The Punisher (2008)
“Punisher: War Zone” is a 2008 vigilante action-thriller film based on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher. It is directed by Lexi Alexander and stars Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher. The film is a reboot rather than a sequel to the 2004 film “The Punisher” and follows Frank Castle’s war against crime and corruption, specifically targeting the disfigured mob boss Billy “Jigsaw” Russotti, played by Dominic West.
The movie was released in North America by Lionsgate on December 5, 2008, and in the United Kingdom by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 6, 2009. It received negative reviews from critics and was considered a box-office bomb, grossing $10 million worldwide.
“Punisher: War Zone” received mixed to negative reviews from critics. While some praised the action sequences and Ray Stevenson’s portrayal of the Punisher, others criticized the film for its excessive violence and lack of depth in storytelling.
The film holds a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 131 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The critical consensus on the site states, “Punisher: War Zone recalls the excessively violent, dialogue-challenged actioners of the 1980s, and coincidentally feels two decades out of date.”
Roger Ebert, in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, described the film as “a movie without a brain” and criticized its excessive violence.
“Punisher: War Zone” is a 2008 vigilante action-thriller film based on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher. Directed by Lexi Alexander and starring Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle, the film follows the Punisher’s war against crime and corruption, particularly targeting the mob boss Billy “Jigsaw” Russotti.
