Rating: 
Summary: Disgrace to the real Frank Castle
Review: This movie was a disgrace. If you are a hardcore Punisher fan like I am you will hate this movie to the end. IT doesn't follow the comic in any way at all. I know very well that you would not have to worry about making the Punisher movie it was action pack and had a good plot. After they changed of course see what happened. They got a B rated movie that is stink up Frank Castle's name and the rest of Marvel with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch out for falling samurai
Review: The best part of the movie: While fighting 2 yakuza dressed in samurai armor, Dolph kicks one backwards, as he falls you see some sort of sword display on the ground. The display is a good 5 feet away and in the opposite direction of the fall, the camera cuts to Dolph, and then back to the yakuza who is impaled on the display. Apparently he bounced when he hit the ground and then landed on the blades, we'll never know, but I think thats good enough for an extra *
Rating:
Summary: When the bowels of society make the law.
Review: This film covers one essential theme in the American action cinema : crime is high, justice is bad, so justice has to be taken by some people into their own hands. There are many variations on the theme. In this film, an ex-cop, who got his wife, children and whole family wiped out by a bomb in their car is assuming the fundamental mission of killing the guilty. This is the very same theme we find in many western films with Clint Eastwood. The other element in this film is the attempt by the Japanese maffia to take over the Los Angeles maffia. This contains a certain level of jingoism, but it is reduced to very little by the simple fact of making the Los Angeles maffia particularly nasty, simple-minded, egotistic and unrelenting. The Franco boss of that maffia, the only survivor, who tries to kill the Punisher after the latter has freed his son from the hands of the Japanese maffia is particularly gross. But there is no moral in such a film. There is no deep meaning, even if it is the reflection of what ordinary Americans think about crime in the USA. And that reaction leads them to wish for and accept punishers or politicians who promise to be punishers, and the death penalty, and also the idea that justice is after all their own mission, and they become some kind of vigilantes. This is part of American culture and will never be able to be really uprooted, without at least a complete change in culture. The only symbolical element is the fact that the Punisher is living in the sewers, under the big city. He is the underworld that punishes the other underworld. He is the language of the bowels of the people. He represents the deep instincts and needs, the basic layers of social conscience. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.
Rating: 
Summary: What Do You Expect?
Review: I never read the comic book or whatever this movie is based on so I can't say if it is an accurate portrayal of the Punisher. However, I like this movie. Once you get passed Dolph with dark hair and looking like he just climbed out of the sewer, it's a pretty good flick. The whole movie is violent and mostly he just kills people, but what do you expect from a movie called the Punisher. If you want action and violence you have come to the right place.
Rating: 
Summary: So bad it's almost good!
Review: B-Movie is definitely the way to describe this film. The dialogue is cheesy, the storyline cliche and the lead character never really develops a second dimension.But despite knowing all of this, I had to buy the DVD. I grew up on comic books and The Punisher was always one of my favourites. The movie is bad, but it's still a lot of fun. There is some decent acting in the film (Louis Gossett, Jr.), although Dolph Lundgren barely says 3 words. If you're a fan of B-movies and comic books, this one is definitely worth buying (especially at its current sale price). As for the DVD, it really doesn't have much in it. The quality of picture and sound is below average (although about what you'd expect from a transfer of a late-80s movie. There are basically no extras on the DVD (it only contains the trailer, cast bios and a few pages of production notes). Oh well - it was fun to watch again! :)
Rating:
Summary: GOOD AND BAD
Review: I can't decide whether or not Dolph did not apply himself to this role in the slightest and ended up turning in a monotone performance or because the character is supposed to be dull and depressed. Either way it's slightly depressing to watch. The plot concerns Frank Castle AKA The Punisher and his effort to rid Washington DC (actually Melbourne, Australia) of criminal scum. He's wiped out a million guys in a couple of years and the cops want to send him to prison. Frank Castle used to be a cop and since the Mob killed his family he's lived in the sewer. As you do... This film has been cut to shreds. I know there was more story and action filmed than what was actually shown in the film. It's criminally short but seems to go on for an eternity. The director is Mark Goldblatt. He edited "Total Recall", "Starship Troopers" and "Hollow Man". The action is quite dull and Dolph has no one-liners and no emotion. Dolph can usually be relied upon to deliver the goods but not here. I guess in 1989 he couldn't pick and choose his roles. This film followed the abysmal "Red Scorpion", his clout wasn't as such so he could so "no". Dolph has enjoyed some decent roles but in recent years he has been offered some really bad scripts. I think it's time he realized he should be getting back into A-List films. This is not his best. Watch "Joshua Tree" instead. The DVD is in terrible mono(not Dolby Surround like the covers states) and is undermatted at 1.78:1 instead of the theatrical 1.85:1.
Rating:
Summary: Outright Silly at times but it`s better than other b-films
Review: When Captain America was turned from comic book hero to film it was done so terrible that i could not stand to see another cool Marvel comic hero ripped to shreds, so i was a little unsure about seeing `THE PUNISHER` starring Dolph Lundgren who still even to this day Filmbuffs only remember him as the sadistic Russian boxer DRAGO In ROCKY IV ,it`s a shame indeed since he`s a good actor and capable of much more than an one dimesnial chracter he has played over and over. This film is way better than CAPTAIN AMERICA but somehow it has the same campness and lack of common sense as did the previous. Lundgren plays Frank Castle,a cop whose wife and children were killed in a mafia hit goes on a viloent rampage to punnish and kill the guilty who somehow escape Law & Order. The fight scenes are good as well as outlandish and highly improbable. The storyline here (if anyone actually cares if there is one!)is about the Italian Mafia against the Japanesse Mafia over control of the drug trade. Lady Tenaka, Played by Kim Myouri who is good as the ruthless villain espcally in one scene where she snaps one of the Italian Mafia`s leader`s finger when uttering a memorable line: `When Your Ancestors were still Screwing Sheep On The Medertian Coast,Ours were the crimelords Of Asia` Louis Gosset Jr. and Jeron Krabbe made this film a little more realistic. One stupid scene in the film was when the Italian bosses were summoned to call a truce between themselves and the japanesse the men were ambushed by every customer in the resteruant. Totaly beyond the laws of belief.
Rating:
Summary: stallone would've made 1 great punisher
Review: dolph lundgren whom sly beat up in ROCKY IV was wrong wrong WRONG as THE PUNISHER. i thought i was seeing dolph doing elvis! he played the marvel hero very poorly. the clothing ain't right! no skull on the shirt like the comic book. and he lives in the sewers! in the comics, he had his own warehouse fill with arsenal large enough to fill new york city. oh yeah, this crap was filmed in australia but set in the big apple. very hyperviolent here and the kids in jeopardy scenario here hits an all time low. one kid holds a gun while others spew obscenities! yeah, stallone would have been the perfect PUNISHER.
Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: dolph lundgren ... was wrong wrong WRONG as THE PUNISHER. i thought i was seeing dolph doing elvis! he played the marvel hero very poorly. the clothing ain't right! no skull on the shirt like the comic book. and he lives in the sewers! in the comics, he had his own warehouse fill with arsenal large enough to fill new york city. oh yeah, this ... was filmed in australia but set in the big apple. very hyperviolent here and the kids in jeopardy scenario here hits an all time low. one kid holds a gun while others spew obscenities! ....
Rating:
Summary: Dolph Is The Punisher!
Review: This One is definately one of Dolph's best. there are a lot of stunts and explosions and Dolph looks too cool in his leather outfit. the movie sticks close to the marvel hero of the same name. only I'd like to have a better, more interesting finale. still, Dolph is excellent and I give it 4/5. the DVD is very well done. one of the best DVD's from an independant studio to come out in years. go buy it.
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