Punisher: War Zone (2008)
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27% of critics liked it
(101 reviews) -
44% of users liked it
(130,682 ratings)
Marvel Comics' vigilante character The Punisher gets another big-screen outing in this third film incarnation of the character, this time from Green Street Hooligans director Lexi Alexander. Fueled by revenge and aided by his trusted weapons expert, Microchip (Wayne Knight), vigilante Frank… More Marvel Comics' vigilante character The Punisher gets another big-screen outing in this third film incarnation of the character, this time from Green Street Hooligans director Lexi Alexander. Fueled by revenge and aided by his trusted weapons expert, Microchip (Wayne Knight), vigilante Frank Castle (Rome's Ray Stevenson) turns the New York City streets red with blood as he takes down each and every member of the crime syndicate responsible for the death of his wife and two kids. As the law-appointed "Punisher Task Force" closes in on him, the antihero does battle with Billy Russoti (Dominic West), aka Jigsaw, a nickname given by him to reflect the disfigurement handed to him by Castle. With the help of his psychotic brother, Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison), Jigsaw recruits the criminals of the city to band together to bring down The Punisher, using the wife (played by Dexter's Julie Benz) and daughter of a slayed FBI agent as bait. Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Nick Santora provide the screenplay for the Lionsgate release. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Directed By
- Lexi Alexander
- Written By
- Matthew Holloway, Art Marcum, Nick Santora, Kurt Sutter, Lexi Alexander
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Dec 5, 2008 Wide
- Studio
- Lionsgate
Critic Reviews
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Nigel Floyd, Time Out
'Oh God, now I've got brains spattered all over me,' exclaims The Punisher's slippery inside man, Detective Soap. You may feel the same at the end of this messy, sadistic reboot of the Marvel comic-book series.
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Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
This was a terrible movie.
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Ben Lyons, At the Movies
Hopefully it's three strikes and you're out for The Punisher, as this latest attempt at creating another comic book franchise will prove once and for all that maybe this character just doesn't deserve the big screen treatment.
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Claudia Puig, USA Today
At one point, the Punisher is asked who punishes him. The better question for those who made this inane bloodfest is: Why punish us?
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Mark Rahner, Seattle Times
The ultraviolent third stab at Marvel's homicidal vigilante is the best and closest to the source material.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Ray Stevenson
as Frank Castle/The Punisher
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Dominic West
as Billy Russoti/Jigsaw
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Julie Benz
as Angela
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Doug Hutchison
as Loony Bin Jim
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Colin Salmon
as Agent Paul Budiansky
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Wayne Knight
as Microchip
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Dash Mihok
as Detective Martin Soap
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T.J. Storm
as Maginty





