“The Punisher” (Lions Gate Films)
“The Punisher” is another adaptation of a Marvel Comic. But Frank Castle isn’t a super hero; he is just a guy with a need for revenge. Tom Jane stars as the “hero” of the film and John Travolta is seen as his wicked nemesis. Everything is down on paper for a great romp of action and thrills, but somehow the movie fails.
Frank Castle (Jane) is an undercover FBI agent who pulls off his last case at the start of the film. In this showdown the son of Howard Saint (Travolta) is killed. Saint and his wife Livia (Laura Herring) vow to get even with Castle and they do – big time! They wipe out his entire family which includes wife, son, mother, father and other assorted relatives.
Castle is left for dead but he rises from the ashes to seek his revenge. He calls himself “The Punisher.” The rest of the film is about his revenge on the Saint family and how it is done.
With this being based on a comic book you might expect the action and violence to be over the top and non-believable. Not so. In this movie the violence is excessive and sadistic. Even the “hero” is too bloody and brutal in his actions.
Jane looks the role of “The Punisher” but brings nothing to the character to make him unique. Travolta is less impressive than usual in what is a sometimes silly role. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos is wasted in the role of “girl who lives down the hall.”
The movie is rated R for violence, brief nudity and profanity.
All through the film I knew the plot seemed overly familiar. It finally dawned on me that this is almost a carbon copy of the script to Vin Diesel’s “A Man Apart.” That movie wasn’t a hit and I don’t think this one will be either.
I know Tom Jane has signed on for sequels. I can’t see any rush for them to be made. “The Punisher” punishes the audience by being too sadistic, too overdone, too slow in parts, and just too repetitious of other thrillers.
I scored “The Punisher” a stand in the corner 4 out of 10.
