Whom in your opinion is the definitive Punisher? Who truly embodied the character of Frank Castle?

[willhustle]

I got both War Zone & The Punisher from '04 double feature blu-ray tbh, I liked both movies but the Thomas Jane film was a little watered down in comparison to War Zone. War Zone was just gritty and bloody as fuck.

I liked Thomas Jane as Puinsher but that PG-13 was child's play compared to War Zone.

Ray Steveson did a very good job with a very raw film and plot but causal audiences don't care for The Punisher as they would a Spider-Man, Batman, or Superman etc.

I barely remember the Dolph Lundgren film because I was a little kid when I saw it.

Really though Jon Bernthal just killed the role on a smaller screen setting and outshines the past performances of The Punisher.

 

[Splackavelli]

Dolph's Punisher made Thomas Jane look like a fucking choir boy compared to him. A choir boy!

I saw this years ago as a kid and I forgot about it until now. this is a straight to video made for tv punisher. this punisher lives in the same world as bill Bixby's hulk, the daredevil and thor that appeared on the tv specials and the amazing spider man cbs series from the late 70's. damn could marvel at least put a skull on his shirt. all that money from comics and they couldn't take a black t shirt to a flea market or some shit and get a skull stitched or spray painted on it. this aint punisher this movie should be called" tall ass swede in all black goes on a killing spree"

 

[gdatruth2.0]

Berthanal is probably my favorite depiction of the character to date but that might be a function of recency bias, the fact is story can be told over 13 episodes and my continued enjoyment of Marvel taking a big swing on the small screen.

He really captured the Punisher vibe specifically earlier in the season when he was almost depicted like a monster from a horror film or a force of nature. Not crazy about how talkative he has been as the season has progressed

Jane’s Punisher was too tame and generic

War Zone was just to campy

And Dolph’s film was more of a typical 80s action/revenge flick but it was better than it had to be.

 

[Broddie]

Dolph's Punisher made Thomas Jane look like a fucking choir boy compared to him. A choir boy!

I saw this years ago as a kid and I forgot about it until now. this is a straight to video made for tv punisher. this punisher lives in the same world as bill Bixby's hulk, the daredevil and thor that appeared on the tv specials and the amazing spider man cbs series from the late 70's. damn could marvel at least put a skull on his shirt. all that money from comics and they couldn't take a black t shirt to a flea market or some shit and get a skull stitched or spray painted on it. this aint punisher this movie should be called" tall ass swede in all black goes on a killing spree"

Straight to video yes but made for TV no. This was a hard R. They didn't have the rights to use the skull and the skull is not the character anyway. Dolph totally embodied that character especially as he was in the comics back then and that's all that matterred. He had the correct presence and demeanor.

 

[Karl.]

I don't know the comics but Bernthal is dope as fuck. Watching Daredevil looking forward to his screen time. He needs his own show IMO.

 

[sapp08_2001]

I don't know the comics but Bernthal is dope as fuck. Watching Daredevil looking forward to his screen time. He needs his own show IMO.

According to Marvel his own show for "punisher" is coming to netflix as well

 

[texas409]

War zone was B movie garbage.....only gore heads would like that trash

 

[Broddie]

War Zone was originally going to be a gritty and grounded TDK ripoff but mass shootings happened in the US prior to production and they were forced into a corner and adopted the cartoony b movie angle. It worked for me. The villains may have been atrocious but The Punisher himself was 100% right on the money and as he always should've been and that was good enough for me. Especially after that Thomas Jane movie had gotten it all wrong.

 

[lamontbdc]

Dirty Laundry was dope af.

Bonson used to lay folks down...god dam

Death Wish series was and is a fascist fantasy meant for consumption by racist cacs.

guess that explains why i never seen them shits

 

[Broddie]

People read way too much into movies.

 

[lordstanley]

Shane got this shit, no contest

 

[jono]

War Zone is a love of mine. Stevenson was excellent as Frank, the villains were campy and cartoony but Frank going through that hotel slaughtering people is such a Frank Castle thing to do.

 

[mryounggun]

Christopher Rios

I'd like to change my answer.

 

[Broddie]

War Zone is a love of mine. Stevenson was excellent as Frank, the villains were campy and cartoony but Frank going through that hotel slaughtering people is such a Frank Castle thing to do.

His whole demeanor was on point.