The Punisher is a 2004 American vigilante action film based on the marvel Comics character of the same name, directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, written by Hensleigh and Michael France, and starring Thomas Jane as the antihero Frank Castle and John Travolta as Howard Saint, a crime boss who orders the death of Castle’s entire family.
The film’s story and plot were mainly based on two Punisher comic book stories: the 1994 miniseries The Punisher: Year One by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and the 2000-01 miniseries Welcome Back, Frank by writer Garth Ennis, though some scenes were derived from other Punisher stories, such as marvel Preview Presents: The Punisher #2, marvel Super Action Featuring: The Punisher #1, The Punisher War Zone, and The Punisher War Journal. The Punisher was shot on location in Tampa, Florida and environs in mid to late 2003. It was distributed by Lions Gate Films in North America, although Artisan Entertainment, which released
a 1989 film adaptation of the same name on DVD, financed and co- distributed the film with eventual Artisan owner Lionsgate, while Columbia Pictures distributed the film in non-North American territories. Screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh agreed to helm the film during its development stage despite a dispute with Marvel Studios, marking his directorial debut.
The film was released on April 16, 2004, by Lions Gate Films and Columbia Pictures, grossing $13 million in the United States over its opening weekend, and reached a total gross of $54 million against a budget of $33 million. It has a 29% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. marvel Comics and Lionsgate began development on a sequel, The Punisher 2, which instead became the 2008 reboot Punisher: War Zone after Jane and Hensleigh left the project due to creative differences. This was the final film produced by Artisan Entertainment for theatrical distribution.
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Plot.
An FBI bust of smuggling operation in Tampa Bay results in the deaths of Bobby Saint, the son of mafia boss Howard Saint, and Otto Krieg, an arms dealer. However, Krieg’s death was faked, and he is revealed to be undercover FBI agent Frank Castle on his final mission before retirement. Enraged at the death of his son, Saint orders his men to learn everything they can about Krieg, and acquires access by bribing corrupt federal law enforcement officers for his federal service history. He orders Castle killed at a family reunion, though Saint’s wife Livia insists that Castle’s family be killed as well. At the reunion, Saint’s men, including Saint’s best friend Quentin Glass, and Bobby’s identical twin John, kill Castle’s entire family. Though Frank Castle Sr. takes down some of the attackers,
John then shoots Castle, leaving him for dead. However, Castle survives and is nursed back to health by a local fisherman.
With the police and FBI unwilling to pursue the killers due to Saint’s power and influence, Castle moves into an abandoned apartment occupied by three outcasts—Joan, Bumpo, and Spacker Dave—and begins his mission to bring the Saints down. With the help of information provided by Mickey Duka, Saint’s less malevolent henchman, Castle studies the Saint family and learns their every move, during which he discovers Glass to be a closeted homosexual. He openly attacks Saint’s business and sabotages his partnership with his Cuban partners.
Saint discovers Castle is alive and sends assassins to kill him. The first, Harry Heck, ambushes Castle on a bridge, but is killed when Castle fires a ballistic knife into his throat. The second, a Russian behemoth, nearly beats Castle to death in his own apartment, but Castle manages to kill him as well. The tenants treat Castle’s wounds and hide him in his hidden elevator as Saint’s men arrive for him. When Dave and Bumpo refuse to reveal Castle’s hideout, Glass tortures Dave by plucking each of his piercings with pliers. They leave one of their men to intercept Castle, but Castle kills him after they leave.
Home media.
The film was released via DVD on September 7, 2004 and sold nearly 1.8 million copies in its first five days and netted $10.8 million in rentals its first week, making it number one in DVD sales that week. An extended cut DVD was released on November 21, 2006 with 17 minutes of additional footage, most of which revolves around the character Jimmy Weeks (Russell Andrews), and Castle realizing that it was his friend who had sold him out to Howard Saint. In retaliation, Castle forces Weeks to commit suicide. Features also include a black-and-white stop-motion animated scene, set in Kuwait, based on and partially done by artist Tim Bradstreet, and a Punisher comic book gallery. An extended version of “In Time” by Mark Collie also appears in the closing credits of the extended-cut DVD. This version does not include the special features on the standard DVD release. The Punisher was released via Blu-ray Disc on June 27, 2006, and only included the theatrical cut.RELATED:
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Box office.
The Punisher was opened in 2,649 theaters on April 16, 2004, and movie grossed $13.8 million over its opening weekend, ranking at #2 at the box office, behind the movie Kill Bill: Volume 2. The film has a US gross of $33.8 million and an international gross of $20.9 million, film giving it a worldwide total of $54.7 million.Cast:
- Thomas Jane as Frank Castle
- John Travolta as Howard Saint
- Will Patton as Quentin Glass
- Roy Scheider as Frank Castle, Sr.
- Laura Harring as Livia Saint
- Ben Foster as Spacker Dave
- Samantha Mathis as Maria Castle
- James Carpinello as Bobby Saint
- Russell Andrews as Jimmy Weeks
- Eddie Jemison as Mickey Duka
- John Pinette as Bumpo
- Rebecca Romijn as Joan