The Character: Of all the comic book superheroes, perhaps, it's the Punisher who has had to deal with a seemingly endless number of sh*tty film adaptations over the years. Most folk will be familiar with the more recent Hollywood efforts - that being the films produced in 2004 and 2008. There's a lesser-known Punisher movie from all the way back in 1989, however, and it's just as awful (if not more watchable in a "it's so bad it's good" way). For that reason, however, this article considers the 2004 and 2008 films. The First Time: You can tell that they at least tried to make a good Punisher movie with this inherently depressing blockbuster - The Punisher is a grim and violent character, after all, and this 2004 take on Frank Castle delivered on that. Unfortunately, Thomas Jane is too wooden and awkward in the title role, whilst the movie itself is so gritty and ugly and brutal that it's genuinely painful to watch. Another case of Hollywood thinking that they've nailed it completely, only to end up going too far in the wrong direction. The Second Time: Four years later, Hollywood decided to reboot The Punisher with Punisher: War Zone, a lackluster action movie that - in its casting of actor Ray Stevenson - failed to give any credibility to the character all over again. War Zone is just about the most generic action movie ever made (save for its violence, which is rather brutal), and so - as with the 2004 effort - you come away with little sense of Frank Castle as a person. He's rendered as an interchangeable goon and Stevenson feels wholly miscast. Like this article? Agree or disagree with any of the choices here? Got any other characters to add to the list? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
