| Punisher: War Zone | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lexi Alexander |
| Written by | |
| Based on | Punisher byMarvel Comics |
| Produced by | Gale Anne Hurd |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Steve Gainer |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Michael Wandmacher |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes[4] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million[5] |
| Box office | $10.2 million[5] |
Punisher: War Zone is a 2008vigilanteaction film based on theMarvel Comics character thePunisher. Rather than asequel to 2004'sThe Punisher, the film is areboot that follows the war waged by vigilante Frank Castle / Punisher (played byRay Stevenson) on crime and corruption, in particular on the disfiguredmob boss known asBilly "Jigsaw" Russoti (Dominic West).[6] The film is directed byLexi Alexander, from a screenplay written byNick Santora andArt Marcum &Matt Holloway. It is the third feature film adaptation of The Punisher, the second reboot thereof and the first of two films to be produced under theMarvel Knights production banner, which focuses on films for mature audiences.
Development of a follow-up toThe Punisher began two months before its release. The film was initially developed as a sequel, withThomas Jane reprising the title role. Jane departed the project in 2006, and Ray Stevenson was announced as his replacement in July 2007. Filming began in October 2007 inMontreal, Canada.
Punisher: War Zone was released in North America byLionsgate on December 5, 2008, and it was released in the United Kingdom bySony Pictures Releasing on February 6, 2009 to negative reviews and grossed $10.2 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million, making it abox-office bomb. Its related soundtrack hit the #23 slot onBillboard'sTop Independent Albums chart. In the years since its release, the film has developed acult following.[7][8]
This was the finalPunisher film to be produced by an outside studio before the rights reverted toMarvel Studios. ThePunisher franchise was rebooted in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, withJon Bernthal portrayingthe character in thesecond season ofDaredevil (2016), aPunisher spin-off series (2017–2019), and thefirst season ofDaredevil: Born Again (2025); Bernthal will reprise the role inan untitled special and inSpider-Man: Brand New Day (both 2026), the latter of which will mark the first feature film appearance of the Punisher sinceWar Zone. Stevenson reprised his role as Castle inThe Super Hero Squad Show.
Having lost his family to mob violence, formerForce Recon Marine Frank Castle has spent the last five years as avigilante known as thePunisher. Castle assaults a party for localDon Gaitano Cesare and kills him and the guests. Cesare'scaporegimeBilly "The Beaut" Russoti and his entourage, Nicky Donatelli, escape to his recycling plant hideout, and DetectivesMartin Soap and Saffiotti, who were staking out the party, inform Castle. Castle infiltrates Russoti's hideout and, after a brief firefight, Russoti is thrown into a glass-crushing machine that leaves him hideously disfigured. After a facial surgery that failed to restore his good looks, Russoti later referred to himself as "Jigsaw" because the stitches in his face resemble puzzle pieces. Castle kills Nicky, but he discovers that Donatelli was actually an undercoverFBI agent.
AgentPaul Budiansky, the deceased agent's partner, joins theNYPD's "Punisher Task Force", partnering with Soap to help bring Castle to justice. Meanwhile, Jigsaw frees his deranged andcannibalistic brother, "Loony Bin Jim".
Distraught over killing the agent, Castle unsuccessfully attempts to make reparations to Donatelli's widow, Angela, and daughter, Grace. He considers retiring, but his armorerMicro makes him reconsider after telling him that Jigsaw will go after Donatelli's family for revenge.
Jigsaw, Loony Bin Jim, and their two henchmen, Ink and Pittsy, break into Donatelli's house and hold the family hostage. Castle tracks down Maginty, a known associate of Jigsaw, and executes him after extracting the information, before Budiansky and Soap apprehend him. Castle tells him that Jigsaw went after Donatelli's family, and Budiansky sends a police car to check on the Donatelli residence, intending to turn Castle in. When the patrol car fails to respond, Budiansky checks on the house, where Ink and Pittsy capture him. Soap frees Castle, who kills both Ink and Pittsy before leading Angela and Grace away. Budiansky then arrests Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim after a short gunfight.
Jigsaw and his brother bargain with the FBI for their release by giving up Cristu Bulat, who was smuggling in a biological weapon destined for Arab terrorists inQueens, New York. The brothers are granted immunity, plus theUS$12 million Bulat was paying to use Jigsaw's port, and a file on Micro. They take Micro hostage, killing his mother in the process. They once again take the Donatellis hostage, after Jim critically injures Micro's associate, Carlos, whom Castle had left to protect them. Castle later arrives at the hideout and kills Carlos in an act of mercy after Carlos asks him to not let him "die like this". Jigsaw sets himself up in the abandoned Bradstreet Hotel, putting together a small army of gangsters desiring vengeance against the Punisher. Castle enlists the help of Budiansky, who informs Cristu's father, Tiberiu Bulat, about Jigsaw's location. Tiberiu's enforcers start a shootout in the hotel lobby, affording Castle a distraction.
Castle enters through a second-floor window, leading to a firefight with Jigsaw's hired guns. Afterward, Castle engages Loony Bin Jim in solo combat; realizing that he will probably not survive the brawl, Jim flees. Castle chases and confronts both him and Jigsaw, who are holding Micro and Grace at gunpoint in the spa room. Jigsaw gives Castle a choice: If Castle shoots Micro or Grace, Jigsaw will let the other one go free. Micro bravely offers his life to save the girl, but Castle chooses to shoot Loony Bin Jim instead. As a result, Jigsaw kills Micro. Enraged, Castle attacks Jigsaw, engaging him inhand to hand combat, before impaling him with a metal rod and killing him by throwing him onto a fire-litbrazier.
Outside, Angela forgives Castle, while pointing out that her husband once vouched for him. Castle bids farewell to Budiansky and the Donatelli family. As Castle and Soap leave together, Soap tries to convince Castle to give up his vigilante status after having "killed every criminal in town." Soap changes his mind when he is held up by a murderous mugger, who is shot by Castle.
Other actors in smaller roles include Larry Day as FBISpecial Agent-in-Charge Miller,Ron Lea as NYPD Captain Ross, Tony Calabretta as Soap's partner Detective Saffiotti, John Dunn-Hill as Don Gaitano Cesare,Bjanka Murgel as Jigsaw's girlfriend (credited as "Arm Candy"),Cas Anvar as Jigsaw's plastic surgeon, and Edward Yankie as the priest Father Mike.[14]
In February 2004, two months prior toThe Punisher's theatrical debut,Lions Gate Entertainment announced the studio's intent to produce a sequel.Avi Arad, chairman and CEO ofMarvel Studios, expressed his interest in developing the franchise, saying that the second film would "become the fifth Marvel property to become a sequel."[15] In March, the director of the first film,Jonathan Hensleigh, said that he was interested in working withThomas Jane again forThe Punisher 2.[16] In April, Jane said that the villain forThe Punisher 2 would beJigsaw.[17] In November, Jane said that the studio was interested in making a sequel based on successful DVD sales ofThe Punisher and was developing the preliminary budget for the follow-up.[18]
In March 2005, Marvel Studios announced a 2006 theatrical release date forThe Punisher 2.[19] In April, Lions Gate Entertainment's CEO, Jon Feltheimer, confirmed at LGF's 2005 fiscal third quarter analyst call that the studio had completed its deal to developThe Punisher 2.[20] Prior to July, Arad revealed that the script was being rewritten and that the sequel would start filming within the year.[21] By July, Jane had put on an additional 12 pounds of muscle, and was hoping for filming to start in late 2006.[22]
In March 2006,The Punisher 2 was announced to be produced in Louisiana,[23] being listed in the domestic charter under Louisiana's Secretary of State.[24] In August, Marvel Entertainment revealed a new film slate that includedThe Punisher 2 on its partial list with production still to be determined.[25] Thomas Jane said that the writer was halfway through a draft and that he believed filming would begin by February 2007. Jane confirmed that the villain Jigsaw, first announced in April 2004, would be in the film. Jane also said that director Jonathan Hensleigh would not be returning to direct the sequel.[26] In addition, Lions Gate Entertainment, amidst the studios returning to New Orleans followingHurricane Katrina, announced thatThe Punisher 2 would begin filming within the year.[27] In October, Jane said the script was due in a couple of weeks, and that it would be "darker, bloodier and more unfriendly than the first one."[28] In December, the screenplay was being rewritten by screenwriterStuart Beattie.[29]
It was announced thatKurt Sutter, a writer forThe Shield, was involved with the script forThe Punisher 2. Sutter said that he had an enjoyable time writing the script for the sequel and that it was going to be very true to the character.[30] In a separate interview, Thomas Jane revealed that a new script had been turned in and everyone was hoping it would work out, as the lack of a good script had been holding up production. He further stated that if everything goes as planned then filming should begin in June or July,[31] but shortly afterward, in a letter toAin't It Cool News, Jane wrote that he had pulled out of the movie, stating:
What I won't do is spend months of my life sweating over a movie that I just don't believe in. I've always loved the Marvel guys, and wish them well. Meanwhile, I'll continue to search for a film that one day might stand with all those films that the fans have asked me to watch.[32][33]
On February 14, 2008, Sutter officially removed his name from credit arbitration, stating:
I took my name off the movie for a few reasons. The obvious reason is because I didn't deserve credit. There was very little of my draft that stayed in the shooting script. The one big one they kept, was the set piece where we see how Russo becomes Jigsaw. It's pretty brutal. Glad they kept that.[34]
In May 2007, directorJohn Dahl was in talks to direct, but declined, citing a bad script and lack of budget as reasons for passing.[35] In June, it was announced thatLexi Alexander would then take over the role as director as a result.[36] In a December 2008 interview, Alexander revealed that when she first got thePunisher 2 script she passed on the project, but later changed her mind after reading theMAX adult Punisher comics, and getting assurances from Lionsgate that she could give the project a new look and feel – and cast a new actor in the central role of the Punisher.[37] Director Alexander pitched her vision of the film as a throwback to '80s era action films, stating, "I said can we do it like this, and they all said that's exactly what we want to do."[38]
On July 21, it was announced that actorRay Stevenson would play the Punisher in the sequel to the 2004 film.[39] Filming was slated to begin in October 2007 in Montreal.[40] Prior to filming, Stevenson read every available issue ofThe Punisher MAX, underwent endurance, martial arts, and weapons training with formerForce Recon Marines and film fight choreographerPat E. Johnson.[41][10][42] In August, a working title for the film,The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank, was announced. On August 28, Lionsgate announced that the new working name forThe Punisher 2 would bePunisher: War Zone.[43] In mid-September, the director announced cast members joining Stevenson withDash Mihok as Detective Martin Soap,Colin Salmon as Agent Paul Budiansky, andDoug Hutchison as Loony Bin Jim. It was announced on September 25 viaThe Hollywood Reporter thatDominic West will star as the main antagonist, Jigsaw, andWayne Knight will play the Punisher's armorer,Microchip.Paddy Considine was considered for the role of Jigsaw in the film, but the offer was retracted and given to West who had previously turned it down.[44] According to Lexi Alexander,Freddie Prinze Jr. also auditioned for the role, but despite being impressed by his audition, was refused byLionsgate Studios from accepting the part.[45]
Filming occurred from October 22 until December 14 inMontreal, Quebec, and in the nearby municipalities ofSainte-Anne-de-Bellevue,Brossard,Terrebonne, andÎle Bizard.[46] Principal photography forPunisher: War Zone was completed on December 27.[47]
Filming locations includedLionel-Groulx station, theFive Roses Flour Plant, theOld Port,John Abbott College, thePalais des congrès de Montréal,Chinatown, and theChamplain Bridge. Additional photography took place inVancouver, British Columbia. Asecond unit filmed landmark shots inNew York City.
In order to evoke the look of thePunisher comics, Lexi Alexander and cinematographerSteve Gainer utilized highly-saturated colored lighting, with only three primary colors on screen at any given time.[8] It was only after production wrapped that Alexander learned that the comics she had been sent had been accidentally printed in the wrong colors.[8] She called the resulting look a "happy accident."[8] Alexander also framed actors on the left or right-hand side of the frame, rather than the center, to evoke the appearance of comic panels.[48]
The film was set for a September 12, 2008, release, but was pushed back three months to December 5, 2008.[49] A teaser trailer was released on June 12, 2008. On July 25, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News wrote an article claiming that Lexi Alexander had been removed as the film's director.[50] A second trailer was revealed to the public at the San Diego ComicCon on the same day. Alexander did not make an appearance at the convention, which caused speculation from the fans who attended the film's panel to question whether her name had been taken off the film. On August 15, website Latino Review reported that Lionsgate would be editing the film to receive a PG-13 rating. The director of photography, Steve Gainer, later claimed that the film would be "R" and that Alexander was still on board the project.[51] On October 3,IGN confirmed that Alexander was not fired from the movie, based on an official statement they received from Lionsgate.[52] In a December 2008 interview,[37] Alexander confirmed that she had had serious battles with Lionsgate, but denied that she was ever officially off the film. "My name was never off, nor would I want it taken off, nor did I ever get a pink slip. The truth is that we had probably the same discussions that any other film has." Despite the much publicized discourse, Alexander says she is "extremely happy" with the final film:
It came at a price, I would say, but I made the film I wanted on the screen. I think personally, in my opinion, it would have been very dangerous to put a compromise on the screen for my own career and for the promises I made to these actors who I talked into joining the film. I don't really care that it was an uphill battle; I'm glad with what's on the screen.[37]
In 2015, Alexander regretted that Lionsgate's control over the film resulted in the finished film's quality, stating,
Marvel was an equal partner, but unfortunately when there were creative decision conflicts, Marvel would let Lionsgate be the tie breaker. I always regretted that I made a Marvel movie this way, because 99% of their notes were much better than the studios and I was more in tune with them.
Alexander also noted that she did not havefinal cut privilege of the film.[53]
While the film itself was abox office bomb, the soundtrack achieved considerable commercial success, reaching #23 onBillboard's 'Top Independent Albums' chart.[54]
An original score to the film was composed byMichael Wandmacher, whose primary focus in making the score was to "create a definitive musical identity for the Punisher. I knew I needed something dark, relentless and muscular, but I also couldn't forget Frank's humanity, his personal torment and deep sadness. So, I approached the job equally as a fan and as a composer." In order to make the character of Frank Castle seem less one dimensional, Wandmacher decided to include snare cadences and powerful, dynamic ostinatos and slowly rising string repetitions to mimic a relentless entity, like an approaching battalion.[55]
On its opening weekend,Punisher: War Zone grossed $4,271,451 in 2,508 theaters in the United States averaging $1,703 and ranking #8 at the box office.[56] The film grossed $8,050,977 domestically, makingPunisher: War Zone the lowest-grossing film based on aMarvel Comics property, belowElektra andHoward the Duck.[57] It also grossed $2,049,059 internationally, bringing it to $10,100,036 worldwide, making it abox office bomb against its $35 million budget.[5]
Punisher: War Zone received negative reviews by critics for its story, performances (particularly West's), characters, tone and violence, although many praised Stevenson's performance along with some praising its action, style, humor, visuals and faithfulness to the source material. On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 29% of 110 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Punisher: War Zone recalls the excessively violent, dialogue-challenged actioners of the 1980s, and coincidentally feels two decades out of date."[58]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 30 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[59] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale.[60]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times awarded the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing, "You used to be able to depend on a terrible film being poorly made. No longer. ThePunisher: War Zone is one of the best-made bad movies I've seen." He added that the film's only flaw is "that it's disgusting."[61] Clark Collis ofEntertainment Weekly wrote thatRay Stevenson's "character could be called the Not-Much-of-a-Learning Curveinator."[62]
Edward Porter of the UK'sSunday Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "Earning an 18 certificate with its violence, the film is kids' stuff in all other respects: over-the-top shootouts, monstrous and barking-mad villains, a bumbling sidekick and so on. Highly enjoyable tosh."[63] Movie reporter Peter Hartlaub of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote that it is the "best Punisher movie by far. The action is satisfying and the dark story is close to the tone of its Marvel Comics source material."[64]
ComedianPatton Oswalt was a vocal supporter of the film since its release, calling it "THE BEST time I've had at the movies this year."[65] In October 2011, Oswalt hosted a screening of the film in Los Angeles with director Lexi Alexander, and the two discussed the film withPaul Scheer andJune Diane Raphael in episode 20 of their podcastHow Did This Get Made?[48]
Punisher: War Zone was released on Region 1DVD andBlu-ray on March 17, 2009. It was released on two different versions, a 2-disc special edition with a digital copy, and a standard version featuring both widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film. DVD sales for the film in North America (as of March 2010) was $14,001,953 in revenue from 576,151 units sold.[66][67]
The film was released on4K UHD on September 25, 2018.
A tie-inPS3 video game, which shares fonts and models from the film, was released on July 2, 2009, via thePlayStation Network.
[Alexander:] I would say it's a complete reboot because the first one—neither of them—are relevant to us at all.
Highly enjoyable tosh.
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