Punisher: War Zone (Blu-Ray)

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

The Skinny: Marvel Studios takes a third stab at trying to translate their vigilante anti-hero Frank Castle (aka The Punisher) to the big screen, following failed attempts starring Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane. This time, it's Rome's Ray Stevenson in the black fatigues.

The Good: Well, if nothing else, War Zone really embraces its R rating. Ridiculously, ludicrously violent, it's the kind of movie where the Punisher makes choices like this: "Why simply shoot a thug when I can blow him into dust mites with a rocket launcher?" Stevenson is the best physical representation of Castle yet, and the few explosions of color (like the purple neon cross—?—in Castle's favorite church) pop in HD.

The Bad: Fans who have been used to, you know, quality in recent comic book movies should be prepared to lower those expectations. War Zone is cheesy and unabashedly stupid, with perhaps the worst villain in comic book movie history (Dominic West, take a bow). If you're in the right mood, it's brainless fun that plays a little better at home. But after awhile, it just ends up overdoing it.

Best Extra: The commentary track with director Lexi Alexander and director of photography Steve Gainer gets our vote. Truly informative, it highlights what a hell shoot War Zone actually was, and makes us feel a little bad for ripping it. We haven't changed our opinion, mind you, we just feel bad.

Buy, Rent, or Ignore: This is a rental.

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