Punisher : Zone de guerre

For me, this is still a better version than the previous installment, even though there's a different main actor. I particularly like it in those gritty scenes where there are proper massacres. It just suits the film, and we finally get a superhero who isn't afraid to take down scum of any gender. Otherwise, it's predictably dull and clichéd, but I like that element. (23.05.2014)

It's interesting how both Punisher films differ from each other. The first one might seem a bit over-the-top, but if you watch the second one, the first film pales in comparison in that regard. War Zone offers entertainment packed with unforgettable, now-cult lines that I'll be repeating for a long time. Of course, I can't forget the solid carnage that the viewer gets minute by minute. Ray Stevenson is the perfect choice for a slightly grittier Punisher, who doesn't hold back at all. It's abundantly clear that the story is monotonous, but here it's mainly about entertainment, and that is at a high level. I liked the film's execution, and the slight visual filter gave it a touch of brilliance. Billy Russoti and his brother Jim, aka "Crazy Jim," delivered incredible scenes (the hospital scene, with its detail, felt more like a Tarantino product, plus the shooting of stuffed animals, etc.). The most interesting fact, without a doubt, is that such an iconic film was directed by a woman, and she wasn't afraid to go all out. I truly don't understand how this film can have such a low rating. The lines are great, the action is great, the Punisher is great, and the villains are mega great. I might even reconsider giving it five stars over time. For now, it's a solid four and 84%. "Shouldn't I take away his meds?... Why?... In case he feels sick... He's feeling fine." (06.10.2017)

A sad story about how a promising director gets a job for a mid-budget action flick but, because she has a worthless screenplay, entirely hopeless casting and inadequate production facilities, the film inevitably bombs and she doesn’t get another chance. At the same time, there was potential, and the basic concept of relating Punisher to earlier works on which it was based and coming up with a comic-bookishly exaggerated film,in which there would be properly caricature-ish schematic characters and slapstick violence, could have been a necessary shot in the armfor this unfortunate series. But in order for it to work, it would be necessary to cast in the lead role an actor whom you wouldn’t spend the whole time mistaking for someone discovered in a commercial for grey Primalex paint orthinking that the assistant director forgot to recall the main character's stand-in from his spot. It would also help if it pressed hard on the gas where style is concerned. The gloominess is fine, but when it lacks color, it simply merges into anonymous black – that’s why the Ninja Turtles are green and eat pizza so that their home in the sewer has a bit of flair, whereas Punisher’s underground lair, with its seamlessness, gives the impression that the production company forgot to hire someone to design the set and the lighting designer “rescued” everything at the last moment. War Zone is riddled with a lot of similar things where a little was enough and could have been better. On the other hand, the introductory sequence of a visit to a mafia get-together, abounding with exhilarating Pollock-esque creativity, shows that this could have been a lot of fun, if... (05.01.2020)

This film is a striking reminiscence of the 1980s with all the trimmings (stony heroes, plot dullness) polished with contemporary glitz (camera filters, fountains of blood). It is not ashamed of its decadence (the crazy comic stylization of the villains) and offers a great portion of action carnage that no man, let alone woman, can boast about. It's obviously cheap entertainment, but the honest "old-school" feel of it comes through in spades, and expecting more from it than the film actually delivers in the end is a bit... naive. :) (11.02.2010)