The Punisher (1989)

When Frank Castle's family is murdered by criminals, he wages war on crime as a vigilante assassin known only as the Punisher.

Director:

Mark Goldblatt

Writer:

Boaz Yakin

Stars:

Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett Jr., Jeroen Krabbé

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dolph Lundgren	...	Frank Castle
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Jake Berkowitz
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Gianni Franco (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Kim Miyori	...	Lady Tanaka
Bryan Marshall	...	Dino Moretti
Nancy Everhard	...	Sam Leary
Barry Otto	...	Shake
Brian Rooney	...	Tommy Franco
Zoshka Mizak	...	Tanaka's Daughter
Kenji Yamaki	...	Sato
Hirofumi Kanayama	...	Tomio
Larry McCormick	...	TV Newsreader
Todd Boyce	...	Terrone
Lani John Tupu	...	Laccone (as Larney Tupu)
John Negroponte	...	Musso

Storyline

Based on the Marvel Comic, Dolph Lundgren is Frank Castle an ex-cop who lives in the sewers and acts as judge, jury, and executioner to the city's criminals in retaliation for the unpunished murders of his wife and kids. Frank's ex-partner Jake (Louis Gossett Jr.) finally catches up with the vigilante as he tries to stop the Japanese mob, which is trying to take over the city's mafia operation.

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Plot Keywords:

vigilante | japanese | marvel comics | murder | yakuza | 

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Taglines:

If society won't punish the guilty, he will.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1989 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

A Büntető

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New World Pictures (Australia), New World Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 76 min (heavily cut) (1990) (1995)

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dolph Lundgren did most of his own stunts.

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Goofs

While Frank Castle is fighting a Japanese Swordsman, a holstered gun on Castle's back disappears. Moments later, it re-appears in the holster. The weapon wasn't touched by anybody.

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Quotes

The Punisher: Come on god, answer me. for years I'm asking why, why are the innocent dead and the guilty alive? Where is justice? Where is punishment? Or have you already answered, have you already said to the world here is justice, here is punishment, here, in me.

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Connections

Referenced in Twisted Sisters (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Vicious Minds"
Written by Harry Garfield
Performed by Hobo & Habby

User Reviews

One of the few good comic book adaptations out there.

I like all there new Marvel comic book adaptations,they are fun,but as far as casting goes the best two were Christopher Reeves as Superman and Dolph Lungdren as the Punisher.

This is a gritty and very violent movie. Tha action is fast and furious and most of the characters are hard to like...a dark movie. Castles, as most of you know, has had his family killed by the Mafia,he goes on a killing rampage as the Punisher...125 dead in 5 years and just does not care...that is the background story.

In this movie the Mafia is so weakened by Castles that the Yakuza have stepped in and are taking over, Mafia children are kidnapped and people are dying by the dozen as castle does his thing...Lost of knifes in bodies and lots of lead poisonings in a short compact action film.

Neat story,a tortured and emotionally close to dead Dolph Lungdren and good supporting cast makes this one of Dolph better efforts and certainly worth digging up if you can find it.