`89 Punisher

[Catman]

This movie gets more hate than it deserves. As an action movie...it works. It was directed by Mark Goldblatt whose one of the top 5 best editors of the action genre and James Cameron's right-hand man. The dude understands the genre and delivered the goods. Is it a great movie? No, but neither were the other two Punisher movies.

Also, I kinda like Dolph Lundgren's Punisher the best. His interpretation was to play the character as a crazy person. He'll kill anybody. Tom Jane and Ray Stevenson showed a little more humanity with their performance. Lundgren, however, was on an emotion-less killing spree. Plus, the dude lives in the sewers, like a Ninja Turtle, and sits around naked talking to God! What the. . .?

By the way, I find it funny that Stan Lee got hired as a consultant even though he didn't even create the character. lol.

 

[cryptic name]

it has one of the best lines from any comic book movie, and one that is so purely PUNISHER that it's insane.

Berkowitz- What the hell do you call 125 murders in 5 years?!

Frank Castle- Work in progress.

the movie would jump up several opinion points if they bothered to throw the skull onto the costume.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

I love this movie.

I'm a huge Dolph fan.

Masters of the Universe, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Universal Soldier, Red Scorpion, I Come In Peace, etc. I love 'em all. t:

 

[SurfDUI]

I still dig this movie- and Dolph was a huge star @ the time.

The Yakuza! Forgetaboutit

The whole end sequence, with the red light and the end with him telling the mobsters kid he'd be back 4 him if...

I still have the movie poster, ill take a pic of it.
Best line- "Try the chaser" BLAM!

 

[Eggyman]

I love this movie.

I'm a huge Dolph fan.

Masters of the Universe, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Universal Soldier, Red Scorpion, I Come In Peace, etc. I love 'em all. t:

And you go in pieces

 

[Brian Braddock]

I love this movie.

I'm a huge Dolph fan.

Masters of the Universe, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Universal Soldier, Red Scorpion, I Come In Peace, etc. I love 'em all. t:

Finally, I am amongst my Brethren.

To anyone who ever doubts Dolph's acting ability - I'll simply tell them to go watch Pentathlon.

 

[Brian Braddock]

This movie gets more hate than it deserves. As an action movie...it works. It was directed by Mark Goldblatt whose one of the top 5 best editors of the action genre and James Cameron's right-hand man. The dude understands the genre and delivered the goods. Is it a great movie? No, but neither were the other two Punisher movies.

Also, I kinda like Dolph Lundgren's Punisher the best. His interpretation was to play the character as a crazy person. He'll kill anybody. Tom Jane and Ray Stevenson showed a little more humanity with their performance. Lundgren, however, was on an emotion-less killing spree. Plus, the dude lives in the sewers, like a Ninja Turtle, and sits around naked talking to God! What the. . .?

By the way, I find it funny that Stan Lee got hired as a consultant even though he didn't even create the character. lol.

Agree completely; I'd normally post a bit more than that in response but you've basically covered all the bases.

Well, apart from the score - the score (especially the opening credits) is awesome. I just wish I was able to get ahold of it.

 

[DarthDaveBanner]

I'm pretty sure that if Dolph's costume did feature the skull then people would give this movie the respect it deserves.

 

[Shuley]

The Punisher doesn't work on film simply because The Punisher is a one dimentional character, his family was killed and now he's a killing machine...that's all there is to the punisher.

 

[Brian Braddock]

In your opinion.

My opinion is, by your flawed logic, Death Wish doesnt work either; hell, most any revenge flick ever made wouldnt either for that matter.

The themes of retribution and revenge has been ever-present in life and in drame throughout the ages.

 

[The Guard]

This movie may have delved deeper into the actual psychological issues behind Castle's war on crime than any other, and in fact, more than many of the comics at the time.

I think, had there been a different actor portraying Frank's partner, and a little less silliness in Punisher's rescue of the children, this would be a pretty good film. Had there been a Punisher van and Micro, it would have been above average. I love certain parts of it.

 

[Brian Braddock]

As do I. Favourite scenes in the movie being the harbour shootout and the brawl with the ninjas in the funhouse.

I also still look at pictures of Dolph as Frank and marvel at the uncanny likeness to Jim Lee's Punisher.

 

[bullets]

I saw this movie when I was younger and didn't know it was based on Punisher. I'm going to have to watch this again . Punisher or not , It's a crazy movie.

 

[Kable24]

This movie gets more hate than it deserves. As an action movie...it works. It was directed by Mark Goldblatt whose one of the top 5 best editors of the action genre and James Cameron's right-hand man. The dude understands the genre and delivered the goods. Is it a great movie? No, but neither were the other two Punisher movies.

Also, I kinda like Dolph Lundgren's Punisher the best. His interpretation was to play the character as a crazy person. He'll kill anybody. Tom Jane and Ray Stevenson showed a little more humanity with their performance. Lundgren, however, was on an emotion-less killing spree. Plus, the dude lives in the sewers, like a Ninja Turtle, and sits around naked talking to God! What the. . .?

By the way, I find it funny that Stan Lee got hired as a consultant even though he didn't even create the character. lol.

It is a good 80's action movie and Dolph definitely played the 80's style Punisher perfectly. It definitely has it's flaws, but there is some awesome lines and scenes in the movie that stand out as some of the best. It's not my favorite Punisher movie, but it holds a place in my DVD collection.

The Punisher doesn't work on film simply because The Punisher is a one dimentional character, his family was killed and now he's a killing machine...that's all there is to the punisher.

Spoken like someone who doesn't get the character at all.

 

[Shuley]

It is a good 80's action movie and Dolph definitely played the 80's style Punisher perfectly. It definitely has it's flaws, but there is some awesome lines and scenes in the movie that stand out as some of the best. It's not my favorite Punisher movie, but it holds a place in my DVD collection.



Spoken like someone who doesn't get the character at all.

What is there to get? His military background? OK ya that's really deep. Punish the guilty? Ok we're really getting deep now!! No matter what his background is, He's an army of one running around the streets of NYC killing people that commit crimes.

 

[The Guard]

I saw this movie when I was younger and didn't know it was based on Punisher. I'm going to have to watch this again . Punisher or not , It's a crazy movie.

Did you know it was called THE PUNISHER at the time?

 

[Shuley]

I remember hearing about The Punisher 89' before it was released

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Punisher would work better as a late night series on HBO or something.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

The skull does make an appearance on the shirt at some point except they use black paint to put it on there. Let's paint a black skull on a black shirt.

I liked this version.

 

[S. Grundy]

It is a good 80's action movie and Dolph definitely played the 80's style Punisher perfectly. It definitely has it's flaws, but there is some awesome lines and scenes in the movie that stand out as some of the best. It's not my favorite Punisher movie, but it holds a place in my DVD collection.

Pretty much, Goldblatt's been wanting to put out his personal directors cut of it out, but he doesn't know who owns the rights, which sucks.

Also, it's weird that a 1989 Dolph Lundgren movie has less broad acting in it than PWZ, it's a real headscratcher.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

It had Dolph and LOU GOSSETT Jr. The coolest black bald guy ever in hollywood movies. I don't care what Samuel L Jackson tries to say.

 

[bullets]

Did you know it was called THE PUNISHER at the time?

I didn't see the movie from the very beginning either.

 

[Catman]

Well, apart from the score - the score (especially the opening credits) is awesome. I just wish I was able to get ahold of it.

I didn't care much for the score to be honest.

 

[co2]

I'll actually put a positive spin on this comment, if you hang with it.

It's not a good movie. But it's not really much worse than War Zone. Hell, it's not even a great deal worse than Punisher '04 which was decent.

It's funny because I think the best out of the 3 is '04, but Thomas Jane was probably the worst Frank. Skull shirt or not, I think Dolph was a better Castle. Not as good as Stevens, but better than Jane.

 

[Catman]

All three Punisher movies are ALMOST an equal in quality. `89 Punisher may not have been the best adaptation but it was a darn good action movie. `04 Punisher was a decent adaptation but it did not impressive in the action department. It was okay. War Zone had awesome action scenes, but the story was WAY too cliche.