Lexi Script - My Review

[S. Grundy]

No offense guys, but unless you were on the crew you really have no idea what made it into the move and what didn't, or any changes that may have been made to the script.

That's what I said, I hope stuff was fixed within that 4 month period. Hopefully it's alittle more then name changes, and little set pieces.

Right now we are seriously in need of something to spark out interests again.

Is the ending at least climactic?

Yes and no. Details below, if you don't want to be spoiled don't read.

Spoiler

There's a shoot-out in a hotel with a bunch gang members, a fight with LBJ that seems alright, you could argue the fight with Jigsaw ends a bit anticlimactically. Frank slices an artery in Jigsaw's leg, and just as he's about to punch Frank; he swings, misses and dies. You get a nice line from Frank afterwards though.

 

[ObakeTora]

well, as ive said before, I hope to have my words eaten, but from what Ive seen so far thats severe wishful thinking.

 

[S. Grundy]

Just wondering anybody know where I can get a hold of Hensleigh's War Zone draft? I'd like to do a comparison with it.

 

[Brendan]

I have a copy if you're interested. I never got around to reading it but I still have the e-mail from the guy who sent it to me so all I have to do is forward it.

 

[S. Grundy]

Sent a PM.

 

[Kable24]

well, as ive said before, I hope to have my words eaten, but from what Ive seen so far thats severe wishful thinking.

I don't agree with you often, but this time we are on the same page.

 

[citizenpain]

Knowing what happens doesn't devalue anything. Going by the trailers I pretty much know what The Incredible Hulk is going to be about and how it will end, doesn't mean I'm not going to see it.

Reading what the action is going to be like and seeing it on screen are completely different. What I imagine in my head, might look completely different on screen.

i didn't even say reading the script devalues the film, i said it takes out the element of surprise from the film. knowing everything that's going to happen and all the dialogue in the film before it even occurs certainly leaves no surprises and now that you mention it, it does kind of devalue the film because you're judging it without having seen the finished product. you may be seeing something different in your head, but that devalues it even more cuz now you'll like it even less when it doesn't look like what you envisioned.

Maybe it's just me, but knowing what all the action scenes will consist of would pretty much wreck the excitement and surprise for me; regardless of whether it looks a little different on screen than you imagine it.

precisely.

well, as ive said before, I hope to have my words eaten, but from what Ive seen so far thats severe wishful thinking.

I don't agree with you often, but this time we are on the same page.

i've said this before, but... the interviews all hinted at a violent max-esque punisher but set in the marvel universe, which makes sense with characters like micro and jigsaw. it also explains the over-the-top violence... and we knew this wasn't going to the realistic gritty urban "taxi driver" type of film from the moment when it changed from punisher 2 to punisher: warzone.

don't get me wrong, i want to see that realistic gritty version of the punisher too. something more along the lines of "man on fire" or "death sentence." vietnam and central park and all, perhaps even based solely on the max comics. i don't know why that's so hard to pull off for these movie studios, or maybe it's just not what marvel wants, but just because warzone isn't that realistic and gritty punisher film doesn't mean it should be dismissed so easily, especially when nobody's even seen the damn thing yet.

 

[ObakeTora]

I wonder what a Punisher flick would be like if the rights did revert back to Marvel? Would Marvel do a Disney and open up a seperate studio for R rated content?

 

[S. Grundy]

I finished reading Hensleigh's first draft, it was pretty good far from perfect, it still needed a lot of work but the idea was right. It's really not that over the top, except maybe the Wal-Mart set piece, Russo's death is a hell of a lot more violent in this one.

-OK well, the pre-credit sequence is pretty cool, quick montages of Castle rise to infamy. Then to Texas where Castle hunts down two criminal brothers, keeping the western vibes from the '04.
-The attack on Cesare is better, shoots him in the head and walks out the door. Claymores and machine gun fire, just like the comic.
-A nice bit where Castle turns himself in so he can get to a pedophile.
-Castle engaging in multiple hits.
-Russo gets his face smashed into a mirror about half way in the script. It works for how the script is written, I kinda prefer Sutter's version though.
-They substituted Cavella for Russo.
-The "The Holy" sub plot, with the priest getting revenge is useless.
-Didn't really like the stuff with the FBI agent and her father.
-I don't know what to make of the Wal-Mart shoot out, it's violent.
-The fight with Pittsy is pretty ****ing crazy. Severe eye damage.

 

[Balthus Dire]

So, wait...Hensleigh's script, which everyone was *****ing about and saying it sucked hard, is actually more accurate to the comic?

That's....strange.

 

[S. Grundy]

i didn't even say reading the script devalues the film, i said it takes out the element of surprise from the film. knowing everything that's going to happen and all the dialogue in the film before it even occurs certainly leaves no surprises and now that you mention it, it does kind of devalue the film because you're judging it without having seen the finished product. you may be seeing something different in your head, but that devalues it even more cuz now you'll like it even less when it doesn't look like what you envisioned.

In this case I hope it is different then what I envisioned.

i've said this before, but... the interviews all hinted at a violent max-esque punisher but set in the marvel universe, which makes sense with characters like micro and jigsaw. it also explains the over-the-top violence... and we knew this wasn't going to the realistic gritty urban "taxi driver" type of film from the moment when it changed from punisher 2 to punisher: warzone.

To quote the CHUD review again, just because characters like Micro and Jigsaw are in this thing doesn't mean the movie has to scream "This is a COMIC BOOOOOK!!!" The violence is laughable, whereas I personally think it should make me go Holy **** and feel uncomfortable

I wonder what a Punisher flick would be like if the rights did revert back to Marvel? Would Marvel do a Disney and open up a seperate studio for R rated content?

It probably would've still been released as an R film under the Marvel Studios banner. I don't think there's anything that says all their movies need to be PG-13.

 

[S. Grundy]

So, wait...Hensleigh's script, which everyone was *****ing about and saying it sucked hard, is actually more accurate to the comic?

That's....strange.

There's actually a scene that they used in the comic where he ties up Daredevil and hands him a gun to stop him. Except, it's the FBI agent, whose story I didn't care for in the script.

It's only a first draft and far from perfect, need more work. But like I said above it had the right idea with the direction to take.

 

[ObakeTora]

and the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

 

[Balthus Dire]

There's actually a scene that they used in the comic where he ties up Daredevil and hands him a gun to stop him. Except, it's the FBI agent, whose story I didn't care for in the script.

It's only a first draft and far from perfect, need more work. But like I said above it had the right idea with the direction to take.

Yet TJ walked because of it. Interesting.

 

[S. Grundy]

Yet TJ walked because of it. Interesting.

Well, that was Hensleigh's first and only draft to my recollection. Different writers came on board to rewrite, Stuart Beattie did about 5 pages apparently before he moved on.

I think it was the Sutter/Marcum/Holloway rewrite, that he left on.

and the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

The hell does that mean.

 

[Wolverine11222]

holy nitpicking batman!

Relax, that wasn't the shooting script, lets wait for a trailer. Have you seen Hooligans? I have faith in Lexi Alexander.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVccoGgp0iU&feature=related

Now I'm sure the script for Hooligans would have sucked reading through it, but on screen-in motion it works. Imagine this Punisher script was a MAX arc written by Garth Ennis. Imagine it had art by Leonardo Fernandez. The chair thing, the tabel scene, the lobster, the hot butter, the fights, -they would all own. I think we're being a bit too negative, which is bad publicity for a film that might rock.

 

[S. Grundy]

holy nitpicking batman!

Relax, that wasn't the shooting script, lets wait for a trailer. Have you seen Hooligans? I have faith in Lexi Alexander.

Not nitpicking, it's a general critisim. And there was 4 months from the date on the script and when shooting started, so yeah changes have been made. Like I've said I'm guessing 90% of this script is in the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVccoGgp0iU&feature=related

Now I'm sure the script for Hooligans would have sucked reading through it, but on screen-in motion it works. Imagine this Punisher script was a MAX arc written by Garth Ennis. Imagine it had art by Leonardo Fernandez. The chair thing, the tabel scene, the lobster, the hot butter, the fights, -they would all own. I think we're being a bit too negative, which is bad publicity for a film that might rock.

Hooligans was mediocre in my view.

Garth Ennis did write that opening it was in MAX #1, only it wasn't ******ed.

 

[Kable24]

if there isn't a teaser trailer in theaters by the time the Hulk comes out, you can pretty much guarantee a direct to dvd release.

When I went and seen the Hulk in theaters they had a teaser for the 2004 Punisher. The first hulk came out in June 2003 and the Punisher came out in April 2004.

The Incredible Hulk comes out in June 2008 and there hasn't been anything of substance on the new Punisher that supposedly is getting released in December.


Repeat after me...Punisher Warzone is going direct to DVD.




In all honesty, I truly hope that I am made to eat my words on this. I have loved everything about the Punisher for over 20 years. But I just have absolutely no faith in LGF, Ray Stevenson and Marvel on this movie.

 

[Gotham]

if there isn't a teaser trailer in theaters by the time the Hulk comes out, you can pretty much guarantee a direct to dvd release.

When I went and seen the Hulk in theaters they had a teaser for the 2004 Punisher. The first hulk came out in June 2003 and the Punisher came out in April 2004.

The Incredible Hulk comes out in June 2008 and there hasn't been anything of substance on the new Punisher that supposedly is getting released in December.


Repeat after me...Punisher Warzone is going direct to DVD.




In all honesty, I truly hope that I am made to eat my words on this. I have loved everything about the Punisher for over 20 years. But I just have absolutely no faith in LGF, Ray Stevenson and Marvel on this movie.

I don't think they'd do that. The film could be abosolute gold. Remember, The Incredible Hulk took a very long time for its first trailer.

 

[Kable24]

I don't think they'd do that. The film could be abosolute gold. Remember, The Incredible Hulk took a very long time for its first trailer.

But that is a movie that needs lots of post production with the cgi. The Punisher shouldn't. They should have a teaser cut together within a couple weeks of principle being done.

 

[Balthus Dire]

In all honesty, I truly hope that I am made to eat my words on this.

Don't worry, you will.

 

[S. Grundy]

At this point, I'll settle for a shot of West as Jigsaw. At least show something, I recall Bradstreet saying he saw a bunch production photos a while back.

 

[Cagefighterkip]

At this point, I'll settle for a shot of West as Jigsaw. At least show something, I recall Bradstreet saying he saw a bunch production photos a while back.

we NEED a jigsaw PIC!!!!!

 

[citizenpain]

i'm not usually one to complain but we really do need at least some sort of new picture or poster for the movie because things are getting pretty desperate around here with people picking apart the script.

 

[cthulhu]

Agreed - the script is by the same guys who worked on Iron man which was very good so shouldn't be too bad but we really need a teaser or something just to show us ray as the character. There has got to be a trailer by the hulk so hopefully in the next month... please!