The Punisher

The Punisher (2004)

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Writers: Jonathan Hensleigh, Michael France

Cast: Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Samantha Mathis, Laura Harring, A. Russell Andrews, Omar Avila, James Carpinello, Mark Collie, Ben Foster, Eddie Jemison, Kevin Nash, John Pinette. Rebecca Romijn, Roy Scheider

Synopsis:

Frank Castle (Jane) is an FBI agent who's set for one last undercover operation before he retires and takes up desk job. One of the targets of the sting, Bobby Saint (Carpinello), is inadvertently killed during the operation, drawing the attention of his gangster father Howard Saint (Travolta). Saint uses his connections to find out that Castle was leading the operation that led to his son's death. He sends his men to kill not just Castle, but his entire family, during a reunion in Puerto Rico. However, Saint's men couldn't quite finish the job and Castle somehow survives the assault. Haunted by the memories of his murdered family, Castle plots his revenge and wages an one-man war against Saint and his associates. 

First Impressions:

I caught this film in theaters when it released back in '04. I had  been a fan of the Punisher character from the comics since the '80s. Ten years earlier I had the misfortune of watching the character's first cinematic outing starring Dolph Lundgren and wasn't impressed at all. So, I was hoping that this film would at the very least cleanse my palate of the foul taste the earlier movie left. Upon my first viewing, I felt the film was certainly better than the original 1989 movie but I thought there were still some things with the character that they didn't get quite right. Anyway, enough of the preamble, lets she if my opinion on this one changes in any way with a fresh viewing.

Story/Direction: 

"God's gonna sit this one out."

At its heart the story for The Punisher is a revenge flick that deals with two individuals seeking vengeance. The first act deals with Howard Saint getting revenge against Castle for the death of his son, with the final two acts focusing on Castle's vengeance against Saint for killing his entire family. One of the things that always bothers me about revenge stories is that the motive for revenge, particularly in relation to the death of a loved one, is often weak. You've probably seen dozens of movies where the hero is forced to kill someone in self defense and becomes the target of revenge. I've always felt this was stupid because what was the hero supposed to do? Let the other person kill him? It's just dumb. However, this film avoids that flaw nicely. Bobby Saint isn't killed by Frank, he's killed by an overly-twitchy FBI agent, who misconstrues his intent and kills him. So, Saint isn't looking to kill Castle because he killed his son but, rather, for putting him in the situation that led to his death. It works well as an motive for revenge, so writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh gets points for that.

Where the film loses me a bit though was in the portrayal of Castle's revenge. Another major story issue that revenge films have to deal with is the need to drawn out a story over a 90 to 120 minute runtime. That means the hero can't just go up and kill the villain, there has to be more to it or it would be a pretty short film. Usually, most film compensate for this by making the hero have to hunt down his target which takes up the bulk of the middle of the film. This doesn't happen in The Punisher, instead Castle sets put on an elaborate revenge plot that in some ways mirrors the death of his family. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of that symmetry in story but the whole thing just seemed a bit too convoluted for my taste. Not to mention, all the scheming and plotting really interrupted the action, which was quite good. In the end, the whole thing came together a bit too perfectly, which I think also fell a little flat.

All in all, though, the story gets a pass from me. Even though some of Castle's revenge seemed a bit out there, it was still strung together to form a satisfying story arc, so that's enough for me. After all, it's a comic book movie, not Citizen Kane. 

Acting/Characters:

Thomas Jane was cast in the lead role as Frank Castle. Despite this film's rather mixed reviews, almost everybody that I've talked to think Jane's portrayal is the definitive version of the character. I can't say that I necessarily disagree with that assessment. I've always liked Jane as an actor and I think he really enjoyed playing Frank (so much so that he later appeared in the short film Dirty Laundry as the character). I the comics, Frank is someone who's been doing what he does for years clinging to the memory of his dead family. However, in the film, Franks pain is still very close and he's learning how to deal with it all. As a result, Jane plays the character with not as much rage as his comic book counterpart and with a lot more sadness. This helps make the character more relatable to the audience and it really underscored a terrific performance. It's a real shame he didn't get to do more with the character. 

John Travolta plays the movie's primary antagonist, Howard Saint. At the time the film was made, Travolta was coming to the end of his renaissance that started back in the early '90s. Travolta is a capable actor but he often tends to get a bit hammy, particularly when he takes on more villainous roles. However, in The Punisher, he turns that down a notch. He's still a hit hammy but overall it works for a character that's supposed to be a bit flamboyant. Overall, it's not the worst performance I've seen from Travolta but it's certainly not the best.

The supporting cast, though, is where the movie shines the most, I think. Will Patton takes the role of Quentin Glass, Howard's consiglieri. The veteran character actor plays Glass as cool, charming but at the same time there's a sketchiness about him. Then we have Franks neighbors Spacker Dave, Mr. Bumpo and Joan, played by Ben Foster, Jon Pinette and Rebecca Romijn, respectively. These three characters are essential for the film to work because they keep Frank in touch with his humanity. All told, the supporting roles were al very well cast.

Visuals/Action:

There's not much in the way of CGI or visual effects in the film, apart from copious amounts of pyrotechnics. However, there is one interesting note about the film's visuals that I want to touch on. Director Jonathan Hensleigh shot much of the nighttime scenes, of which there are many, under a blue light of some kind. This gives the film an ethereal quality. Almost as if ts a fever dream or something. very cool effect overall. 

As far as action goes, this film has a crap ton of it. Highlights include the assault on Howard Saint's club during the film's finale, as well Castle's brief encounter with the country-singing hitman, Harry Heck (Collie). But for me, the best action sequence is the extended fight between Frank and The Russian (Nash). It's such a brutal fight and it's a great way to end the second act.

Score/Music:

The music for the film was composed by Carlo Siliotto and it's another area where the film gives of distinct Spaghetti western vibes. It's a bit reminiscent of Morricone's work in The Good the Bad and the Ugly. However, the film also has the solid heroic theme needed for a good comic book film. I have no real complaints about the score. 

Final Verdict:

I still like this film. It's not perfect by any stretch but it's enjoyable and that's all that matters. If you're a fan of the character, or maybe want to see a pre-MCU Marvel movie, I'd highly recommend checking this one out.