PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
US, 2008, 103 minutes, Colour.
Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchison, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok, Julie Benz.
Directed by Lexi Alexander.
The title indicates that this will be a violent film – and it certainly is. Noted American critic, Roger Ebert, praised the film for its production values but then summed up by saying that he thought the film was “disgusting�. And he is not wrong – although bloggers who like the Punisher graphic novels are high in their praise of this version.
The Punisher is a character from the Marvel Comics, introduced in the 1970s, linked with other Marvel characters including Spiderman and, later, Dr Strange.
One of the interesting features about Frank Castle, The Punisher, is that he is not a superhero with super-human powers. He is a former military man who has experienced the killing of his wife and child, embittering him and setting him on a quest of vigilante vengeance. This background is common to the various versions of The Punisher, one in 1989 with Dolph Lundgren, another in 2004 with Thomas Jane. This 2008 version stars Ray Stevenson. There have also been some significant villains, Jeroen Krabbe in 1989, John Travolta in 2004 and, this time, Dominic West is an American mafioso, accent and all, ruthless, with ambitions against the Mafia boss – but everyone is killed by the Punisher, though West’s character, Billy, survives torture and emerges scarred, calling himself Jigsaw.
The criminals know who Frank Castle is and try to destroy him. He is also well known to the police who sometimes feed him information. Throughout the film there are many brutal confrontations, a high body count, scenes which would appeal mainly to devotees of battle and confrontation computer games.
The particular difference in this film is that the Punisher kills an undercover agent, not realising who he is, with the FBI then wanting vengeance (in the form of Colin Salmon) and some links with the local police, especially a brash young agent, played by Dash Mihok, who becomes involved despite himself. The key to the main action is the abduction by Jigsaw of the dead agent’s wife and child and their being held to ransom. Also involved is Frank Castle’s friend who supplies him with ammunition, Macro (Wayne Knight). He is also abducted – and Castle has to make the decision as to who should die, his friend or the widow.
The director, Lexi Alexander, is German – and she is an expert in martial arts.
There is nothing specifically religious in the 1989 and 2004 versions of The Punisher, so it is a surprise to find here the violent vigilante going to a church and talking to his priest friend, intimating that they studied in the seminary together, but indicating that he has now taken a path from which he cannot retreat. At the end, he returns to the church, but is called away for further vengeance.
