Punisher 2

[Mark Chance]

Maybe it's about seeing beyond the movie and treating the movie as a seperate entity from the comic book. Nobody is giving Blade this kind of ridicule from the comic version, so why Punisher?

My gripes with The Punisher have nothing to do with the comic book and the differences between it and the movie. I think The Punisher was, at best, a barely average movie. Since the comic books are also barely average, deviating from them is a step in the right direction, assuming the writers know what they're doing, which they didn't.

As for Blade, I found the first entertaining, but was largely underwhelmed by the sequel. I have low expectations for the third.

 

[Dark Jezter]

A little late, but oh well...

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/articles/1695.asp
and
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/articles/1755.asp

So it looks like the Punisher 2 is on the way for 2006. Another recent report I read about Punisher 2 from AICN stated that Jigsaw would be the villain.

I'm pleased with the announcement. I thought that the Punisher was a good action flick. It wasn't a classic, but it was definately enjoyable (and considering that the studio executives only gave the director a small amount of time and money with which to make the movie, it's amazing that it didn't suck).

 

[Crothian]

The first movie was dare I say...good!! I liked they killed the whole extended family, it gave great reason for him to do what he did. The build up in the movie was great, as I was expecting very little establishment of character. THe assassins they brought in were a bit silly and from the comic, but I still liked the movie. And I really was not expecting to like it at all.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Best Punisher story: JLA vs. Avengers #1, Batman's reaction to Frank, and Plastic Man's reaction to THAT.

So what was Batman's reaction and what then was Plas' reaction? And what then was Frank's reaction Batman's reaction? And what then was Batman's reaction to Frank's reaction of Plas' reaction of Batman's reaction?

 

[Dark Jezter]

Another update.

According to Tom Jane, the Punisher 2 is going to begin production in two months, and the location will be changing from Tampa to New York.

My feelings on this are fairly neutral. On one hand, setting the movie in New York City will make it more true to the comics. On the other hand, I feel that NYC is overused as a setting for action movies/crime dramas; Tampa was a nice change of scenery.

 

[Klaus]

So what was Batman's reaction and what then was Plas' reaction? And what then was Frank's reaction Batman's reaction? And what then was Batman's reaction to Frank's reaction of Plas' reaction of Batman's reaction?

I think yer yankin' my chain, but hey, I'm gullible!

The JLA is sent to an alternate Earth (the Marvel Earth) to recover some mystical artifacts at the behest of a Marvel cosmic being, to save the universe. Since there's no Speed Force is Earth-M, the Flash must stay behind, but he activates the Cosmic Treadmill to send the team (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, Jonn Jonnz, Green Lantern [Kyle], Plastic Man and the Atom) to Earth-M.

When they get there, Batman has the team split up into pairs and do reconnaissance before regrouping to locate the artifact. Batman tells them NOT to engage the locals.

When Aquaman is p***ed off at the way Dr. Doom treats his subjects ("This is no way for a monarch to behave"), Batman stresses that they shall NOT engage combat.

When Superman is dismayed at the path of destruction surrounding the Hulk, Batman orders him NOT to engage combat.

So Batman and Plas are taking a peek at New York City, and they witness the Punisher gunning down several drug dealers. Plastic Man heads to the GL-created Batplane saying "Well, let's me the others, Batman... Batman?... (turns around and sees a broken skylight where Batman was watching) BATMAN!?!"

Cut to the rendevouz point, where the JLA is assembled.

Plastic Man (yelling): "He tells us to stay hidden! He orders us to stay hidden! He COMMANDS us to stay hidden!!! And what does HE do? Does he STAY hidden or does he spend FIFTEEN MINUTES beating up a psycho is black leather?!?!?!"

Batman: "..."

 

[Rel]

I REALLY did not like the recent Punisher movie and it isn't because I didn't want to.

It felt to me like they just could not pick a mood for this thing and stick with it. It started with the gruesome and dark murder of his whole extended family (though some of the action was a bit campy) but they interject some rather lame comic relief with the neighbors. Then the fight with The Russian was just plain goofy and cartoonish, like something from Popeye. If that dude had had a gun then the fight would logically have been over in seconds but instead it was "I'll throw him through another wall." Silly. That was IMMEDIATELY followed by the incredibly gruesome torture scene with them ripping out the dude's piercings with pliers. The ending was ok but I hated the skull pattern of the fire (though if the rest of the movie had been better this certainly would not have ruined it for me).

If the theme had been just "Dark, Gritty, Ruthless Revenge" then I'd have been fine with that. If it had been "Over The Top Action With Moments of Levity" that would have been ok too though perhaps not really in keeping with the Punisher theme. As it was I just couldn't settle in and enjoy the movie beacuse it kept shifting gears on me.

Hopefully the next one will be better but don't count on me being in line outside the theatre.

 

[Klaus]

Skull pattern on fire?

It was cool in the first Crow.

It was a bit ridiculous in Daredevil (why leave a double D on gas and not light it up? And how could a blind guy make those?).

But including it on Punisher is just lame!

 

[Dark Jezter]

It felt to me like they just could not pick a mood for this thing and stick with it. It started with the gruesome and dark murder of his whole extended family (though some of the action was a bit campy) but they interject some rather lame comic relief with the neighbors. Then the fight with The Russian was just plain goofy and cartoonish, like something from Popeye. If that dude had had a gun then the fight would logically have been over in seconds but instead it was "I'll throw him through another wall." Silly. That was IMMEDIATELY followed by the incredibly gruesome torture scene with them ripping out the dude's piercings with pliers. The ending was ok but I hated the skull pattern of the fire (though if the rest of the movie had been better this certainly would not have ruined it for me).

The "comic relief" neighbors and the brawl with the Russian were straight out of the comics. Specifically, the Welcome Back, Frank series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon.

Personally, I loved the fight scene with the Russian. It's my favorite close-quarters fistfight I've seen in a movie since the fight on the train between Sean Connery and Robert Shaw in From Russia With Love.

 

[nakia]

It felt to me like they just could not pick a mood for this thing and stick with it. It started with the gruesome and dark murder of his whole extended family (though some of the action was a bit campy) but they interject some rather lame comic relief with the neighbors. Then the fight with The Russian was just plain goofy and cartoonish, like something from Popeye. If that dude had had a gun then the fight would logically have been over in seconds but instead it was "I'll throw him through another wall." Silly. That was IMMEDIATELY followed by the incredibly gruesome torture scene with them ripping out the dude's piercings with pliers. The ending was ok but I hated the skull pattern of the fire (though if the rest of the movie had been better this certainly would not have ruined it for me).

I just watched The Punisher this weekend and have to agree with Rel. I thought Jane made a good Frank Castle and thought the movie was okay, but the juxtaposition of radically different moods made the whole thing flow like tar. I enjoyed the Garth Ennis Punisher a lot -- the character is a bit absurd to begin with, so to have over the top gore and black, comedic violence makes some sense. I enjoyed the fight with The Russian. I wonder what the film would have been like if it had followed that tone all the way through. Ennis certainly didn't take the Punisher all that seriously and balanced the beam well between action and (very dark) comedy.

I'll check out the sequel on DVD.