Throwback Thursday: Do the Punisher movies still hold up and did they ever?

Punisher: War Zone

Next up was a reboot called Punisher: War Zone. Without Thomas Jane, Ray Stevenson took over as Frank Castle. Unlike the Thomas Jane version, Frank Castle’s war on crime had been on-going for years. He was sought by the authorities and feared by the mob. This means we could get right into the story. We begin with Punisher going into a birthday party for an elderly mob boss, where he massacres him and every criminal in attendance with little effort. At one point, he’s upside down on a chandelier spinning and shooting everyone. Buckle up, this is going to be a weird one.

Ray Stevenson was incredible as Frank Castle. He was just like Garth Ennis’ version of Punisher. He didn’t talk much, he was a man about action, and he was incredibly proficient and violent. But as good as he was, Stevenson wasn’t the best part of the movie. That honor goes to Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim.

Dominic West played Punisher’s psychotic nemesis, Jigsaw. He was completely off the charts crazy and entertaining. He transformed from the incredibly vain Billy to Jigsaw similar to the way Jack Nicholson changed into the Joker in Batman. This wasn’t in terms of the action, but going from narcissistic to insane. Doug Hutchison, who played Jigsaw’s cousin Loony Bin Jim, is exactly what his name suggests. He had more than a few memorable moments throughout the movie. Those two combined with Stevenson made for a compelling adventure.

Does it hold up: Yes, but other than Stevenson, West, Hutchison, and Dash Mihok, don’t expect anything positive from the rest of the cast.