The Punisher (2004)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Jonathan Hensleigh

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan Hensleigh (written by) and
Michael France (written by)

Release Date:

16 April 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

This Is Not Revenge. It's Punishment!

Plot:

After his wife and family are killed, G-Man Frank Castle takes it upon himself to distribute punishment to those responsible for the vendetta.

Plot Keywords:

Undercover | Family Reunion | Revenge | Vigilante | FBI

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Thomas Jane	...	Frank Castle / The Punisher (as Tom Jane)
John Travolta	...	Howard Saint
Will Patton	...	Quentin Glass
Eddie Jemison	...	Mickey Duka
Rebecca Romijn	...	Joan (as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)
Ben Foster	...	Dave
John Pinette	...	Bumbo
Laura Harring	...	Livia Saint
James Carpinello	...	Bobby Saint
Marco St. John	...	Chief Morris
Samantha Mathis	...	Maria Castle
Marcus Johns	...	Will Castle
Bonnie Johnson	...	Betty Castle
Roy Scheider	...	Frank Castle Sr.
Veryl Jones	...	Candelaria

Also Known As:

The Punisher (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive brutal violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

124 min | 140 min (extended cut)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | Iceland:16 | USA:Unrated (extended version) | South Korea:18 | Hungary:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (uncut version) | Germany:18 (cut) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:M18 (original rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

The license plate on Frank Castle's car reads "Year One". This is the auto customizer that worked on the GTO. It was just a coincidence that The Punisher also had a Year One title.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Howard Saint is stabbing Quentin Glass, when the blade is shown twice after Glass is stabbed, the blade has no blood on it

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bobby Saint: So I'm gonna get a three-to-one return on my money?
Micky Duka: Otto is the real deal. I met him at a hash bar in Amsterdam. He speaks Russian, German, Arabic...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fear of Clowns (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Eyes Wired Shut

I enjoyed everything about this dark tale.

The Punisher put my faith back into revenge movies. The action in this film is unbelievable and grim. I found myself not wanting the story to end. Many of the movies based on superheroes in a comic book tend not to sticks gritty and real. This one was and then some. The movie has surpassed my expectation and I certainly look forward Punisher 2.

The next film sets itself up for a kick butt start. They should take a page from X2 or the Lethal Weapon series and just open the next film with a wild battle. You can grab the viewer right away and still tell your full story right after. I hope the entire cast as well as the director returns because they crafted one quality origin story here. In summary, I enjoyed everything about this dark tale.