SinisterProbeGt
04-26-2004, 12:37 PM
Nothing is more important than family. Losing a loved one can cause undue emotional stress. Imagine the catastrophe of losing all one?s special people. Holocaust survivors certainly know that somber feeling. A special operative whose closest connections gets destroyed provides the perfect motivation for revenge in The Punisher, an action spectacular from Canada?s own Lionsgate Films and Odeon Films now unleashing just retribution at Vancouver?s Tinseltown (on Pender, Free Parking), Colossus and Famous Players Silver City theatres across B.C.
By now filmgoers know the importance of comic books as ideal source material for movies. After Superman and Batman reached the silver screens upstart Marvel Comics have provided a realm of film potential from their pleasing pages. Comic fans will be glad to know that the classic Punisher comic series finally gets top treatment through ace screenwriter Michael France, the man most responsible for reviving the James Bond series in Goldeneye, the first showcase for Pierce Brosnan. Now it looks like this latest France creation will surely be made into a profitable series.
Sunny Tampa Florida offers perfect fodder for the inspirational goings on in this story. When a ?routine? crime bust somehow goes astray crack agent Frank Castle gets caught up in the middle of a blood feud with dire consequences. Happily retired, Frank sees a family vacation turned into a horrific bloodbath when gangsters stateside come a calling. Left for dead, Frank miraculously recovers from death defying wounds to literally ?live twice?. Upset and madder than hell, the presumed dead federal agent returns to his stomping grounds to put the knee to those responsible for ruining his life.
Number one target on Frank?s hit list is Florida gang czar Howard Saint. Never to travel alone, and surrounded by scores of highly trained richly rewarded guards, Mr. Saint is no easy mark. Always out to shield him from potential trouble is number one troubleshooter Quentin Glass, a jack- of- all- trades and master consigliatore played to the hilt by Will Patton (Armageddon). Love of his life Livia adds lots of sizzle to the routine bound Howard who likes to make time laundering money for his Cuban connections. Everything changes when a bitter feud develops between Saint and Castle. Like scorpions trapped in a jar these two war machines use every nasty trick in the book (and then some) to do the other in. Blood flows freely at it seems the Florida authorities are asleep at the switch when it comes to cleaning up the streets. Viewers certainly won?t sleep through this action extravaganza which is somewhat reminiscent of the early Dirty Harry or Charles Bronson epics, only now we have bigger guns and louder booms. More fun and less seriousness rises to the fore in this tour de force thriller.
Usual good guy John Tavolta (Get Shorty), gets down and dirty to play mobster Howard Saint, whose sir name is anything but. New action hero Thomas Jane (Face Off) really gets put through the paces as Frank Castle, an innocent man who sees his world turned upside down by a simple mistake. Heaven help anyone that gets in this man?s way when he gets angry.
Fights to the finish abound in this film that rests momentarily with some comical characters and a few romantic liaisons. Temporary good girl Maria Castle gets rather short-shift through Samantha Mathis (Broken Arrow) before making way for Rebecca Romijn Stamos (X Men). Other fun characters to note in this crime spectacular include Laura Henning (Mulholland Drive) as sexy Livia Saint and Roy Scheider (Jaws) as Frank Castle Jr.
Co-writer Jonathan Hensleigh (Die Hard With A Vengeance) makes an auspicious debut as a first time director. Folks looking for explosive entertainment will have their dreams fulfilled by The Punisher, a man whose time has truly come.
By now filmgoers know the importance of comic books as ideal source material for movies. After Superman and Batman reached the silver screens upstart Marvel Comics have provided a realm of film potential from their pleasing pages. Comic fans will be glad to know that the classic Punisher comic series finally gets top treatment through ace screenwriter Michael France, the man most responsible for reviving the James Bond series in Goldeneye, the first showcase for Pierce Brosnan. Now it looks like this latest France creation will surely be made into a profitable series.
Sunny Tampa Florida offers perfect fodder for the inspirational goings on in this story. When a ?routine? crime bust somehow goes astray crack agent Frank Castle gets caught up in the middle of a blood feud with dire consequences. Happily retired, Frank sees a family vacation turned into a horrific bloodbath when gangsters stateside come a calling. Left for dead, Frank miraculously recovers from death defying wounds to literally ?live twice?. Upset and madder than hell, the presumed dead federal agent returns to his stomping grounds to put the knee to those responsible for ruining his life.
Number one target on Frank?s hit list is Florida gang czar Howard Saint. Never to travel alone, and surrounded by scores of highly trained richly rewarded guards, Mr. Saint is no easy mark. Always out to shield him from potential trouble is number one troubleshooter Quentin Glass, a jack- of- all- trades and master consigliatore played to the hilt by Will Patton (Armageddon). Love of his life Livia adds lots of sizzle to the routine bound Howard who likes to make time laundering money for his Cuban connections. Everything changes when a bitter feud develops between Saint and Castle. Like scorpions trapped in a jar these two war machines use every nasty trick in the book (and then some) to do the other in. Blood flows freely at it seems the Florida authorities are asleep at the switch when it comes to cleaning up the streets. Viewers certainly won?t sleep through this action extravaganza which is somewhat reminiscent of the early Dirty Harry or Charles Bronson epics, only now we have bigger guns and louder booms. More fun and less seriousness rises to the fore in this tour de force thriller.
Usual good guy John Tavolta (Get Shorty), gets down and dirty to play mobster Howard Saint, whose sir name is anything but. New action hero Thomas Jane (Face Off) really gets put through the paces as Frank Castle, an innocent man who sees his world turned upside down by a simple mistake. Heaven help anyone that gets in this man?s way when he gets angry.
Fights to the finish abound in this film that rests momentarily with some comical characters and a few romantic liaisons. Temporary good girl Maria Castle gets rather short-shift through Samantha Mathis (Broken Arrow) before making way for Rebecca Romijn Stamos (X Men). Other fun characters to note in this crime spectacular include Laura Henning (Mulholland Drive) as sexy Livia Saint and Roy Scheider (Jaws) as Frank Castle Jr.
Co-writer Jonathan Hensleigh (Die Hard With A Vengeance) makes an auspicious debut as a first time director. Folks looking for explosive entertainment will have their dreams fulfilled by The Punisher, a man whose time has truly come.