The Punisher ** (2004, Tom Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Samantha Mathis, Ben Foster, Rebecca Romijn, Roy Scheider) – Classic Movie Review 3117

There are a few bright spots and an ideal star to enliven this grim and largely misbegotten remake of the 1989 Dolph Lundgren action thriller, based on Stan Lee’s dark-toned Marvel comic-strip caper. Thomas Jane stars as troubled undercover FBI special agent Frank Castle – aka The Punisher – who turns underground avenger when his wife and kids are slain by the mobsters he had been pursuing.

Frank foolishly upsets an evil Mafia boss, ironically called Howard Saint (John Travolta), who orders his henchmen led by Quentin Glass (Will Patton) to wipe out Frank’s family. Frank now becomes a vigilante, as a self-appointed punisher of all those he judges guilty, waging a one-man war on those who did him wrong, and relentlessly stalking Howard Saint to the death.

The ready-for-action star is billed as no-nonsense Tom Jane (instead of his usual Thomas), who is suitably tough and hunky as the hero. The other performances are okay, rather than memorable. There are some expertly staged, exciting bursts of violent 18-certificate action. And it’s extremely well shot by veteran cinematographer Conrad W Hall. But mostly co-writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh’s low-tension Marvel Enterprises movie is a doomy and gloomy downer.

It is an inauspicious directorial debut for Hensleigh, writer of The Rock, Armageddon and Die Hard: With a Vengeance.

Ben Foster co-stars as Spacker Dave, with Samantha Mathis as Maria Castle, Rebecca Romijn as Joan, Laura Harring as Livia saint and Roy Scheider as Frank Castle Sr.

It runs 124 minutes and 140 minutes in the extended cut. It is rated R for pervasive brutal violence, language and brief nudity.

Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett Jr and Jeroen Krabbé starred in the 1989 original The Punisher. Thomas Jane starred in the sequel The Punisher: Dirty Laundry in 2012. Ray Stevenson and Dominic West starred in Punisher: War Zone (2008).

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3117

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