The Punisher (2004)

The Punisher (2004)

The Punisher. For those who are not familiar with the character, the backstory is quite simple. Frank Castle, Vietnam veteran, stumbles across a mob execution in a central park, (where all mob hits happen apparantly) with his family. In the crossfire, Castle's wife and kids are brutally killed. Feeling that he has lost everything, Frank (with a nice looking death's head shirt) declares war on all crime, and decides that he will punish criminals for what he has lost. He becomes "The Punisher"

Thats the character from Marvel comics. Pretty simple backstory, but a ton of story potential. The Punisher cropped up on animated series (Spider-Man:The Animated Series) with only minimal tweaking to his personality, and starred (portrayed by Dolph Lundgren), in a movie in 1989, called ...err..., The Punisher. Both these portrayals were fairly similar to the original Marvel comic character.

The Punisher (2004) gives the Punisher a good stretch of time in giving him his origin. Because he's fairly young in this film, mid thirties maybe, the Vietnam aspect is removed and replaced by Castle (Thomas Jane) being a FBI agent. In the course of a sting operation, the son of evil businessman Howard Saint (John Travolta) is killed. Saint doen't appreciate this, and at the urging of his wife, has an attack on Castle, and his family planned. Castle's entire family is killed. Not just wife and children, but his Mother, Father, various Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, and anyone else around at the time is killed. Of course Frank survives and takes up his revenge upon Saint and his family. (And with a nice point, he does so only when the official system has failed. He gives law and justice time to do the work for him. Only when he sees there will be no justice from the system, after five months, does he pursue what he calls, "natural justice")

I know an awful lot of people who do not like this movie. A lot of them are disappointed that Frank doesn't just pick up a gun and go a blazing away. Instead he is smart, playing off members of the Saint family and organisation against themselves so they do all the fighting. In fact, for a movie called The Punisher, there is a lack of intense gunplay scenes. There are only two extended battle scenes, the first is the killing of Castle's family, and the second is the final attack on Saint. Various other scenes crop up but are not dwelt on as much. There is one other fight scene worth mentioning, and that is the fight between Castle and the assassin called "The Russian" played by WWE Wrestler Kevin "Diesel" Nash.

Castle, in a great move by director Jonathon Hensleigh, spends the movie punishing the Saints, not just executing them. It is remarkable that an action movie, and a comic based action movie at that, has that much thought put into its construction.

The Punisher, is a very faithfull adaptation of the character of Castle, and while it did alienate the action-loving audience who don't care to dig deeper into this movie, it has hidden depths, and is well deserving of the four Darios I am awarding it. It has two other positives. The score is great and the original song by Mark Collie "In Time" is brilliant.

Unfortunately, The Punisher was "rebooted" in 2008 with Punisher:War Zone, which was designed precisely to appeal to the action crowd.

Four Darios

Official Trailer (From Youtube) :

Wishlist II

As I have unexpected access and ability to obtain a few more movies, my wishlist is growing. Here's a few additions.


Blacula (1972)
Scream Blacula, Scream (1973)
Hostel
Hostel II
Nightbreed (1990)
The Fly (1986)
The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
The Punisher (1989)
The Punisher (2004)
Punisher War Zone (2008)
Billy The Kid vs Dracula (1966)

Darkman II: The Return Of Durant (1995)

Darkman II: The Return Of Durant (1995)

Darkman II : The Return Of Durant is almost exactly like the original Darkman, expect it lacks Liam Neeson as Darkman, and the direction of Sam Raimi. The plot is remarkably similar to Darkman, in that Durant ends up attacking and killing a scientist working on artificial skin, as Westlake was. This time Westlake's collegue ends up dead, prompting a Darkman rage revenge.

Darkman II starring Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy from The Mummy) as Darkman is still a fun old film. Worth a look.

Three Darios

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension (1984)

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Darkman (1990)

Darkman (1990)

Download link :hxxp://www.sendspace.com/folder/9runww



Darkman is Sam Raimi's first superhero film, way before he became the director of the Spider-Man series.



Darkman is the story of Peyton Westlake, (Liam Neeson) a scientist on the verge of creating artificial skin, useful for burn victims and so forth. Through a nice series of coincidences, a crimelord, Durant ends up searching the lab where he works, looking for an incriminating memo for a businessman, played by Colin Friels.



Westlakes lab is blown up by the Durant organisation, leaving him for dead. (Actually, hes blown into a river, found, treated for burns on 98% of his body with a new procedure that stops him feeling pain, creates adrenaline surges that give him strength but also subjects him to uncontrollable rages)



Westlake decides that he will use his ability to make skin to create masks to (a) disguise his disfigurement and (b) allow him to gain revenge on Durant.



What follows is a pretty simple revenge on the bad guy plot, but Darkman makes it fun, especially with the sequence that has Darkman hanging from a cable from a flying helicopter. these scenes seem to be where Raimi worked out how to film the Spider-Man swinging sequences.





Great B grade action/superhero film, and because its a Raimi film, you get to spot Raimi's two continual stars. Bruce Campbell and a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88.



Three and a half Darios

Candyman (1992)

Candyman (1992)

Download link: hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=HY3SYWO3




Candyman is a perfect example on how to adapt something that is pretty much unfilmable, in this case the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker, and make it into something different but acceptable on its own terms.

Helen Lyle, grad student is preparing a thesis on Urban Legends. Her reserch takes her to the worst place in America, Cabrini Green, where she hears varying stories of a killer known as The Candyman.

Of course there is a way given to bring the Candyman back, and that is to say his name five times while standing in front of a mirror. Helen, not really believing in the existence of The Candyman, does this jokingly, but Whoops! You're in a slasher film, and guess what? The Candyman (slowly) returns. This little plot point wasn't in the story, but in films such as this there has to be a trigger. Originally The Candyman was summoned solely by Helen's disbelief.

Candyman is a bit peeved at Helens lack of belief in him and sets out to prove he is real through a series of murders all pinned upon Helen.

So we have a victim who everyone thinks is a murderess. A killer who is a legend and a climax involving a large bonfire.

Im trying not to give the ending away.

Candyman is a step above a lot of slasher films, in that it deals with the power of myth and legend and ultimately can be seen as a testement to the power of faith. (I wonder if the guys over at Hollywood Jesus have reviewed Candyman?) (It appears not)

Three and a half Darios for the film and a bonus half Dario because it was written by Clive Barker

Titanic (1998)

Not a movie I chose to watch again this time, but one my daughter is getting hooked on. The most expensive movie in history, Titanic.

Pretty much anyone would know what happens to the Titanic, but this movie, unlike other disaster films has much more. Action? Check. It was written and directed by James Cameron, who had done two films about a guy called The Terminator prior to this, (as well as Aliens), so you know it will have good action sequences. But for the others who don't get drawn into action scenes, it has a very touching romantic story dealing with class structure, freedom of choice and the use of personal strength to bring happiness. This romance between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) takes up the majority of the film and is what really involves the viewer. I actually took my Mum to the cinema to see this film because she'd enjoy that part.

Titanic, surprising most people, is a film that is well written, shot, directed and edited and is destined to rank among the top films for both entertainment value and as an example of how good films are made.

Five Darios

For those interested, check out the trailer to Titanic 2: Jack's Back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD4OnHCRd_4&feature=player_embedded