The Punisher (2004 film)
The Punisher is the name of a 2004 action film, based on the comic book of the character of the same name. It was the second attempt of establish a cinematic franchise based in the character after the unliked 1989 film. it stars Thomas Jane as the titular character and John Travolta as Howard Saint, the film's villain.
FBI agent Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) retires just after an undercover assignment that lead into the death of Bobby Saint, the son of famous Tampa crime boss Howard Saint. Holding Castle responsible for the death of his son, Saint orders Frank's entire family to be butchered during a family reunion; the kill squad leaves Frank for dead after slaughtering his family and killing his wife and son right before his eyes. Burnt out and taunted by memories of his murdered family, Frank returns to Florida and sets out to avenge his family. Becoming a one-man judge, jury and executioner, Frank decides to punish Howard Saint and his associates for their crimes -- and he isn't willing to give up until they're all dead.
An extended cut of the film was released on DVD in 2006; it featured seventeen minutes of additional footage that fills in some of the plot holes (such as one that revolves around Jimmy Weeks, Frank's best friend, and Frank realizing that it was Weeks that sold him out to Howard Saint), features an animated introduction that follows Frank's time in Kuwait (based on the work of artist Tim Bradstreet), and generally improves on the film as compared to its theatrical cut. (This version of the film often airs on the FX network as well.)
- Altum Videtur: Si vis pacem, para bellum[1]
- Armored Closet Gay: The Dragon, a secret that Frank used for his advantage.
- Big Applesauce: Averted. Frank is nearly always depicted as a New Yorker, but this flick moves his story to Tampa. The DVD commentary reveals that the main reason to move to Tampa was Florida's tax incentives for film productions. The budget was too tight to film anywhere else.
- Chekhov's Armoury: With the exception of the ballistic knife, nearly every weapon Castle uses is shown beforehand either in a montage or as part of a scene.
- Darker and Edgier: This film was basically the entire comic-book movie slate up to that point save for Blade and its sequels.
- Diagnosis From Dr. Badass: Frank takes a blowtorch to Mickey Duka's back and describes what he's doing in great detail, including telling him that it's not painful yet because the nerve endings are seared and when the flame's that hot, it actually feels cold. This turns out to be a subversion, as the Punisher is really just swiping a popsicle across the man's back to create the described symptoms, while simultaneously using the blowtorch on a steak to create the smell of charred flesh.
- Guile Hero: This version of Frank Castle. How so? As part of his Batman Gambit, Frank's plan for revenge was that after returning to the States, make it appear to Howard Saint that his wife and his right-hand man are having an affair. After Saint kills both of them for the perceived betrayal, Frank makes his final assault on Saint's posh nightclub; Castle kills Saint's other son, tells Howard he killed his wife and best friend for nothing (he framed Saint's wife as cheating with his best friend, not knowing his friend was gay), then sends him to a fiery death.
- Karma Houdini: Jimmy Weeks. That's if you watching the theatrical cut, which leaves out the scene of Howard Saint blackmailing Weeks, making it seem like Weeks was innocent and his goons just figured out how to find Castle on their own.
- Manipulative Bastard: Frank's a heroic one. He managed to make Howard think Livia and Quentin were having an affair, prompting Howard to kill them both.
- Never Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight: Quoth Harry Heck, "You are one dumb son of a bitch. Bringing a knife to a gunfight."
- Little did Harry know, it was a spring-loaded ballistic knife.
- Shout-Out: This film features a hitman who's a tribute to Johnny Cash's character in '5 Minutes to Live'.
- That Man Is Dead:
The Punisher: Those who do evil to others-the killers, the rapists, psychos, sadists-you will come to know me well. Frank Castle is dead. Call me...the Punisher.
- Think Happy Thoughts: At the end of the film, Castle has killed all the criminals responsible for his family's deaths, and thinks he has nothing further to live for. He puts a gun to his own head, but a memory of his wife prevents him from pulling the trigger.
- True Companions: In this film, Frank doesn't believe he's friends with his neighbors. That changes when he gets to know them after he helped with Joan's boyfriend problem and left them some of the stolen mob money he took early in the film.
- ↑ If you want peace, prepare for war.