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The Punisher is never mentioned when discussing early superhero films. Most likely because it was never released theatrically in the united states, and was overshadowed by another comic book movie released in 1989 that was the most successful movie of the year. It eventually got a home video release in 1991, and played non-stop on TBS in the mid nineties. To answer the question, no, this is not the best on screen version of the Punisher, but it is better than this. And this. It opens with a long crawl down a sewer with random colorful characters, and a bizarrely disorienting opening credits. Early producer credit from Stan Lee. It starts with a RoboCop style news announcement giving us some exposition about the death of Frank Castle and his family, and the acquittal of the mob boss accused of the crime. It also mentions the punisher, who has killed 125 people in the past 5 years. (clip: if a man is innocent, blah blah) Meanwhile, on a crowded street filled with cameras and reporters, a man who looks exactly like Frank Castle and is riding a motorcycle with knives in his boots that have punisher skulls on them, casually rides past. Back at the mob mansion, the goons search the house to make sure it’s clear. Nope, he’s not in this tiny closet with zero space for any possible human being to actually hide. Castle takes out the goons with ease, showcasing his killing skills. He is presented as a boogeyman type figure that the criminals are afraid of. Mobsters are to Frank Castle, as horny teenagers are to Michael Myers. I'm not sure why the punisher exposes himself here, other than for a badass reveal for the audience. After he takes out the last of the crime goons, we get a nice tracking shot through the sewers, with an inner monologue of Frank Castle’s thoughts, culminating with a shot of his ball sack from behind, and the first look at his painted on beard. He’s remembering the death of his family, and that’s all the backstory we need for this character. The punisher’s motivations are so instinctual in all of us that we don’t need some elaborate origin story. His family was murdered by criminals, so he is going to take revenge on everyone. Boom. Done. We’re then introduced to Frank’s old partner, Louis Gosset Junior as Jake, a curmudgeon who is tired of people getting into his shit, and not believing his theory that Frank and the Punisher are one and the same. (I was the hooker!) - Nice. Jake teams up with a partner who believes his punisher theory, and they attempt to track him down. Gianni Franco arrives into town to run things for the crime family after the mansion massacre. Does the media still interview mob bosses when they get off of planes? Or was that just an eighties thing? Speaking of eighties things: come on vannnnnishhhh We meet Franco’s son, and I like that they show them as a normal loving family, that jokes and cares about each other. To this kid, his dad is just a normal guy. They don’t devolve too far into mobster stereotypes. It plays out well later when he is kidnapped. Castle’s ear to the streets is an alcoholic thespian, who likes to speak in rhymes. Can you really not grab that bottle dude? We finally get our full reveal of Mr Hulk Hogan beard in all of his glory. Lundgren brings a great physicality to the role, towering over everyone with his giant frame and head. He is playing the punisher in a very subdued manner. I actually like what they’ve done with his costume, he looks and acts like a guy that lives in the sewer. (look at the size of that monster) Dressed in black dungy clothes, always in the shadows with smoke and fog surrounding him. Again, better than this. His alcoholic informant’s tip leads him to the docks where a shipment of the white lady is supposed to arrive. The Yakuza show up to steal the powder, and Frank shows up with a crossbow? Not my first choice, but I haven’t killed 125 people in 5 years, so what do I know? (You’re 15 minutes late you stupid dickhead) God I wish I could say this to so many people. Oh, that’s why you decided on the crossbow. That’s why you’re the goat. So Frank kills a bunch of people on the dock. The Yakuza and the Italians have a meeting. The Yakuza kidnap the mob boss’s children. Blah blah blah, yada yada yada But the yakuza kidnapping children is a sore point for Frank Castle. So he attacks the Yakuza’s wallet, destroying a casino, saying every day the kids are missing is going to cost them money. He gets another hot tip from his alcoholic thespian that the kids are being held in a creepy, abandoned carnival. Look at those awesome glasses. But surprise! It’s a yakuza trap. It does set up another cool action setpiece where they are sliding down the slides with uzis and they use the spinning floor for a fight scene. Castle’s eventually captured after getting his ass beat, and taken for some old fashioned torturing. He of course breaks free and the scene ends with this weird moment where he puts one of his captors on the rack and he is wearing red high heels? He breaks into the hideout where the kids are being held hostage, and performs a way too easy escape considering how valuable the kids are. But of course the head mobster’s son is being held in a different area, and when Frank goes back for him they are separated. Castle says fuck it, I’ll deal with it later and takes off. A pretty lame bus chase ensues, with Dolph Lundgren doing his best attempt at an Indiana Jones impression, except for the part where this guy actually jumps through the windshield of the moving bus! Holy shit. The eighties, man. Eventually Castle is arrested, and his old partner Jake comes to pay him a visit. He tries to preach to him about the morality of his killings or some shit, but Castle isn’t having it. Louis Gosset Jr gives the movie some much needed credibility and gravitas. He is great in this role, adding depth to a character trying to reason with a broken down man. (Frank is dead, alright?) And Dolph looks like he’s been living in the sewers for 5 years. I can’t imagine what he smells like. He is broken out of the paddy wagon by Franco’s goons, and told to help him get his son back or he’ll kill his buddy Jake. I get you don’t want the body armor, but what about an acid washed jean jacket with the sleeves rolled up? Still no? Once we get into the Yakuza high rise we get to see Castle really be the punisher. There are some genuinely cool parts of this final scene. (butterfly knife). Apparently they really struck each other to add some realism to the fighting. I don’t know, I’m not buying it. These moves look pretty choreographed to me. The punisher does not wear his trademark skull at all during the movie. I feel like it is a missed opportunity, but at the same time I’m not sure it would have worked with what they were trying to do. Don’t get me wrong, this movie is pretty cheesy, but it took itself very seriously, and I don’t think a guy living in the sewer with nothing on his mind except murder would take the time to paint a skull on his shirt. The climax involves lady Tanaka holding a knife to Franco’s son’s throat. There are some cool touches here, like Lada Tanaka’s daughter and protector being mute. She gets a pretty good fight with Castle, which ends exactly how you would expect when you are going up against a 6 foot 5 inch hoss that is well versed in all forms of killing. This movie has no problem killing women, or putting children right in the middle of some extreme violence. Like watching your dad be forced to put a gun in his mouth to off himself. And, eventually being killed at the hands of the punisher right in front of you. This guy should’ve enlisted the help of the one armed man to kill Castle. This movie is an underrated gem. Yes, it is cheesy as hell. But it’s also entertaining as hell. I would have loved to see them make a series of these with Dolph in the early 90’s.