Life In Four Colors: Movie Review
It was a snowy day where I live, today. That slowed my drive to the theatre to catch Punisher War Zone down a little bit. I was supposed to meet two friends there to watch the film about fifteen minutes before the movie and I was running about ten minutes late.
I wanted to get there before they paid for their tickets. The reason being is that everything I heard about this move was that it was disastrous. I mean literally in the twenty four hours that had passed since the film's debut at local theatres, press, the internet, and word of mouth was just dreadful.
I didn't hear one good thing about the film.
Being late...one guy (Chris Metzger) had already gotten there before me and paid for his ticket before I could give him a heads up. The second friend (Tim Shady) was running later than I was and I didn't get a chance to warn him either...he paid for his ticket and crept into the theatre during the new Underworld trailer(Rise of the Lycans...looked awesome...and after seeing the latest Spirit trailer I've decided I will go see that movie after all.)
Anyway....I didn't get a chance to warn Tim before he got in. I had already decided I was going to watch the film no matter what. Metzger felt the same way. Tim as well.
Two out of the three of us were glad we did. Two of us thought it was an action packed thrill ride that kicked much butt and took names , while the other guy thought it was "alright".
Personally I'm vouching for the movie and I'm already counting the days until I can add it to my movie collection.
I'm telling you right now, let the critics be hanged. This movie ranks up in my top five comic book adaptations. Just as good as the literal adaptations of 300 and Sin City Everything from Jigsaw, the Punisher's "real origin"and Micro...someone really did their research. A great start to the "official" Marvel Knights line of films.
And speaking of great starts...you don't have to wait long for the bullets to start flying in this thing. There were headshots galore and the dancing metal melody of shell casings hitting the floor...typical of any issue of the Punisher that you would pick up off the shelves in any comic book store. The makers of this film made this film for just those people (about time a comic film had the guts to cater to their true fan base).
They figured you already knew who this guy was and why he does what he does.....so they wasted no time with the touchy feely back story and pushed you back in your seat, clicked the safety off and let the action begin.
The visual look of the film felt true to the comics as well. Frank Castle looked more like Frank Castle than ever before. Jigsaw and Micro...once again dead on. The skull was more accurate on the body armor. There were scenes in the movie that if you didn't know better you would have thought that Tom Bradstreet or Mike Zeck worked up the story boards for. And as a plus the director managed to sneak the names of these two artists as well as the last name of Miller into the story as homage to the artists that have made the Punisher who he is today and as a little wink to those comic fans that would catch that stuff.
Make no mistake this is a COMIC BOOK film, and that the comic book of choice is the PUNISHER...a starring character in the MARVEL KNIGHTS line of comics. That said, you should know what you're getting when you walk through the door.
If the movie doesn't need dialogue ..there isn't going to be any dialogue. The body count is high....and there's language in this movie that has never been heard in a Marvel movie before.
But it's very true to the source material and I thank the makers of the film for that. I applaud them for details like the Russian mob using AK-47's and the Asian counterparts using high tech....submachine guns....and the good up boys in the streets of New York whipping out the Magnum's and the Smith and Wessons.
The Punisher is truly the Punisher for the first time in three different films made by three different movie companies and starring three different actors. He's a stone cold killing machine...with just a hint of the man he was before just below the surface.
If you're not a fan of the comics this movie is based on or inspired by....you're are not going to like this movie. It's just that simple. If you walk out of the theatre grumbling under your breath because you thought you wasted your money...I'm sorry.
I really feel it was you who missed the mark and not the Punisher.
On the other hand...if you know that book and that character enough to know that you're going to get....sick, twisted dark humor from the bad guys....and a good guy that knows when the day is done and when he lies down to die...he's going to be punished for his crimes as well.....but who is already down that road too far to turn back now. Check out this movie.
You will not be disappointed.
blog comments powered by Disqus