The 1989 adaptation of Marvel's "The Punisher" was a cheesy, action-packed, B-movie starring the usually ultra-blonde Dolph Lundgren in dyed pitch black hair. It wasn't good. It didn't nail the spirit of the comic book and was badly cast. The 2004 version, on the other hand, slyly directed by Jonathan Henseligh, is an under-appreciated gem from the Marvel cannon. It's a film that is neither cliched nor plays it safe, an intense ride from beginning to end. The fact that this film came out before the start of MCU, 2008's "Iron Man" probably the starting point, made it take risks and go into directions that would have otherwise never been possible post-2008.
The film plays like a Greek tragedy, it's a mix of human drama, violent action and even has glimmers of dark comedy around its edges. The first half-hour of the movie – which sets up the events which are to follow – is the Greek tragedy, powerfully realized as our main protagonist's family is cruelly slaughtered on-screen. The set-up gets your blood boiling the revenge tale that is about to happen. Its a vigilante thriller, with violent imagery that puts Deadpool's R-rated shenanigans to shame. What this film has that many of the MCU films don't is touching gravitas, you feel for Frank Castle. Jane is outstanding in the role, not only massively muscular, but also a quality actor that has been severely underused in his career.
For the story to work the bad guys need to be three-dimensional and Will Patton and John Travolta, both cast as the sadistic baddies, benefit from their overacting chops to construct antagonists that are as despicable as they are humane. Henseligh directs the action scenes in ways that the surroundings breathe. There's no relentless cutting, nor is there any reason to make them too stylized, this is old-school 1970's maverick filmmaking. A can't miss sequence is when Castle fights a hired Russian assassin in one of the most brutal, exciting and visceral fights I have ever seen. Think "Death Wish" or "Dirty Harry" and you'll get a feel of what it's like watching "The Punisher" at its punchiest.
Reviews were much maligned when The Punisher came out in 2004, but, in retrospect, they were wrong. Times change and, after a hundred or so comic book adaptations, Jonathan Hensleigh's vision of what a comic book movie should be like has aged like fine wine. Maybe it's time for more people to give this harrowing adaptation a second look because, if anything, its relevance lies in exposing the darkness of the human heart.
Daniel Kaluuya took a sabbatical from acting back in 2022. There have been many theories as to why, but the important thing is he’s finally back, starring in this fall’s Chris Rock-directed “Misty Green.”