The Punisher DVD Review

This places the FBI on the wrong side of Tampa businessman Howard Saint (John Travolta) and his glamorous wife Livia (Laura Harring). Notwithstanding their glossy social profile, the Saints are no genteel Florida couple; behind their copious wealth are violent beginnings, underworld ties – and a chilling capacity for brutality. Castle’s worst nightmare is about to come true, as Howard Saint and his lieutenants unleash hell at the Castle family reunion. But Castle, to his everlasting torment, survives.

Drawing upon all he has learned in 20 years, Castle sets in motion a brilliant plan to punish the murderers. He takes up residence among in a dilapidated tenement building on Tampa’s industrial waterfront, where his fellow tenants include Joan (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), a waitress at a nearby diner who is trying to put her life back on track. Castle’s neighbors become his last link to the idea of human community and warmth. It is this makeshift family – forgotten men and women with no one to protect them - who enable Castle to find the one thing he least expects

So the question is does the movie pull it off? Honestly yes and no. The opening scene where his family is wiped out is cheesy and weak. I have seen mall security look like better asassins then the batch that wiped out his family. Gimme a bb gun or even just a sack of marbles and a sling shot and I could have fought off these asassins. That by the way is not a good thing. A good example of a crew of trained killers is the crazed cops in Assault on Precinct 13 2004. Whoever put together this scene obviously has no military knowledge or training, and has not seen many good killer flicks. Go pop in The Professional then reshoot this scene and you got yourself a good vengeance path. Candy ass asassins really hurt this movie.

 John Travolta delivers 100% as the diabolical and cold Howard Saint, but the rest is a bit flat. Thomas Jane needs to take a lesson from Wesley Snipes on how a brooding bad ass should act.  I think that Thomas did a good job all and all but I would have liked to see less sitting and drinking with nothing happening and more bad ass. Wesley Snipes as Blade can walk into a room, look around and without a single word make you crap your pants and announce to the waiter "check please". This is how I visioned the Punisher. The kind of guy who walks into a room and makes you wish you got those burgers to go. Although certain scenes are well done overall I felt the Punisher character was a bit weak and not quite complete.

Now two scenes in this movie which delivered 100% were the Russian and Harry Heck. Harry Heck does a great routine in the local food joint and the song is kick ass. Harry Heck also delivers with some simple and to the point carnage. Exactly how The Punisher should have been, only wasnt. Harry Heck walking into a restaurant, sitting down across you and singing you a song about a guy about to die, then letting you know its for you. Oh and P.S. I am gonna sing it at your Funeral. Umm hello, Bad ass? Punisher you taking notes? This is how a bad ass acts. Then you top it off with the Russian.

 When I heard Kevin Nash was in this movie I gagged and thought WTF? Well I am always the first to admit when I am wrong, like when I dissed the thought of Ja Rule being in Assault on 13 Remake. Kevin Nash delivers. not just slightly either. His part as the Russian is reason alone to see this movie. He brings new meaning to I am so bad I am gonna stomp a mudhole in your momma and eat your little dog! You know your a bad ass when.

• You get stabbed in the chest with a knife, look at it, and do not react.
• Pull the knife out then stab your opponent in the same spot with it. Bad ass! 
• You get hit in the head with a crowbar and do absolutely nothing. No blinking, no shaking of the head, just beat downs.

Do I really need to go on? Let me just say if you get this movie for no other reason get it to see Kevin Nash deliver 100% as a true champion of action and deliver one of the best on screen beatings without saying a single word other then "arrrrgh". Kevin Nash I look forward to seeing in-future action flicks.

So overall, I give this movie a 8/10. The story was pretty well put together. John Travolta was kick ass. Thomas Jane did an overall good job as The Punisher all be it a bit to cheese dog and tame at spots. The direction was good, the combat was decent, but the extras were lame in most the scenes. Defintely worth renting, if your a Punisher fan and a Kevin Nash fan and love a good beating, its worth buying!