Jon Bernthal isn’t the only A-list actor who has portrayed The Punisher. It may seem strange, since Bernthal fits Marvel’s most violent character so well, but other actors have also portrayed Frank Castle. First, Dolph Lundgren played the role in a 1989 film that was released exclusively in international theaters. 15 years later, Thomas Jane took the mantle in a movie which Roger Ebert called “grim and cheerless.” In 2008, Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson played the anti-hero gunman, which some say is a much better depiction than Bernthal could ever muster. Two of these are now streaming, with one on Tubi and the other via the Internet Archive. Only one of them is a must-watch.
These two free streaming platforms are hosting the very first and most recent Punisher movies. They may be about the same character, but they are widely different in style and tone. For starters, the late ’80s version of The Punisher was made in response to Marvel’s desperate need for revenue. On the other hand, Punisher: War Zone was a creative love letter to the character, specifically from the Marvel Knights comic line. The Punisher has found a new appreciation among movie fans, though — Lundgren shortly reprised the role for a photo shoot back in 2019. War Zone is still waiting for its day in the sun, sadly.
The ’80s Version of ‘The Punisher’ Is Empty
As a whole, Lundgren’s cinematic adaptation of The Punisher is admirable, but empty at the same time. A promising explosion in a mobster’s mansion starts the movie off. Constant gunfights grace the screen, but the sets feel empty and uninspired. Except for tiny markings on his knives, Frank’s signature skull logo is nowhere to be found. In the film, the mafia has grown so weak from The Punisher’s assassinations that the Yakuza takes over. They have even kidnapped all the children belonging to the family of crime, so they do their bidding without question. Frank decides to rescue the children since they are innocent in the matter.
Both The Punisher and War Zone are cheesy, but the ’80s adaptation takes it a bit too far. Lundgren’s Frank Castle runs around amusement park attractions like a child while fighting the Yakuza, the main villain plays piano in her spare time, and the mobsters are pure mafia stereotypes. The Yakuza headquarters also houses many swordsmen in training, which doesn’t make much sense in a gun-focused film. The Punisher is troubled, though, and that inner weakness carries all the way to the end — Lundgren does a good job of showing remorse and guilt. Director Mark Goldblatt’s rendition is a fairly decent action movie at best, but it doesn’t reach far enough in terms of making us believe that what we see is indeed Frank Castle, The Punisher.
Ray Stevenson Embodies a Violent Punisher in ‘War Zone’
Despite having four times the budget of its predecessor, War Zone is not much better in terms of visuals. The city backgrounds (created using CGI) do more harm than good. Putting that aside, though, there is no question that actor Ray Stevenson perfectly embodies the Marvel gunman. He holds himself high and acts cold, exuding a presence that syncs with the maturity of the Marvel Knights rendition. Replacing the generic criminals scattered throughout the previous movie, War Zone introduces Jigsaw as the main villain (with a psychotic brother created for the film).
You can clearly see the vision that director Lexi Alexander had for this movie. While War Zone also has a rescue mission motif, the movie is otherwise ruthless. Bloody, disfigured heads and mutilated bodies are a regular occurrence. Both Punisher and Jigsaw are not afraid to be hyper-violent. While it’s clear this film was made on a low budget, War Zone still tries to honor the comics. Punisher’s sidekick Microchip (played by Wayne Knight) appears, along with several other characters drawn from various comic arcs. You can tell the crew did their homework with this one. The exaggerated New York accents may distract some viewers, though they contribute to the film’s cheesy tone.
Punisher: War Zone is the clear winner here and needs to be watched at least once. The 2008 film does much to uphold the mature Marvel character while balancing the more ridiculous aspects. Stevenson matches what you see with Jon Bernthal’s portrayal. Lundgren’s adaptation is just overrated, goofy, and mediocre when realizing what the Marvel character could be. The Punisher: War Zone is now available to stream for free on Tubi. The Punisher (1989) is available to stream for free on the Internet Archive.
- Release Date
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December 5, 2008
- Runtime
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103 minutes
- Director
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Lexi Alexander
- Franchise(s)
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Marvel Cinematic Universe