The Punisher

2004 Action/Adventure

An ordinary lawman goes outside the law to carry out his own brand of justice in this dark-themed thriller. Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) is an FBI agent who deeply loves his wife and son, but is also strongly devoted to his work. Castle's investigation of a powerful crime cartel leads to a gunfight which claims the life of a young boy, whose father is underworld kingpin Howard Saint (John Travolta). Furious and eager for revenge, Saint arranges for Castle and his family to be murdered in retaliation. However, while Castle's wife and son are killed, he somehow survives, even though he's believed to have perished. Bent on stopping Saint once and for all, Castle remakes himself as The Punisher, a ruthless and heavily armed killing machine who will not rest until Saint and his crew have been wiped clean from the Earth. Based on a Marvel Comics character first introduced in 1974, The Punisher also stars Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Laura Elena Harring, Roy Scheider, and Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash. more..

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Starring: Thomas Jane, John Travolta, James Carpinello, Laura Harring, Will Patton

Reviews

  • Among the recent spate of comic-book movies, from "Spider-Man" to the "X-Men," The Punisher is unique.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    27 April 2013

  • Trashy and disturbingly violent yet fairly zippy and amusingly cast.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    27 April 2013

  • Considering the horrible buzz that had dogged the movie since its trailers first premiered, The Punisher turns out to be a likable underdog.

    Rene Rodriguez - Miami Herald

    27 April 2013

  • It's a prevailing sense of humor that makes this an entertaining, if silly, film adaptation of the Marvel comic.

    Carla Meyer - The San Francisco Chronicle

    27 April 2013

  • Punishes the audience with a flat starring performance; Mr. Jane finds few sparks of life in a hero who wasn't all that lively to begin with.

    Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal

    27 April 2013

Awards

  • Wide Release Feature Film

    Prism Awards (2005)

     
  • Best Fire Stunt

    World Stunt Awards (2005)