Punisher: War Zone

Rating:


Directed by: Lexi Alexander

Other Movies Reviewed This Week

Milk — 4 stars

The Skinny: In a third attempt to translate the mobster-massacring adventures of Marvel Comics' gun-happy vigilante Frank Castle to the big screen, War Zone tries out Rome star Ray Stevenson as the reticent man in black. This time, a New York–based Punisher faces off against one of his classic villains from the comics, Jigsaw (Dominic West).

The Good: Well, the movie is ridiculously violent, at least, and that's kind of fun. Unfortunately, it aims for the gory black comedy of writer Garth Ennis' run on the Punisher comic, but instead overshoots and creates something more akin to black campiness. Stevenson handles himself just fine, but someone forgot to write him a character to play.

   The Bad: Someone also forgot to tell the makers of War Zone that "comic book movie" is no longer an excuse for braindead plotting and action for action's sake. We've seen funnybook heroes brought to life with style and thoughtfulness, but War Zone, sadly, feels more Daredevil/Ghost Rider than Iron Man/Dark Knight. And why on earth did West feel the need to give Jigsaw a Bugs Bunny cartoon gangster voice? "I'm da Jigsaw, see? I'll plug ya, see?" His only saving grace is the fact that Doug Hutchison plays Jigsaw's brother, "Looney Bin Jim," with such bug-eyed, foaming-at-the-mouth silliness that he'd have been right at home alongside Cesar Romero on the old Batman TV show.

And Another Thing: This is the kind of movie in which Frank Castle attends the world's first Strip Club Church (A giant purple neon cross? Is this Our Lady of the K-Hole?) and cries—with all seriousness—"Don't you die on me!" to a man whose legs and arms have been severed, and who is laying with an AXE STICKING OUT OF HIS CHEST.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? Rent it if you have to, but waiting for cable is completely understood and advised.