Fixing Punisher:War Zone

[Balthus Dire]

Yeah it sucks that they killed Micro. I'd argue he's come back from the dead before in the comics but he full out got his brains blown out in PWZ so...

 

[S. Grundy]

Like I've said before how he was written in the leaked script was much better. It was actually a more heartbreaking (I guess that would be the word) end to his little character arc, alone grieving and realizing he betrayed Frank for no reason in the end.

 

[Team Andino]

The more I think about it the more I like Ray Stevenson as Punisher an it pisses me off knowing he deserved to be in a better Punisher movie then this.

 

[citizenpain]

eminem is on the cover of the july 2009 issue of xxl, rocking a punisher tattoo on his chest. obviously made up for the cover. however, the cover also says something about a punisher comic inside featuring eminem. wtf?

http://thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/shady-is-back-eminem-covers

http://thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/more-excerpts-from-eminems-xxl

 

[S. Grundy]

That is pretty crazy, I've been looking online to see if anyone scanned but no luck.

 

[Balthus Dire]

His eyes look horrifying in that photo.

 

[S. Grundy]

He's probably on the goofballs.

 

[Thundarr]

On the other hand, I'm not sure if I agree on making Pittsy and Ink more like in the comics. We've already got Loony Bin Jim pretty much playing a combination of the two, and even if he cooled it off that'd still be one messed-up group. Sure, Pittsy wasn't OUR Pittsy, but I think the guy who played him in the movie did a good job.

True enough. But if they were going to make them simple cannon fodder for Frank, then they should've just been given generic names rather than ones from the books. Then should they make a sequel they can use "the real" Ink and Pittsy.

One other minor quibble I have over the film was Frank killing Ink by punching a hole right through his face. That was a little much. I would have gone with Frank snapping Ink's neck, driving the bridge of his nose into his brain, or waiting for him to snort some coke and then shoving the spoon up his nose and into his brain. Any of those would've been just as effective and not nearly as corny.

 

[Balthus Dire]

True enough. But if they were going to make them simple cannon fodder for Frank, then they should've just been given generic names rather than ones from the books. Then should they make a sequel they can use "the real" Ink and Pittsy.

It doesn't really matter now anyway because it's not like Pitsy and Ink would ever have a chance of showing up in a Punisher movie again. Or any character for that matter.

 

[Threshold]

I'm in the middle of watching P:WZ at the moment and completely loving it! It's so friggin' crazy it works!

 

[Punisher Rising]

I finally re-watched PWZ and enjoyed it. Now while I do like the 2004 film the best so far and also prefer Thomas Jane as The Punisher, this film was a fun romp and I think Ray Stevenson is more than a worthy successor to Jane and makes the role his own. I would prefer if Jane returned but I've got no objections whatsoever to Stevenson returning. This movie felt close to the tone of Welcome Back, Frank with it's tone and style, but with the extreme violence and gore of the Max series (as well as The Punisher being very in-tune with the Max version). The action scenes were all very cool and I enjoyed Jigsaw in this film. I know he was over the top but IMO he was OTT in a good way and I think he was still menacing and evil enough and his humor didn't eclipse his evilness. I felt Microchip was also great and wished we saw more of him, and it's unfortunate that unless we get flashbacks, he won't be seen again in the PWZ continuity (those of you who've seen the film know what I mean).

If I have any gripes, I felt some of the liberties it took with some of the characters from the Max series was too much (Maginty being a big part of Kitchen Irish and reduced to a galloping thug here and a KI arc in a film can't be done without him. Likewise, wasting Tiberiu Balat from The Slavers was another mistake, and NO WAY can a Slavers arc be done without him). I also hated the CG gore and felt it took away from the impact of the violence, sometimes. And like I said earlier, Micro was underused. But overall PWZ was a pretty entertaining effort and it earns a solid 7/10 from me. While one day I hope we get a sequel to the 2004 film with Jane back, I'd be content with the Punisher film series having it's own continuity established starting with this film, too.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

It's a head scratcher. The Punisher should be one of the easiest movies to make, yet Marvel has failed to strike gold three times.

I actually think Punisher is one of the harder characters to make a movie out of, which is why they've swung and missing three times now. The Punisher is just too one-dimensional as a character, he really has no life outside of killing people. It's really just kill a bunch of people, reload, go out and kill a bunch more, there's no moral code or rules he lives by. That said, watched War Zone last night and absolutely hated it, it was just total crap. Sure Stevenson makes a good Punisher, but Jigsaw and Looney Bin Jim kill this film, way too cartoonish. I was maybe gonna give this movie 2/5 stars, but then the recruiting montage came up and drove that rating into the ground. Glad I got it through Netflix and didn't pay $10 for this garbage.

 

[Balthus Dire]

The Punisher is just too one-dimensional as a character, he really has no life outside of killing people.

This always floors me. I seriously have a hard time believing that anyone who says something like this has actually read a Punisher comic in the last 10 years.

 

[S. Grundy]

Yeah, you gotta wonder. But, I think that's exactly what the people behind the scenes thought regarding PWZ when making it.

 

[Balthus Dire]

Yeah, you gotta wonder. But, I think that's exactly what the people behind the scenes thought regarding PWZ when making it.

IMO, it has it's "soft" moments here and there. Granted, PWZ is more of a violent action-romp but I don't think it's completely devoid of heart and soul.

I did watch 04 Punisher yesterday for the first time in a while, and while I still think Punisher is too soft in that film, it definitely has more heart than PWZ. I care more about TJ's character than Stevenson's, even though I think Stevenson was much better suited for the role. It's in the writing, I guess.

Both films have their strengths and weaknesses if you ask me.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I cant see a sequel ever coming of this, the movie has only just passed $9 million in domestic dvd sales, with the poor BO returns, I think a sequel is unlikely, and I think its going to be a LONG wait before another Punisher movie. Shame, I would have liked to see Barracuda in a sequel.

 

[returntovoid]

The violence of PWZ was too ridiculous, I mean, it just makes me laugh whenever I think of it....

 

[S. Grundy]

IMO, it has it's "soft" moments here and there. Granted, PWZ is more of a violent action-romp but I don't think it's completely devoid of heart and soul.

I did watch 04 Punisher yesterday for the first time in a while, and while I still think Punisher is too soft in that film, it definitely has more heart than PWZ. I care more about TJ's character than Stevenson's, even though I think Stevenson was much better suited for the role. It's in the writing, I guess.

Both films have their strengths and weaknesses if you ask me.

The extended cut I think adds more edge, and kinda makes him more of a sociopath. But, yeah they both have their strengths and weaknesses; but PWZ, for me has more weaknesses though.

 

[returntovoid]

PWZ had nauseating violence like horror movies and had that unnecessary organ eating freak Looney Bin Jim, a character which they created.

This movie should have had that serious epic crime film tone of The Godfather, the brutal 80's style action with s**t load of shooting like First Blood, Predator and the climax of Scarface.

Instead we got the lame silent gun that explodes people, the violence did not give excitement, it gave nausea.

 

[rogue trooper]

This movie should have had that serious epic crime film tone of The Godfather, the brutal 80's style action with s**t load of shooting like First Blood, Predator and the climax of Scarface.

LOL!! I'm sorry, it's just that..... well, see, this is why there's never gonna be a Punisher film that pleases everybody, I'm affraid.t:

I'm just glad that we atleast got two Punisher films that captured some strong essence of what the character is about. In their own right, they're both very solid, entertaining action flicks. The Punisher(2004) captured Gerry Conway's version of the character in "Death Sentence"(1976, first story his origin was told) and "Punisher Year One"; PWZ captured Garth Ennis' version in "Welcome Back, Frank" and "The Exclusive"(he fought midget gangsters in this one and Wolverine. Hysterical story). That's how I see them.

 

[Balthus Dire]

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

On re-watch, I find myself disliking PWZ more and more to be honest, Stevenson is great, but the bad guys are just so annoying and often poorly acted, they really bring the movie down.

 

[The Guard]

Annoying, yes. Poorly acted, no.

 

[Matt Mortem]

If they would have toned down the gore, the movie would have been a bit better. Oh and I noticed a mistake that makes it even more difficult to watch the film, when they're in the house of the FBI guy's family and the Punisher shoots that one Jigsaw associate in the head with the shotty while he's holding the little girl you can definetly tell that's a dummy. Completely ruined the movie from then on

 

[rogue trooper]

If they would have toned down the gore, the movie would have been a bit better.

I couldn't dissagree more. This is one of the highlights of the film.