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The Punisher
Australia 1989
produced by
Robert Mark Kamen, Robert Guralnick (executive), Stan Lee (executive) for New World
directed by Mark Goldblatt
starring Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett jr, Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Bryan Marshall, Nancy Everhard, Barry Otto, Brian Rooney, Zoshka Mizak, Kenji Yamaki, Hirofumi Kanayama, Larry McCormick, Todd Boyce, Lani John Tupu, John Negroponte, Noga Bernstein, Emma Soloman, Courtney Keiler, Emily Nicol, Cathy Stirk, Dominic Baudish, James Klein, Fotis Pelekis, Christian Manon, Colin Leong, Brian McDermott, May Lloyd, Holly Rogers, Brooke Anderson, Lois Larimore, Harry Weiss, John Samaha
screenplay by Boaz Yakin, based on the Marvel Comics-comicbook, music by Dennis Dreith
Punisher
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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Frank Castle (Dolph Lundgren) is The Punisher (I wonder how long
it took to come up with that name), an ex-cop who after the death
of his family by the hands of gangsters, has left the force and moved to
the sewers, to every now and again com up to the upper world and kill
people he thinks to be gangsters - and in the last 5 years he has murdered
125 people, that means roughly 2 per months. My, this Punisher must be a
happy little maniac. Surprisingly enough, he's the good guy in this film.
But since a happy little maniac alone hardly makes a film, there is
also a subplot about Lt.Berkowitz (Louis Gossett jr), a tough cop trailing
the Punisher - and wouldn't you know it, in the course of events he turns
out to once have been frank Castle's partner and best friend. Oh, and then
there's Sam Leary (Nancy Everhard), Berkowitz' new partner, who's the
first to get through to his gentler self in a long time.
And since this still doesn't make much of a film, there is also a
female Yakuza boss, Lady Tankaa (Kim Miyori) thrown into the mix, who
kills gangsterbosses (just like the Punisher, actually) or abducts their
kids (unlike the Punisher), whichever comes in more handy, to gain control
over the New York underworld.
Eventually, she abducts the son (Brian Rooney) of crimelord Gianni
Franco (Jeroen Krabbé), while at roughly the same time the Punisher is
arrested. Now Gianni knows that the only one who could hold his own
against Lady Tanaka is the Punisher, but he also knows that the Punisher
will eventually want to kill him too ... so nevertheless, he breaks the
Punisher free and convinces him to team up with him to free his son. So
Franco and Punisher enter Lady Tanaka's headquarters, kill everyone in
sight, and before long they have annihilated Lady Tanaka and her
gang and freed the boy ... when Franco prepares to kill the Punisher, even
before his son's very eyes, who even interferes on the Punisher's behalf.
A fight ensues, at the end of which the Punisher has to kill Franco - then
hands his gun to the boy to either exact revenge for his father#s death
right away or forever forget it. The boy forgets it, and the Punisher
escapes right before the police arrives at the scene of the crime ...
Among Marvel Comics' array of superheroes, The Punisher
is quite possibly the most reactionary character and his comics are
perhaps among the least reflected of Marvel Comics (who were never
good at self-reflection though). Turned into film, The Punisher
emerges as a mindless, soulless late 1980's-acitoner that's not worse than
many comparable films from that era - but at the same time not in the
least memorable. Better not waste your time on that one.
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find The Punisher at adultvideouniverse.com
