The Punisher faces the new head of the Italian mob,
a vengeful crime lord who calls himself Jigsaw. ACTION/CRIME
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Punisher: War Zone (2008)Directed by Lexi Alexander
Written by Nick Santora, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway Starring Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Doug Hutchison, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok Reboot of 2004's The Punisher Based on characters from Marvel Comics |
I personally think Punisher: War Zone is the perfect Punisher film, combining gritty crime realism with over the top gory action. After the slightly disappointing 2004 film, the series went through a much-needed reboot that upped the ante big time.
Ray Stevenson is the one to don the skull emblem of Frank Castle in this film. While he may not give the character much substance, he makes up for it by being a realistic depiction of an over-the-top vigilante. The real standout in the film is Dominic West as Billy Russotti, the crime lord known as Jigsaw. West chews every scene he's in, clearly relishing his time as a classic Marvel villain. Everything from his accent and mannerisms to his clothes are absolutely brilliant and though critics panned this film, they should have at least given him praise for his performance. I really enjoyed the exaggerated action of this film, and think it deserves a higher position in the Marvel hierarchy. Though I'm certain that Marvel will no doubt reboot the franchise for a third time, Punisher: War Zone will definitely be hard to top. |
