If all movies were graded on the basis of intention, "The Punisher" would get an A. If movies were judged on the basis of their peers ("Hellboy" being the closest example), "Punisher" would score big. If this movie stood alongside the 1989 Dolph Lundgren version of the same name, again, there would be no contest. The bottom line though, is that "The Punisher" is not a quality movie. The clarification of these statements is encapsulated in just three words: comic book movie.
"The Punisher" is a movie that is expected to be bad. Nobody expects this movie to do well. It is arguable that Marvel and Lion's Gate Films have not marketed this movie with their full weight because they too don't expect this movie to do well. Among comics though, "The Punisher" is a better-known and more marketable character than Hellboy, whose film adaptation came out on top at the box office on its opening weekend.
"The Punisher" movie is an origin story. We follow ex-cop Frank Castle through tragedy and vengeance in two hours of vivid and sudden violence. The movie begins on unsure footing and for the first 30 minutes looks like it's going to be the total turkey it is destined to be. We see the newly retired Castle on holiday with his family in awkward and unconvincing dialogue that threatens to set the tone for the entire movie.
These flaws presented in the opening act are not lethal to the movie's progression, however.
Thomas Jane, as the Punisher, represents another bull's-eye in casting for comic book movies. He is a selection on par with Hugh Jackman in the "X-Men" films and an example of something the comic book moviemakers actually got right. Of the comic book movies made in the last few years, we have seen perfect choices, from Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier in "X-Men" to Ron Perlman in "Hellboy."
Jane comes off as a man unsure, or rather on the way to becoming the Punisher that appears in the pages of the Marvel title. With the exception of the awkward family scenes of the first act, Jane does a superb job. But he is not left with the movie on his shoulders; the principal cast includes John Travolta and does much to make the movie worth watching. Travolta haters will be pleased to see his character, Howard Saint, go from bad to worse as the Punisher exacts his revenge.
Overall, "The Punisher" offers a confusing cocktail of violence and comedy. It pushes taboos in the final act as we observe slightly comical violence and are compelled to laugh at the creativity of the final twist of the Punisher's vengeance. That push on moral ambiguity is the Punisher's silver lining. It is, when it comes down to it, a fun movie and makes the final stitch by providing us with a coup de grace for the entire story that is both poignant and hilarious.
