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Information

Year
1989
Runtime
89 min.
Director
Mark Goldblatt
Genres
Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rating *
5.7
Votes *
16,465
Checks
1,697
Favs
30
Dislikes
54
Favs/checks
1.8% (1:57)
Favs/dislikes
1:2
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    I have no particular love for Dolph Lundgren but his version of The Punisher at least doesn't suffer from some of vanity other action stars' movies do in this era (Sly an Arnold must be oiled up, Van Damme must do the split, and so on). Frank Castle looks like he hasn't slept in 5 years in this and I approve. Though played as a fairly straight actioner (no skull shirt, for one thing), the comic book flair comes from the Yakuza villains who elevate the material beyond the expected shoot-em-up. The leader is deliciously evil, they ninjas have cool gimmicks, and the climax in a Mondrian-inspired Japanese castle somewhere in New York creates cool monochrome backgrounds for the action. And I think there's something to be said for the use of children in this, the mob bosses seeing their heirs kidnapped, comparing that to what happened to Frank's family, and saying something about the sins of the father and the cycle of violence. But make no mistake, there isn't a lot of strong acting in this (Lou Gossett Jr. excepted) and the action isn't very well edited. Better than expected, but recommended only with provisions. 2 years 7 months ago
  2. Kublai Khan's avatar

    Kublai Khan

    One man's war against the most incompetent criminals you will ever see on screen. 2 years 9 months ago
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In 1 official list

  1. This movie ranks #242 in Marshall Julius's Action! The Action Movie A-Z
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