The Punisher (1989)
The Punisher is a 1989 American action film directed by Mark Goldblatt, written by Boaz Yakin, and starring Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett Jr. Based on the Marvel Comics’ character of the same name, the film changes many details of the character’s comic book origin and the main character does not wear the trademark “skull” shirt. Instead the character uses the knife with the skull. Shot in Sydney, Australia, The Punisher co-stars Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard, and Barry Otto.
Plot.
Frank Castle is a former undercover police detective and U.S. Marine whose wife Julie was killed five years ago, along with their two daughters, by a Mafia car bomb intended for Frank who is also presumed to be dead. Castle has since become the city’s most wanted, and most mysterious, vigilante – known only as “The Punisher”. He now lives in the labyrinthine sewer-system of NYC, having assassinated 125 mobsters (not counting henchmen) in the past half-decade. His work is known by the use of special throwing-knives engraved with a skull. Castle’s sole ally in his one-man war against organized crime is Shake (taken from Shakespeare and “the shakes”), a stage-performer-turned derelict who typically speaks in rhyme. The underworld families have become so weakened by the Punisher’s guerrilla warfare that kingpin Gianni Franco is forced out of retirement. Franco plans to unify the decimated families. However, this attracts unwanted attention from the Yakuza, Asia’s most powerful crime syndicate. Led by Lady Tanaka, the Yakuza decide to take over the Mafia families and all of their interests. In order to sway the mobsters to their cause, they kidnap their children and hold them for ransom.
Shake pleads with the Punisher to save the children, who are likely to be sold into the Arab slave trade regardless of whether the Mafia give into the demands. The Punisher attacks Yakuza businesses, warning that for every day the children are held in captivity, he will inflict heavy costs on them in property damage. The Yakuza later capture the Punisher and Shake and attempt to torture them into submission, but the Punisher breaks free and decides the only course of action is a direct rescue.
He is able to save most of the children and commandeers a bus to get the kidnapped children to safety. However prior to this Tommy Franco , the son of Gianni Franco, had been taken away to Yakuza headquarters. When driving the busload of kids, the Punisher runs into a police roadblock and is arrested. While in custody Castle is reunited with one of his old partners, who warns his multiple killings will likely get him executed, however at a later point Castle is broken out of jail by Franco’s men. Franco admits he brought this on himself as the hit on Castle’s family was an error, and persuades the Punisher to help him save his son.
Production, Home media.
Christopher Lambert was the original choice for the role of Frank Castle. But an ankle injury forced him to withdraw from the film. Steven Seagal was interested in playing the role. Nicole Kidman was initially cast. Despite rumors, Michael Paré was not considered for the role of Frank Castle.[citation needed] Production took place in Sydney. It was sold to Live Entertainment (now Lionsgate) who released it direct-to-video on VHS and Laserdisc in April 1991. It finally premiered at the 2008 Escapism Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina where director Mark Goldblatt screened his own personal 35mm print (which he showed again in April 2009 at the Dolph Lundgren Film Fest hosted by the New Beverly theater). Overall, the film took in $30 million in receipts, while being made on a budget of $9 million.