This upgraded version of The Punisher features an impressive Dolby Atmos track and stunning Dolby Vision, two reasons to pick this up with such a low price tag.
“The Punisher walks through the world we all know, a world darkened by war, crime, cruelty, and injustice. He has no superpowers to battle the evil he sees – only his fierce intelligence, his years of combat experience and, above all, his iron determination to avenge those wronged by society’s villains.”
The film opens with Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) undercover at a sting operation in which he is brokering a deal for the sale of illegal guns. When the FBI show up to take everyone into custody, things take a turn for the worse and several people are killed, including the son of a very powerful gang-boss Howard Saint (John Travolta). When Howard Saint learns of the true identity of Frank Castle, he orders the death of his entire family. After being shot multiple times, Frank manages to survive and recover, vowing vengeance on Saint and his organization. He puts in motion an elaborate plan to take down Saint and everyone involved with him, and any criminal that crosses his path along the way.
A decade after the Marvel Cinematic Universe was introduced, it’s hard to imagine a time when superhero films weren’t all interconnected. These standalone films always have the unfortunate task of focusing on the origin story first, and what tragic event sets them down the path that they go on. In the case of Frank Castle, it’s a very tragic event, when not just his wife and son are killed, but his entire extended family as well. This sends Frank down this dark path to ultimately becoming The Punisher.
The new incarnation of the character in the television MCU is pretty different, and most people will be comparing the characters as to which they enjoy more. Jon Bernthal’s version is indeed a lot darker than Thomas Jane’s, with much different origin stories. As far as acting goes, I think I’ll always stick with Thomas Jane as my choice. Jon Bernthal can basically only play angry, and fortunately that seems to fit all the roles he picks perfectly. Still, trying to compare this film to the Netflix version is apples to oranges they are so different.
What I always enjoyed about this film was the characters. Thomas Jane had such a passion for the character and wanted to continue playing the role, the short film he did about the character almost a decade later was in his words a love letter to the character and fans. Although his version of The Punisher wasn’t completely void of emotion and reason, it’s the pain he feels for his loss that makes the character so much more relatable and likeable, since he really isn’t a ‘hero’ in the true sense of the word. John Travolta plays a very good villain as Howard Saint. He may not be choosing the best roles as of late, but this is the old John Travolta who is a pleasure to watch instead of a pain. Some of the smaller roles are filled with some great actors, Will Patton, Ben Foster, Rebecca Romijn, Roy Scheider, and many more.
The Punisher also had several great sequences that I’ll always enjoy, including the fight with The Russian (Kevin Nash) which was done very well. It’s a shame that the sequel, Punisher: War Zone had such problems in development that both the director and Thomas Jane ultimately left the project, because I think another Thomas Jane Punisher would have been great to see. In this film, we only see his revenge against Howard Saint, and he doesn’t truly turn into The Punisher who kills criminals and dishes out his own version of justice.
Video
The Punisher is presented in 4k 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Vision. This 4k transfer looks good for the majority of the time. There are some scenes with extensive grain to them that look a little out of place, and the clarity of the 4k does seem to enhance it quite a bit. On the other hand, the Dolby Vision allows for the dynamic metadata to balance the colors very well from scene to scene. This balance is consistent throughout, presenting some brilliant brights and deep darks.
The Blu-Ray version is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen.
Audio
The audio is given a new Dolby Atmos mix and is by far my favorite thing about the film. All the action sequences are very intense, with clear sound coming from all the surrounds, with a great balance as to not overpower the center channel. Explosions, gunfire, all will totally immerse you in the action and put you in the middle of it all. It’s a great track and one that takes full advantage of the Dolby Atmos ability. The score also sounds wonderful, with a beautiful and inspiring Punisher theme that sounds great on the Atmos track.
Special Features
The extras on the disc are imported all the way back from the DVD, so nothing new here. I was disappointed that this didn’t contain the Extended Cut, as I really enjoyed that version quite a bit.
Here’s what you’re going to see:
- Audio Commentary with Director Jonathan Heinsleigh
- Deleted Scenes (With Optional Director Commentary)
- Keepin’ It Real: The Punisher Stunts
- Army Of One: The Punisher Origins
- War Journal: On the Set of The Punisher
- Music Video – “Step Up” Performed by Drowning Pool
- Drawing Blood: Bradstreet Style
The Punisher may not be the caliber of Marvel films we’re used to, but there is still a lot of entertainment to be had with Thomas Jane’s portrayal. This 4k version is perfect for those who haven’t made the leap from DVD to Blu-Ray, and even if so, the upgraded Dolby Atmos track and Dolby Vision are worth it if you have the capabilities to take full advantage.
