IMDb > Punisher: War Zone (2008)
Punisher: War Zone
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Punisher: War Zone (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 36 | slideshow) Videos (see all 15)
Punisher: War Zone (2008) -- This is the first theatrical trailer for Punisher: War Zone, directed by Lexi Alexander.
Punisher: War Zone (2008) -- Former FBI Agent Frank Castle travels to New York to fight the criminal underworld.
Punisher: War Zone (2008) -- Third incarnation in the film series based on the vigilante comic book character
Punisher: War Zone (2008) -- Trailer 2
Punisher: War Zone (2008) -- Trailer 1

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   17,526 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Nick Santora (written by) and
Art Marcum (written by) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Punisher: War Zone on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 December 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Vengeance has a name.
Plot:
After hunting down and killing hundreds of violent criminals, Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, faces his most deadly foe yet: Jigsaw. | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(380 articles)
Is This the World's Worst Film Critic?
 (From Cinematical. 1 December 2009, 4:02 PM, PST)

Why I love the world's worst film critic | Stuart McGurk
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 30 November 2009, 6:32 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Makes the first two Punishers look like Velveeta more (220 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Punisher 2 (USA) (working title)
The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank (USA) (working title)
The Untitled Punisher Sequel (USA) (working title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for pervasive strong brutal violence, language and some drug use.
Runtime:
103 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
After the release of The Punisher (2004), a sequel came in development. Both Thomas Jane (The 2004 Punisher) and director of the 2004 version Jonathan Hensleigh had been interested in doing it. The sequel had been in writing stages for three years. By that time, both of them left the project, Jane stated, "What I won't do is spend months of my life sweating over a movie that I just don't believe in." After they left, Lionsgate brought in director Lexi Alexander and actor Ray Stevenson and decided to reboot the movie from the 2004 version. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: At one hour into the movie, Jigsaw is sitting on stairs firing a gun. When the gun is out of bullets, you hear him yell "fuck!" but if you look at his mouth, he is saying "shit!" more
Quotes:
Grace: You're standing in my light.
Frank Castle: [hands her a flashlight] Here you go, for tne next time someone is standing in your light.
more
Soundtrack:
Come See Me Tonight more

FAQ

What does the grieving woman say during the opening credits?
A woman directed this? Really?
Why isn't Thomas Jane involved?
more
84 out of 143 people found the following comment useful.
Makes the first two Punishers look like Velveeta, 5 December 2008
10/10
Author: klinefelter3 from United States

Taken on its own terms, Punisher: War Zone is everything it is supposed to be: excessively violent, larger than life, fast paced, and almost always loads of fun. War Zone doesn't take itself seriously and it doesn't ask the audience to do so, like the '90 and '04 films did. It never ponders the morality of its hero any more than necessary; it's The Punisher for gods' sakes.

The casting of Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle is, in a word, perfect. He is commanding, intimidating, and always fun to watch. If you can't enjoy Stevenson as The Punisher, you shouldn't even be watching the damn movie. Though the film is shot tongue-in-cheek, Stevenson stays consistent but is almost always interesting to watch. The supporting cast, led by Dominic West as Jigsaw, also shines in several scenes. There are no weak links in the cast to undermine WZ the way, say, John Travolta undermined the already-suffering Thomas Jane Punisher movie.

There are many reasons to fault the first two Punisher pics for perhaps giving the character a bad rap, because the critics sure seem to be roasting this more than necessary. One perplexing review comes from Roger Ebert, who seems to praise the film in several ways while outright damning it to the same exact two star rating he applied to the first two (far dumber and less entertaining) Punisher movies: "The Punisher: War Zone is one of the best-made bad movies I've seen. It looks great, it hurtles through its paces and is well-acted. The soundtrack is like elevator music if the elevator were in a death plunge. The special effects are state of the art. Its only flaw is that it's disgusting."

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Punisher: War Zone (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Frank Castle Vs Jigsaw Gecko-2
Villains played for comic relief? eholzapfel26
RAY STEVENSON is so yoked......... nahyd8
The Right Punisher Actor Question? Kclanning
Any weapons experts here? roachbusters
Petition to Disney/Marvel to buy back movie rights bulldog6199
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