accomplishes his mission completely. It’s even painted as something of a good thing, with the presence of a murderous vigilante being a necessary part of the new social order.

This isn’t a nuanced exploration of crime and those who fight it. It’s a throwback to the vigilante revenge flicks of the ‘70s (e.g. Death Wish). The Punisher indulges the violent proclivities of people who think their problems can be solved with a Clint Eastwood stare and a .45.

I should note that the film throws out the word “family.” A lot. It means relatively little. No real thematic depth to it. There’s no coherent thesis to be formed around the usage. I just don’t want you to think I ignored it.

Characters of The Punisher

Only two characters really matter in this film. Only these two receive any level of dedicated character development or exploration.

Frank Castle

Thomas Jane isn’t a perfect match for the Punisher. He’s a little too small. His voice isn’t quite deep enough. He’s a little too pretty. And his Frank has a flair for the dramatic beyond that of the original.

But all that stuff is secondary. Thomas Jane nails the core of what makes Frank Castle tick. The underlying rage and sadism survive the transition to film perfectly.

The name says it all. Frank cares nothing for justice. He doesn’t pursue vengeance. He aims to inflict punishment upon those who wronged him, in the most violent, gratuitous way possible.

Howard Saint

Howard Saint provides an effective foil for Castle. Ostensibly, he loves his family greatly. Yet it takes relatively little prodding for him to turn on them. When pushed to the limit, he turns into a rabid dog that needs to be put down.

John Travolta underplays the role, perhaps too much. It makes for an effective juxtaposition late in the film when he finally loses it, but it may be too little too late.

Additional Cast

While of less narrative importance, I would like to acknowledge the performances of some of the other actors.

Eddie Jemison has a solid turn as Mickey. He’s playing a fairly rote low-level informant, but he manages to infuse it with some resigned weariness that adds texture to the proceedings.

Rebecca Romijn, Ben Foster, and John Pinette perform ably as the colorful trio Frank shares an apartment building with. The performances are good, even if their overall storyline isn’t.

Laura Harring plays Livia Saint, Howard’s wife. Her role is relatively small overall, but she has one key addition to the narrative; she calls for the execution of the whole Castle family, revealing an underlying viciousness to the character.

My favorite secondary character, however, has to be Quentin Glass (played by Will Patton). There’s a quiet, competent loyalty to the character, complicated by the secrets he holds. However, when the gloves come off he projects a brutal sadism. Patton’s performance works so well that I almost felt sorry for him during his comeuppance, mere scenes after one of his most vicious acts.

Faithfulness to the Source Material

Ironically, The Punisher finds its greatest successes when it diverges from the plots of the comics and sticks to the ethos of the comics.

The subplot involving Joan, Dave, and Bumpo is pulled directly from the legendary Garth Ennis run on the Marvel Knights Punisher book. It’s also one of the worst things about the film. Other than the fight with the Russian, it weakens the proceedings and distracts from the main plot.

Conversely, the execution of the entire Castle family (as opposed to just Frank’s immediate family) ends up being a smart choice that reinforces how isolated Frank becomes. They created it entirely for the film, and the film is better for it.

However, the story still holds true to what the Punisher is all about. While the film devised an original plot, all the component parts are staples of the definitive Punisher stories. Convoluted plans to systematically dismantle mob families, interrogations of gutless flunkies, eccentric assassins, stakeouts, shootouts, and knock-down drag-out fights are all staples of the series.

Production Quality

Setting

As far as settings for gritty crime stories, Tampa gets slept on. Even when the genre decides to explore the Sunshine State, it tends to stick to Miami. The Punisher wisely chooses to buck that trend. Tampa lends the film an appropriately grimy yet varied set of locations to play with.

Effects

The Punisher actually has fantastic effects work for its time, because it’s almost entirely practical. There’s no dated CGI to drag down the proceedings. It’s all gunfire and explosions done the old-fashioned way.

Stunts and Fights

The Punisher’s action exceeded my expectations in every respect. I loved it. It’s tense and grounded, but with enough flair to be visually engaging.

One of the best scenes in the film comes when Saint’s men attack the family reunion. One might expect the scene to be fast, but it isn’t. It’s slow, prolonging the agony. Frank and his father are pinned down in one building, trying to fight their way out as the hitmen systematically execute the extended family. Some try to run, some try to hide, but all are gunned down. They stage the scene immaculately, optimizing it for maximum gut-wrenching effect. It also effectively bookends the film, setting up how Frank will later dismantle Howard Saint’s world.

Most of the action scenes work like this. They don’t focus merely on what’s cool. Instead, they emphasize the underlying emotional context of the narrative that pervades each scene.

The one other fight I have to call out is Frank’s fight with the Russian. The Russian steps out of a completely different movie, as if he’s a super powered denizen of the Marvel universe at-large. He then proceeds to beat Frank seven shades of black and blue. The fight provides the film with a well-constructed yet gratuitous physical beating to balance out the scheming and shooting.

Music

I actually quite enjoyed the music in The Punisher. It emulates classic elements of the Western genre, especially the spaghetti westerns. However, there’s an expressly melancholic edge to the arrangements, primarily found in the horns. This emphasizes the inherent tragedy of Frank Castle.

Conclusion

The Punisher was shockingly close to greatness. The emphasis on practical effects, strong action, and a solid primary plot give it a LOT to like.

Unfortunately, not everything lives up to that standard. I could look past the lack of any coherent thematic development, but the side plot involving Frank’s neighbors boys down the paving of the film and pulls focus from more interesting matters.

Ultimately, while I had way more fun with The Punisher than I anticipated, I cannot rank it among the elites. Here’s my updated list, with a new addition in the middle of the pack.

PS- If you read these Super Hero Movie Rankings and you liked what you saw, follow me on Twitter or Facebook! You can also consider donating to my Patreon! Donations from readers like you help make this site possible. And if you’re new to the site check out what else I’ve been up to!

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