The DVD Dissection - Punisher: War Zone (Blu-Ray)
Posted by Chad Webb on 03.27.2009
The Commando of comic book movies.
Ray Stevenson: Frank Castle/ The Punisher
Dominic West: Billy Russoti/Jigsaw
Doug Hutchinson: Looney Bin Jim
Stephanie Janusauskas: Grace Donatelli
Wayne Knight: Microchip/Linus Lieberman
Julie Benz: Angela Donatelli
Dash Mihok: Detective Martin Soap
Colin Salmon: Agent Paul Budiansky
TJ Storm: Maginity
Directed By: Lexi Alexander
Written By: Nick Santora/Art Marcum/Matt Holloway
Theatrical Release Date: December 5, 2008
DVD Release Date: March 17, 2009
Running Time: 103 minutes
R for pervasive strong brutal violence, language and some drug use.
The Film
The Punisher character has had an intriguing saga on the big screen. The story never seems to succeed the way the studio thinks it should. Dolph Lundgren was the first to portray Frank Castle in the 1990 film, which took many liberties with the source material, and has very loud detractors, but has still maintained a small following since. In 2004, Castle would finally be reborn, this time with Thomas Jane playing the lead part. This attempt too would be disparaged by critics, and received mixed reactions from fans. With DVD sales staying strong, and with reboots and re-imaginings as a trend, Lionsgate has gone to the well once more, and once more adjusted the look and design.
What all of these films have in common are mediocre to abysmal box office totals. One would think that the message would eventually get to the studio execs sooner or later. Many studios are starting from scratch with famous comic book characters, and sometimes it is beneficial, whereas other times, it is not. Perhaps most people just don't care about The Punisher. They probably never will. The world will never see a Punisher film make money like The Dark Knight did. No matter who the star is, no matter who the director is, and no matter when the film is released in theaters, some folks just don't care, and we need to accept this. Just look at latest The Incredible Hulk, which only made a little bit more than Ang lee's Hulk. Just like some people will never enjoy watching The Incredible Hulk, some will never enjoy the Punisher.
Ticket sales aside, Punisher: War Zone is the first attempt at the tale to display the crucial ingredient: guts. War Zone puts its balls right out there in plain view. It is a movie that embraces the violence of that universe. It accepts the darkness of the character. And finally, it expresses a tone that does not take the substance too seriously. This is a comic book character, and the film needed to reflect that fictional, exaggerated aura. Thankfully, this film understands that not everyone will love it, and that it will not garner four-star reviews from critics. And the cast and crew could care less. I admire that approach, and appreciate the B-movie qualities it is so confident in showing.
The best decision anyone could have made was not dwelling on the Punisher's origin story, or the events that caused his family to be killed. The Punisher's origin story is dull with a capital D. We have seen it too many times before to have one ounce of emotion towards it. Guy loses family. Guy wants revenge. War Zone gives us glimpses of the tragedy via flashbacks. Good. That's all we need. Viewers are intelligent enough to put the puzzle pieces together and figure out why Frank Castle never smiles. Even those that have never heard of the character could decipher that code. War Zone picks up six years since the Punisher became a feared vigilante.
Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher (Ray Stevenson), begins by crashing a party for Gaitano Cesare (John Dunn-Hill), a mob boss who has just been exonerated on all charges against him. A massacre ensues, but the next in line for the top position, Billy Russoti (Dominic West), escapes. Castle follows him to a recycling plant, where he accidentally kills undercover FBI agent Nicky Donatelli (Romano Orzari). Castle tosses Russoti into a glass crushing machine, which was one of many awesomely bold scenes, and it leaves the gangster horribly disfigured. From that point on, he goes y the name of Jigsaw, and promptly frees his brother Looney Bin Jim (Doug Hutchinson) from an insane asylum. Together, they set out on a mission to retrieve some missing money and eliminate Castle. Meanwhile, Castle is suffering with his actions that killed an FBI agent. He tries to make amends with his widow Angela (Julie Benz) and daughter Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas). The plan does not go smoothly, and he quickly realizes that both of their lives are in danger. The Punisher must keep them safe, while at the same time dealing with pursuing FBI agent Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon) and detective Martin Soap (Dash Mihok).
By including the origin story of Frank Castle, the film establishes a clear intention of hoping the audience will sympathize with Castle. That is not why we paid for a ticket. We are not supposed to become so invested with the character. Dolph Lundgren was too...well, Dolph Lundgren like to fit the persona, and Thomas Jane was not only too much of a pretty boy, but played the "feel sorry for me" angle excessively. Ray Stevenson (Rome) understood Frank Castle and the Punisher better than his predecessors. In his interview with 411mania's Tony Farinella, he said "He's not a savior or a protector of the innocent. He's a punisher of the corrupt. That's it. Cut and dry. Don't look for anything else because it's not there." He also said "I don't want people to walk out of the cinema wanting to be the Punisher." I couldn't have said it any better myself. I could rattle on for another paragraph praising Stevenson's efforts, but the best compliment I can pay him is this: He shuts up, looks mean, and shoots people. That is all we needed.
As fantastic as Ray Stevenson was with the slicked back hair and bad ass beard, the villains are a bit shaky, and have in every attempt, ventured too far into silly territory. In this case, the nemesis of Frank Castle is Jigsaw, which yes, is the name of Tobin bell's horror icon, but oh well. Dominic West assumes the role of Billy Russoti and Jigsaw, and although his performance is not great, it was adequate. The make-up work stood out, and it was meant to. At times his laughing and sneering was goofy, but he is a comic book villain, and that's what we got, flaws and all. The problem is Looney Bin Jim, depicted by Doug Hutchinson (The Green Mile). He is fine during the fight sequences, and works as a psycho, but is annoying whenever he talks. Plus, his contribution is more of a tacked on "bad guy" than the brother of Jigsaw.
Julie Benz finds a way to be in some of the most violent films in recent memory. Before her role as Angela Donatelli in Punisher: War Zone, she could be spotted in Saw V and Rambo. She knows what guys want apparently. As Angela Donatelli, Benz tries to inject a bit of feistiness into the widow, but in the end, she is just a captive for the villain. The same goes for Grace Donatelli, played by Stephanie Janusauskas. She's nails the cuteness in the girl, and that's basically all that was required. Wayne Knight is solid as Microchip, and is mercifully not just present for comic relief. Colin Salmon is just fine as Paul Budiansky. He has a memorable face, and an intense attitude. His alley fight scene with Frank Castle is spectacular. Last but not least is Dash Mihok as Martin Soap, the bumbling detective that adds a tolerable layer of comedy to the proceedings.
Earlier I referred to the "balls" War Zone possesses. This is an ironic statement considering Director Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) is a woman. The fabulous job she did here proves that you never know who the proper choice is to best bring a character to life. She is not afraid to put style over substance, and that is where War Zone thrives. Her collaboration with the set decorators, costume designers, and production designers resulted in a movie that just looks cool. She elects a color scheme that accentuates details of the settings one would not usually notice. Alexander also went above and beyond the call of duty for comic book fans. Priority number one was faithfulness to the source, and it paid off about as well as anyone could expect.
This is not a film that relies on character development, story depth, or a broad audience. It should not be compared to other comic book films like The Dark Knight because it does not belong in that league. Punisher: War Zone does not pretend to be anything other than a gratuitously violent comic book flick. It triumphs where the previous incarnations have failed, by not holding back on the gore, and not putting up a facade. This is definitely a brutal and bloody affair, but settling with the alternative would be ordinary. As far as the accessibility factor goes, I would show Punisher virgins this film before even mentioning the others. War Zone covers all the bases, and if no other sequel arrives, at least fans can cherish this fun little treasure of mayhem.
The Video
The visual palette of Punisher: War Zone was dark, but striking. Each setting is saturated with specific colors. Castle's lair is comprised of blues and grays, while other moments stick with black and white. It varies from scene to scene, but this strategy was effective in adding a gritty, yet flashy style to the atmosphere. The crew knew they had to make this movie stand out from the others, and they did so with eye-catchingly vivid images. For a story that transpires mostly at night, War Zone did not want to hide behind the night time like some films have done. The 1080p transfer is framed in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and is marvelous. The black levels are rich and deep, and the background detail is distinctive. The video is sharp, but not totally clean, and that was intentional. Grain can be apparent in certain scenes, but that augments the stylistic choices. Otherwise the colors mesh well without bleeding.
The Audio
My normal volume level when I watch any DVD is about 30. My TV goes up around or maybe a little past 50. At this level, the sound is loud enough without bothering the neighbors downstairs. The audio for Punisher: War Zone was so good that I had to decrease the volume by almost 10 notches to avoid my neighbor's wrath. The bass fills the room with excitement, the music is clear and never overwhelms the characters, and the background noise is clear. Every character is understandable and lucid. Subtitles options are available in English and Spanish if you need them though. The DTS- HD MA 7.1 track is aggressive and unforgettable. The gunfire is just unbelievable, and to hear it rendered through the speakers is worth the price of the disc alone. This is exactly the audio this film deserves, and it will leave you system out of breath.
The Packaging
Punisher: War Zone the Blu-Ray edition is distributed in a slimline blue clear case that holds two discs. One is the digital copy. Inside is a single sheet of paper instructing the buyer on how to upload the digital copy. The cover is straightforward: an image of Ray Stevenson with two of many magnificent guns used. The menus are easy to navigate, but sadly, when watching the extras, you must finish the extra before returning to the main menu. And the menu options do not pop up on the bottom of the screen like some Blu-Ray discs do.
The Extras
Audio Commentary - This track features Director Lexi Alexander and Cinematographer Steve Gainer. This is a general commentary really. Both parties talk about how they shot various scenes. Alexander does most of the praise for the cast, and both describe the cold conditions during shooting. Of course they try to point out what was close to the comic books and what was not as well. This was standard, and worth a listen if you own the film, but that’s it.
The Making of Punisher: War: Zone (9:02) – This begins the odd separation of the extras on this DVD. One would be inclined to say this a regular “making-of” featurette, but it isn’t, since this is merely a portion of one. All of these extras, save for the trailer, could have been combined into one mini-documentary. Regardless, this includes interviews with the cast and crew, and they immediately chat about sticking to the source, and then move to the actors and their characters.
Meet Jigsaw (3:34) – This takes you through the make-up process with Dominic West and his character of Jigsaw, while displaying pictures from the comics for comparison. It’s funny that his contact lens even had stitches on it.
Weapons of the Punisher (4:39) – This is self-explanatory, but just so I can write something, this has weapons specialist Paul Barrette explaining the numerous weapons used, how they were modified, and who they were issued to in the film. Never hurts to have a bonus on weaponry.
Training to Become the Punisher (5:47) – Some of the training footage was shown on the previous extra, and bizarrely, it picks up in this one with shots of Ray Stevenson practicing with the guns, talking about the military type training, and then undergoing boxing lessons.
Creating the Look of the Film (2:46) – This is super short, and has brief interviews with the production designer and other crew members discussing the costumes and color strategy throughout the picture.
Molog - This is one of the Blu-Ray exclusive features that allows users to insert and animate shapes, text, audio, and other graphics right into the film to create “Blogs” to share with other Molog users. However, this only works with certain Blu-Ray players, and you might not have one, just so you know.
Bookmarks - This allows users to place various bookmarks throughout the film. I’m not sure why anyone would need to do this, but it’s here.
Theatrical Trailer (1:08) – A short trailer, but gets the point across well.
Also from Lionsgate (11:56) – This includes previews for the following films/DVDs: Crank 2: High Voltage, The Haunting in Connecticut, Transporter 3, Saw V, The Burrowers, The Spirit, and Hulk vs..
The Film: 8.0/10.0
The Video: 9.0/10.0
The Audio: 10.0/10.0
The Packaging: 8.0/10.0
The Extras: 7.0/10.0
The 411: I must admit, Punisher: War Zone caught me by surprise. The reboot trend has been getting on my nerves, so until this DVD came my way, I had no intention of seeing this because at the time, I didn’t care. I’m glad I was able to see it now, because this film rocks. It has everything a guy needs in an action movie, not to mention those who rely on comic book faithfulness. Director Lexi Alexander and actor Ray Stevenson have finally discovered what ingredients will make the best Punisher movie. By letting the character look angry and kill people, while not dwelling on the origin story, Punisher: War Zone succeeds where the previous two attempts failed. As far as the Blu-Ray technical specifications are concerned, they are brilliant, and even if this had no extras, I would still recommend it. The bonus features are extremely short, and divided for no reason other than to convince the buyer that they will take a lot of time to get through, but oh well. At least they provided a commentary. If you’re choosing between standard and Blu-Ray editions, pay the few extra bucks, and go with the improved audio/video. It’s worth it.
