The Punisher’s anti-hero status is ignored altogether in this unchallenging movie; he’s reduced to being a homemade Good Guy without special powers, just a munitions store and a souped-up car.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 7, 2024

For anyone ignorant of its pulpy pedigree... The Punisher presents itself as little more than a rather cheap and nasty actioner lifted wholesale from the they-killed-his-wife-and-child-and-now-they're-gonna-pay files.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Nov 17, 2020

For a movie about brutal eye-for-an-eye reprisal, there really isn't much savagery (or ferocity) taking place during the majority of the film.

| Original Score: 3/10 | Nov 9, 2020

Cliched, at times cheesy, and even campy due to the over serious earnestness of Hensleigh's direction, this is one punishment that will make you laugh and cry at the same - but for all the wrong reasons.

| Nov 13, 2019

According to IFC, "The Castle family compound in PR was actually two public bathroom structures on a public beach in Tampa, FL that the production spruced up..."

| Aug 29, 2018

good fun to watch the bad guys drop like flies

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 17, 2016

Bad big screen adaptation of comic book.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 28, 2010

Standard, styleless revenge fantasy.

| Original Score: 0.5/4 | Jul 6, 2010

Despite some admittedly strong moments it's certainly nothing special and barely above ordinary.

Full Review | Jul 6, 2010

If you thought "Daredevil" was lousy, then you'll be thoroughly irritated by the asleep-at-the-wheel pacing of the story of the Punisher's origin.

| Original Score: C- | May 7, 2009

Yet another trophy in Marvel's movie gallery...

| Apr 29, 2009

A true study in the pathology of sadism that's also one of the best action films in years.

| Oct 18, 2008

A comic-book-movie-that-pretends-it's-not that falls between stools.

| Oct 14, 2008

There's something to be said for letting a comic book adaptation operate at the level of a comic book, dispensing cheap laughs and ice-cold sadism.

| Apr 25, 2007

We are treated to John Travolta in yet another gloriously unconvincing evil guy role as...a cross between Hugh Hefner and his own Tony Manero from Saturday Night Fever.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 29, 2006

Listless, lifeless, uninterestingly bleak and quite often ridiculous.

| Original Score: 2/4 | May 26, 2006

Ultimately, Frank's victim -to-vigilante transformation is so morally unexplored it's emotionally alienating.

| Feb 9, 2006

The biggest guilty pleasure of 2004. An entertaining throwback to the kind of hardcore vigilante films Charles Bronson used to star in.

| Original Score: B+ | Dec 20, 2005

The Punisher opens itself up to ridicule in so many different ways I get giddy pondering all of them.

| Original Score: 1/4 | Dec 13, 2005

It could make you cry, laugh or just shout out for more bloody violence, but regardless of your reaction, you're going to love it.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 5, 2005