Posts Tagged ‘Punisher: War Zone’
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The joke for this comic comes straight out of the conversation we had during Monday’s recording of The Triple Feature movie podcast. It’s my line, though. So no one is getting ripped off. The more I started thinking about these reports about Ray Stevenson’s performance, the more fun I thought I could have with it in comic form. So, there you have it.
Punisher: War Zone comes out this weekend and I guess the third time is the charm? Kind of weird there have been as many Punisher movies as there has been Spider-Man films, don’t you think?
Truthfully, I don’t understand how the first two movies could have failed. The Punisher is a revenge archetype. The only made – what? – a dozen or so Death Wish movies with Charles Bronson, right? Just crib a few plays from them.
I liked Thomas Jane as The Punisher in the last movie, so it’s a shame they couldn’t bring him back. Too bad they decided to transplant Frank Castle to Miami for no good reason in that one. I’m glad they’re bringing things back to New York for Punisher: War Zone. And Ray Stevenson has the look down cold.
I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will by a hyper-violent turd burger. But I’m still psyched to see it because I’m curious how close they can get to doing it right. The teasers and the production photos are on the right track – even if Dominic West as the villain Jigsaw looks stupid. I’m also kind of encouraged by the fact that the most violent, bare-knuckle, no-holds-barred Punisher movie was directed by a woman – Lexi Alexander. Incidentally, she used to be a World Karate and Kickboxing Champion. How bad-ass is that? Her and semi-pro boxer Uwe Boll should have a chat.
So, yeah. Even though the movie will most likely be completely without a plot, over-the-top with a nu-metal, ‘roid rage sensibility… I’m looking forward to it. They’re using a lot of visual references from the comics – Specifically the work of Tim Bradstreet – and they’ve got Wayne Knight as The Punisher’s weapons supplier and intel guy Microchip! If you read any Punisher stories from the 90’s, you know what a great character that guy was.
Anyway, I’ll give you the rundown of the movie next week.
In the meantime, check out this interactive comic book for Punisher: War Zone that the studio – Lionsgate – produced in promotion with the film. The comic establishes the Punisher’s background and the final chapter is a teaser for the film. It’s good, pulpy fun.
That’s it for me! Have a great Wednesday!
Oh… and if you didn’t visit the site yesterday, I posted the strip that was intended to go live on Monday but was delayed due to a broken scanner. Don’t forget to check that out as well!
Thanks!
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I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Jared is someone in the comic I like to characterize as keeping his lunacy just below the surface. He’s the guy who could snap at any moment, but he treats it like it’s common knowledge. It could all be a front, but you’re never quite sure. He’s kind of like Creed from The Office with the creepiness factor dialed down.
I kind of wanted to leave it open to interpretation in this strip as to whether Jared regularly packs heat when he goes to the theater or if this really was an accessory to his viewing of Punsiher: War Zone.
Truthfully, I just wanted another excuse to draw The Punisher’s death’s head symbol. It’s just so damn imposing. Probably one of the top 5 design choices in comics, if you ask me.
Reviews are starting to surface for Punisher: War Zone and the consensus is pretty much what you’d expect. It’s shot very well, but it’s violence and tone is repulsive. Read this review from Roger Ebert. It expertly describes what makes the movie difficult to endure, but it actually makes me want to see it more!
I feel a little bit guilty about this because I think the movie is pandering to it’s audience by making the violence so graphic and I’ve been totally suckered by it. Essentially, Punisher: War Zone is torture porn for the action movie crowd. For someone like myself who has been a vocal critic of films like Saw and Hostel, it’s completely hypocritical for me to be so excited about Punisher: War Zone.
I was sent a promotional link that I’m reluctant to share because it is VERY, VERY graphic and I try to keep things PG-13 around here. But I’ve pretty much endorsed the film anyway and the clip does a very good job of illustrating my point. What I’m linking to is basically the reddest of red band trailers. You will see people shot in the face, people whose head’s are blown clean from their bodies and critic blurbs that use four-letter words. In other words, if you are very young or you are accessing the site from work, THIS CLIP IS NOT FOR YOU!
If you’re old enough to vote and have a cast-iron stomach, you can the red, red, red band trailer for Punisher: War Zone here.
Punisher: War Zone was produced by Lionsgate and their name has been increasingly associated in my mind with producing schlockly, degrading, violent, lewd and offensive movies. They’ve made it their job to provoke people and some of it appeals to the lowest common denominator. There are high points. They producedBill Mahr’s Religulous andOliver Stone’sW. ealier in the year. But they also produced the aforementioned Saw and Hostel films as well as Transporter 3, Good Luck Chuck, Bratz: The Movie, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector,Employee of the Month and Alone in the Dark.
I’m skewing things a little bit to bolster my argument. Actually, if you look over their history of films since they were formed in 1998, the studio has some Oscar and indiepedigree. Affliction, Buffalo 66, Gods and Monsters, Amores Perros, American Psycho, Requiem for a Dream, Shadow of the Vampire, Monster’s Ball, Fahrenheit 9/11, Crash. All I’m saying is in the last few years, they’y seem to be producing more dreck. Certainly other studios do the same, it just seems more pronounced to me with Lionsgate. Maybe it’s neither here nor there, but it’s something I’ve noticed.
To that end, I’ll probably see Punisher: War Zone on Saturday night. I would go tonight, but we’ll be out celebrating my father-in-law’s birthday. I’m really looking forward to taking a two year-old to a nice resturant an hour past his bedtime. Should be fun!
Have a great weekend, everyone! I’ll see you here Monday!
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The comic was delayed this morning due to a server hiccup not allowing me to input the comic correctly. Major thanks to Dave Buist for helping to set things right. Dave has his own web comic that I’ve mentioned before called Taking the Bi-Pass that you should all check out. Give Dave a big Theater Hopper “thank you” and visit his site this afternoon!
I sawPunisher: War Zone this weekend and people keep asking me what I thought about it. My reply? “It’s about what you expect.”
Admittedly, my expectations were low for this film and it didn’t disappoint. The film LOOKS amazing, don’t get me wrong. It’s lit especially well and Ray Stevenson inhabits the scary, stoic ferocity of The Punisher quite well. It’s just… well… It’s just when people start talking, the movie suffers for it.
The plot is boilerplate. Four years after losing his family in a gangland execution, Frank Castle is still out on the streets murdering thugs and crooks in cold blood. The police envy his vigilantism and even throw him tips from time to time. But while on another mission, Frank slips up an murders an undercover FBI agent. What makes it worse is that the agent has a family.
Frank decides to give up the life, but one of the gang members survived his brutal attack. Incidentally, the one he threw into a giant bottle recycler. His face torn to ribbons and stitched back together on the cheap, Jigsaw is born and vows to kill The Punisher and anyone who stands in his way.
Dominic Westas Jigsaw is a campy distraction through the entire movie. Today’s comic does not over-exaggerate his stereotypical mobster “Noo Yawk” accent. It is as if director Lexi Alexander asked him to play the role as broadly and comical as possible.
When Jigsaw and his brother Looney Bin Jim (recently freed from a mental institution) literally pimp-strut down the street recruiting local gangs to team up and take out The Punisher once and for all, there’s very little credibility to salvage from the production.
Ultimately, the movie plays EVERYTHING broad. Much has been written about the violence in this picture, which is way over the top. But after a while, the sight of head’s exploding at point-blank range becomes funny, not disturbing.
I blame director Lexi Alexander. A native of Germany, she approaches violence with a very European sensibility. It’s graphic and intense, but the movie is always winking at you – letting you know it isn’t real. When the Punisher punches a hole in a guy’s face,she’s pretty much gone off the reservation.
The Punisher needs a director with an American sensibility for violence. Someone who will make it gritty, real and – most importantly – regrettable. The Punisher isn’t a thrill killer. He doesn’t commit acts of violence for the sake of it. He kills because he feels he has to. And, in the end, the one he punishes the most… is himself.
I’m sure we’ll have more to say about Punisher: War Zone tonight on The Triple Feature. So be sure to tune in live over at TalkShoe.com at 9:00 PM CST. If you have questions for the group before we record, feel free to send them to group@thetriplefeature.com. Or, participate live in the chat field. You can even call-in if you like!
We hope to see you there tonight! Tune in and thanks for your patience waiting for today’s comic!
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