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The Punisher (1989)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 2
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 2

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Average Rating: 2.7/5
User Ratings: 50,028

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Movie Info

This is an adaptation of a popular, violent Marvel Comics series about a character who's a frontier-style vigilante in modern-day urban America. Dolph Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, once a crusading police officer whose family was murdered by a car bomb planted by the Mob. Believed to be killed in the explosion, Castle has gone underground, building a subterranean lair in the sewer system and vengefully assassinating various criminals, wracking up an impressive body count of 125 slain in five

R, 1 hr. 32 min.

Action & Adventure

Mar 15, 2000

Cast

All Critics (17) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (13) | DVD (5)

With origins in a Marvel Comics character, The Punisher is, as might be expected, two-dimensional.

March 26, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Carefully tended facial stubble trimmed to give him a skull-like appearance, Lundgren is truly impressive as a character defined by emotional emptiness.

April 24, 2009 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Destructive, reprehensible, and marvellous fun.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment (1)

A terrible one-man-army action flick. The 2004 version is far more effective.

September 29, 2005 Comment
Fantastica Daily

Much better than the 2004 version. A surprisingly potent blast of '80s action moviemaking.

July 31, 2005 Comment
Montreal Film Journal

Often underrated comic-book adaptation that lacks the trademark skull logo but delivers the superhero presence that the Thomas Jane remake sadly lacks.

June 24, 2004 Comment

É difícil escolher o que é pior: os diálogos risíveis, a direçăo amadora, as lutas nada convincentes, a péssima atuaçăo (oh!) de Lundgren ou sua "maquiagem de deprimido".

May 1, 2004 Comment
Cinema em Cena

Marred by cheeseball sets and special effects, lame fight sequences, and some of the worst acting ever to disgrace the screen.

April 18, 2004 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | Comment
Filmcritic.com

The only positive spin I can put on this movie is that if bad comic adaptations like it hadn't been done in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Marvel never would have needed to have its current, high-quality big-screen resurgence.

April 28, 2003 Comment
Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies

The real problem is that it just isn't very exciting.

December 7, 2002 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | Comment
Apollo Guide
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Punisher

The first film adaptation of the Marvel Comics character The Punisher is a decent action film that could have been much better, but this is still an entertaining film to watch. Dolph Lundgren gives a good performance as Frank Castle/The Punisher, and along with Ray Stevenson who would later play Frank Castle in

November 6, 2011
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

In no way is this really The Punisher, but in a lot of ways it works as a bizarre 80s action movie. Dolph Lundgren plows his way through bad guys and continues to prove that he is an unstoppable force. The semi-futuristic landscape didn't work as well as it theoretically should have and it just comes off as a Robocop

May 25, 2010
ythelastman89

Super Reviewer

The Punisher Quotes

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Latest News for The Punisher

June 14, 2011:
Marvel Movie Madness! Part 16: The Punisher (1989)
Alex: To say that this 1989 outing is the best Punisher is less a reflection that the other two are...

February 29, 2008:
Ray Stevenson Talks Punisher: War Zone
Forget Dolph Lundgren, forget Thomas Jane -- Ray Stevenson is the Punisher now, and he's getting...

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