The Punisher film from 2004 is not widely regarded as the finest cinematic outing for Frank Castle (more on the film that is, later). That said, The Punisher is still a film that has its merits. For instance, Thomas Jane tackles the title role rather well, and deserves more respect than he generally gets for confidently embodying the iconic Marvel Comics gun-wielder. John Travolta is a little less convincing as a California crime boss, but the film holds together regardless of his hammy villainous performance. First time feature film director Jonathan Hensleigh frames the Franks quest for vengeance against Travoltas Howard Saint rather well, its also worth noting. The Punisher is nothing revolutionary, but its a welcome side note in the pantheon of comic book movies. The Punisher received something of a critical bashing at the time, but its arguably worth a reanalysis. It may not be a big bombastic comic book movie like the ones we get these days, but it functions well enough as a homage to classic 1970s revenge movies such as I Spit On Your Grave and Death Wish. As you presumably already subscribe to Netflix, its worth giving this one a watch when youve got an evening going spare.
