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Movies / Upcoming / Punisher: War Zone
Punisher: War Zone

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Punisher: War Zone (2008)

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Reviews Counted:20

Fresh:1

Rotten:19

Average Rating:3.8/10

Consensus: Punisher: War Zone recalls the excessively violent, dialogue-challenged actioners of the 1980s, and coincidentally feels two decades out of date.

Australian Rating: TBC

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Australian Theatrical Release:
Sep 25, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $7,948,159

Synopsis: PUNISHER: WAR ZONE, the third screen appearance from Marvel Comics' angel of death, continues the saga of Frank Castle, normal New York City citizen turned Mafia-slaying vigilante following the... PUNISHER: WAR ZONE, the third screen appearance from Marvel Comics' angel of death, continues the saga of Frank Castle, normal New York City citizen turned Mafia-slaying vigilante following the murder of his wife and daughter. Upping the violence level to the intensity of a horror film, this outing requires no prior knowledge of the character's screen antics and features an appealingly stoic performance from Ray Stevenson, who cuts an imposing physical presence, and is a more-than-worthy successor to previous Punishers Dolph Lundgren (1990) and Thomas Jane (2004). Six years after the death of his family, Frank Castle is still waging war against organized crime in New York. After he ambushes a party for an aging mob boss and turns it into a bloodbath, the battle moves to a recycling warehouse where Castle pushes gangster Billy Russoti (Dominic West) into a swirling vat of broken glass. During his escape, Castle accidentally shoots one of the FBI men who have arrived on the scene. Russoti undergoes plastic surgery, but after seeing his badly disfigured face for the first time, he shoots his surgeon and dubs himself "Jigsaw." While a deeply regretful Castle attempts to make amends with the widow (Julie Benz) of the agent he has slain, Jigsaw rallies an army of criminals in an attempt to take down the seemingly indestructible Punisher. Though there are plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments to lighten its impact, the graphic bloodshed in PUNISHER: WARZONE is often startling and is sure to satisfy the bloodlust of any fan of violent action cinema. Directed by former karate and kickboxing champion Lexi Alexander (GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS), the film is frenetically paced and retains a true comic book feel, mostly due to a colorful lighting scheme and a particularly hammy performance by West, who seems to be having a blast. [More]

Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchison, Colin Salmon

Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchison, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok, Julie Benz

Director: Lexi Alexander

Director: Lexi Alexander
Screenwriter: Matthew Holloway, Art Marcum, Nick Santora, Kurt Sutter, Lexi Alexander
Producer: Gale Anne Hurd, Avi Arad
Composer: Christopher Franke
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Punisher: War Zone

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1 - 8 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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You couldn't call it shoddy, exactly, and the actors take it painfully seriously; it's just dispiriting to see all this endeavour in the service of something so humourless and disgusting.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
02/06/09
Andrew Pulver
Andrew Pulver
Guardian [UK]
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Another violently unsuccessful attempt to bring this comic book character to screen.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/05/09
Tom Ambrose
Tom Ambrose
Empire Magazine
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Castle/the Punisher is not the most charismatic comic book hero at the best of times but Stevenson’s jowly pallor and oil slick of hair makes him look more like an Eastern European abattoir worker than a vigilante to be reckoned with.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
02/05/09
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
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At one point, the Punisher is asked who punishes him. The better question for those who made this inane bloodfest is: Why punish us?

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment 7 Comments
12/05/08
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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Does it have to be so witless, so stupid, so openly contemptuous of the very audience it’s supposed to be pandering to?

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment 3 Comments
12/05/08
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
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Anyone with a modicum of good sense -- or a weak stomach -- will take it as a warning to stay the heck away from this literally and figuratively deadly War Zone.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/04/08
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You used to be able to depend on a bad film being poorly made. No longer. The Punisher: War Zone is one of the best-made bad movies I've seen.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 16 Comments
12/04/08
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Gore-drenched actioner is guaranteed to draw fans of wretched excess like moths to a nuclear holocaust.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 1 Comment
12/03/08
John Anderson
John Anderson
Variety
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1 - 8 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Punisher: War Zone

March 16, 2009: RT on DVD: Exclusive Clips From Twilight, Punisher: War Zone
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Hollywood directors have always been a bit of a boys' club, but as the $70 million opening of Catherine Hardwicke's "Twilight" attests, that's slowly changing. More...

December 04, 2008: Critics Consensus: Cadillac Records Rocks, Punisher Hurts
This week at the movies, we've got red-hot rhythm and blues (Cadillac Records, starring Adrien Brody and Beyonce Knowles), vigilante justice (Punisher: War Zone, starring Ray... More...

December 04, 2008: Box Office Guru Preview: Punisher Heads Into Weak Frame
Following the Thanksgiving holiday frame, the North American box office should hit the brakes and see sharp declines in ticket sales. The action offering Punisher: War Zone is... More...

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