Crime and "Punisher"

Figuring out exactly what went wrong with "Punisher: War Zone" is a little like trying to piece together the cause of a plane crash. And much like the typical plane crash, there is not just one fault, but rather a series of faults that all contribute to a cascading failure of epic proportions.

The mythology of the Punisher character should actually translate well to film, a fact that is clearly not lost on Hollywood, where three attempts have now been made to realize this popular comic book title on screen. The story of Frank Castle, a former Special Forces operative turned vigilante after seeing his family brutally slaughtered could be not only an exciting thriller but also an interesting exploration into the cost and futility of seeking vengeance. However, this would require a sense of nuance that has clearly eluded the writing team of Nick Santora ("Prison Break"), Art Marcum ("Iron Man"), and Matt Holloway ("Iron Man"). Avoiding even the smallest effort to imbue their characters with any sense of humanity, they fall back on a roster that includes every stereotype of cop, mobster, sidekick, damsel in distress, etc.

That being said, the writing is not the end of the problem - the acting actually manages to take this mundane script down a peg or two. Apparently seeking to emulate such screen luminaries as Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane, Ray Stevenson, who did commendable work on HBO's "Rome" series, gives us a Frank Castle so wooden that it is completely impossible to care a whit about what has or will happen to him. The only thing about his performance that leaps off the screen is his obvious sense of boredom which, while justifiable considering the material, doesn't do much to pull the audience into the action. On the other end of the spectrum, Dominic West and Doug Hutchison, playing Jigsaw and Looney Bin Jim, go so over-the-top with their performances that it's hard not to feel somewhat embarrassed for them. It's a relief when any of their scenes are over. On a stranger note, the entire cast seemed to be in some sort of competition to see who could come up with the strangest and most inappropriate accent including, but not limited to, Boston, New York, Italian, and a (possibly) Jamaican with a (possibly) Scottish brogue. [For the record, my vote goes to the Jamaican]

Back in the 70's and 80's it was common for 'comic book movies' to be poorly made, poorly written, poorly acted messes but as we have recently seen from the likes of "X-Men" and "The Dark Knight" this certainly does not have to be the case. Unfortunately, it would seem that the people behind "Punisher: War Zone" didn't get the memo.