- Film Review
- Reviewed By Sloan Freer
-
3 out of 5
Based on the Marvel comic of the same name, this faithful take obliterates the 1989 Dolph Lundgren version. The feature debut of Die Hard with a Vengeance's screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh, it's loud, fast and extremely vicious. Deep Blue Sea star Tom (then Thomas) Jane plays former FBI special agent Frank Castle, who turns vigilante when his family is gunned down on the orders of Florida Mob boss John Travolta. Dressed literally to kill in the antihero's trademark skull-emblazoned T-shirt, Jane has the cool air of a superhuman rock star as he orchestrates the darkest of retributions. There's no let up in the destruction and violence, nor is there any semblance of reality. The film's every element, from costumes to scenery, seems to be engineered for ultimate ocular effect, while even reliable actors such as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos are eclipsed by Travolta's excessive theatrics. Consequently, although the murder sequences of Castle's wife and son are painfully tragic, there's no real emotion, only visual spectacle, in everything that follows.
Plot Summary
Action crime thriller based on the Marvel comic, starring Tom Jane, John Travolta, Laura Harring and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Undercover FBI special agent Frank Castle agrees to one final operation before retiring, but it all goes wrong when Florida gangster Howard Saint's son is killed in the process. Swearing revenge for his child, Saint orders the murder of Castle and his entire family. But Castle survives, and sets out to destroy every aspect of Saint's life.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Frank Castle / The Punisher
- Thomas Jane
- Howard Saint
- John Travolta
- Joan
- Rebecca Romijn-Stamos
- Quentin Glass
- Will Patton
- Frank Castle Sr
- Roy Scheider
- Livia Saint
- Laura Harring
- Spacker Dave
- Ben Foster
- Maria Castle
- Samantha Mathis
- John Saint / Bobby Saint
- James Carpinello
- Jimmy Weeks
- Russell Andrews
- Micky Duka
- Eddie Jemison
- Mr Bumpo
- John Pinette
- The Russian
- Kevin Nash
Crew
- Director
- Jonathan Hensleigh
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