First and foremost, I'd like to state my earnest interest in The Punisher character. I can honestly say he is my favorite superhero of them all, largely because of the realistic nature of the character, which is more easy to relate to, IMO.
I will begin by saying that I had very low expectations for the PUNISHER: WARZONE going into the movie. With the impression that the movie was just gonna be a mindless shoot 'em up kind of flick, I was not far off from my prediction.
There's not much to speak of about the plot other than to say that it was massively inadequate and was there just for the sake of having a plot. The action, albeit good and entertaining, was way over the top, and at many times pointless. Now don't get me wrong, I love a great action flick, but there comes a certain feeling of annoyance when the plot is practically ignored just to have Frank slay a herd of people. In my mind, and I'm pretty sure many of you will agree, the action is supposed to SUPPLEMENT the plot, not the other way around. This movie failed to do that.
I also must say that the character development was utterly horrible. I knew nothing of Microchip or Soap's motivation. Why not explain that Micro's reason for helping the Punisher is because his son was murdered? Why not spend more time on Frank's motivation? It seems the action is all the producers cared about. Soap and Micro were virtually ignored and seemed to just be thrown in there to remind the audience that they were still watching the Punisher. There wasn't an ounce of reason as to why we should care for The Punisher's accomplices. There was no sympathy for Micro's death. If you're gonna kill a character like Micro, at least try to develop him some.
Furthermore, the acting was terrible. Ray Stevenson seemed allergic to emotion, and his wordless role in the first 30 minutes of the movie left me unconnected with the character and his purpose. Tip of the iceberg. I actually looked around at the 1/5 filled theater to see if anyone was buying the scene when Donatelli's wife was threatening to kill Frank. And don't get me started on Dominic West's New York accent. Yeah, definitely not one of the film's bright spots.
All in all, I think the movie was just really bad. The action was way over the top. It was entertaining, yes, but at many times, needless. It is undeniable in my eyes to see the glaring flaws in the movie's lack of the well rounded storyline and character development that Thomas Jane's version provided. It seemed that the makers of WAR ZONE took everything the '04 version was missing and took it way too far to the point that the story was ignored. Yes, I wholeheartedly prefer Jane as the Punisher, but it seems both movies were undeniably hindered by poor writing. I recommend this movie purely for brainless action. Otherwise, thumbs down.
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