Ray Stevenson on Punisher'04

[Joe Von Zombie]

Did you find yourself watching the two previous attempts at bringing Frank to the screen?

Ray: I only watched one of them afterwards because there was a bit of hoo-hah and I thought, "I better watch it in case I'm asked about it." Because I didn't want to be the guy who says, "No, I never watched it." I did! And, having finished the film, I asked myself, "Well, what is going on here?" It was set in Florida. It's a different version. We made the commitment to have Frank as a nighttime predator; a vigilante in the streets of New York. He doesn't have a souped-up car. That's a choice we made. Also, I don't think that script served the cast or the fans that well. I left the movie knowing more and caring more about John Travolta's character and his relationship with his wife and his sons and his best friends. How his life had been sort of decimated. But I didn't really leave knowing that much about Frank or caring that much about Frank. That comes down to script. Tom Jane is a great actor but you can't play it if it's not there. But it had its outing. It wasn't a bad film. It was a good film but they committed to something other than what we committed to. It's as simple as that. And who's to say what's right or wrong? This one might work now but further down the road you might say, "Enough of this." We want him a bit more superhero-ey. You know what I mean? Who knows? There are a lot of stories -- a lot of threads -- on which we can draw and there's some fantastic stuff. I love the Slavers. The uncompromising attitude there. There's also getting Frank out of the states. When he goes to Afghanistan. "Man of Stone" and what have you. His relationship with the SES guy. More importantly, the girl. The ex-wife of the double agent. What a female character that is! Again, it's just uncompromising. It's just so in-your-face. And it's not like she's not feminine. She's all-woman. There are great characters that could be played out. Widowmaker as well. The wives of all the men that Frank has put down. There are ways to go. A lot of stories we can draw on.

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/interviews/article.asp/aid/10042/tcid/1

 

[[A]]

Yeah, I agree with the guy. Punisher 04 was a good movie, but not a good Punisher movie. Something like that. You get it. Don't you?

 

[Joker]

I think it was a good movie, and a good Punisher movie. Unlike Rays movie, which is bad on both counts.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

I think it was a good movie, and a good Punisher movie. Unlike Rays movie, which is bad on both counts.

So you've seen Ray's movie?

 

[Joker]

Yes, I work at a theater and went and sat in on the PACKED (4 whole people!) midnight showing after I got off work.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Yes, I work at a theater and went and sat in on the PACKED (4 whole people!) midnight showing after I got off work.

Fair enough

 

[Punisher1975]

Funny I went to a Midnight showing here in Chicago and it was packed, at least 150-200 people were there. I loved the movie myself..only thing I really liked about the 2004 version was Thomas Jane...but Ray Stevenson was a better Frank by far and I was one of the doubters in the beginning. But everyone has different tastes I guess.

 

[bloodpack]

to each its own (was that the right saying?)
i mean, each has its own qualities/uniqueness as well as dolph's punisher

 

[Punisher RULES]

Ray is one cool dude.

 

[Kable24]

All 3 had great parts and all 3 had bad parts. None are great Punisher movies.

 

[Shon]

Funny I went to a Midnight showing here in Chicago and it was packed, at least 150-200 people were there. I loved the movie myself..only thing I really liked about the 2004 version was Thomas Jane...but Ray Stevenson was a better Frank by far and I was one of the doubters in the beginning. But everyone has different tastes I guess.

So everyone who saw the movie in the big city of Chicago went to one spot to watch it? A movie that made so little on Thursday-night/Friday you cannot even find box office stats on it anywhere.

 

[Joker]

Those 150-200 people were the only ones in all of Chicago to see it, apparently, looking at the box office returns.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

"I left the movie knowing more and caring more about John Travolta's character and his relationship with his wife and his sons and his best friends. How his life had been sort of decimated. But I didn't really leave knowing that much about Frank or caring that much about Frank. "

Oddly enough, this is how most of Ennis' stories are constructed; ya know, the guy whose work inspired this flick. You get a six-issue story that takes the time to build up the criminals in question, their associations and what not, and then spends maybe the last two or three on Punny breaking them down one by one till nothing's left.