The Punisher (1989 film)
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- This article is about the 1989 version. For the 2004 version starring Thomas Jane, see The Punisher (2004 film)
It was filmed in Sydney, Australia and also featured Louis Gossett, Jr., Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard, and Barry Otto.
Plot summary
Five years after his family was murdered in a mob hit, police officer Frank Castle (who was believed dead) has become a vigilante known as "The Punisher". Living in the sewers and waging a one-man war against organized crime, his only friend is an old alcoholic named Shake. Meanwhile, the Mafia, headed by Gianni Franco, begins a violent turf war with the Yakuza, led by Lady Tanaka. The Yakuza kidnaps the Mafia's children and holds them for ransom in order to bring the American underworld under their control.
Shake pleads with the Punisher to save the children, who are likely to be sold into childhood slavery no matter what their criminal parents do. While he is able to save most of the children, the Mafia leader's son is taken away to the Yakuza headquarters in New York City. Furthermore the Punisher is taken into custody by the police, only to be freed by Franco's men. Franco persuades the Punisher to team up to save Franco's son, and stop the Japanese criminal underworld from taking root in America.
Franco and the Punisher raid the Yakuza headquarters, fight and kill all the thugs and ninjas, including Lady Tanaka. Upon being reunited with his son, Franco betrays the Punisher in an effort to kill him, but the Punisher wins the duel, kills Franco and vanishes from the scene, as police arrive, warning the son not to follow the sins of his father.
Cast
- Dolph Lundgren - Frank Castle/The Punisher
- Louis Gossett, Jr. - Jake Berkowitz
- Jeroen Krabbé - Gianni Franco
- Kim Miyori - Lady Tanaka
- Bryan Marshall - Dino Moretti
- Nancy Everhard - Sam Leary
- Barry Otto - Shake
- Brian Rooney - Tommy Franco
- Zoshka Mizak - Tanaka's Daughter
- Larry McCormick - TV Newsreader
- Kenji Yamaki - Sato
- Todd Boyce - Terrone
- Hirofumi Kanayama - Tomio
- Lani John Tupu - Laccone
- John Negroponte - Musso
Notable facts
- In real life the Japanese Yakuza do not have women in their organization nor do they have them as bosses. Nor do the Yakuza dress up in Ninja outfits.
- Dolph Lundgren wrote Frank Castle's opening and closing monologues.
- A full orchestral score was composed and conducted by Dennis Dreith at the Warner Bros. sound stage. A CD of the soundtrack was not released until 2005. The CD includes interviews with the director and the composer.
- This version of the Punisher does not wear the comic book costume, instead being dressed in leather.
- The VHS box depicted a scene that was deleted from the film.
- The film is available on DVD, but it only includes a scene selection and a filmography among the extras.
- The film's VHS was distributed in Mexico by Ofer Video, a now defunct video company.
- The movie doesn't uses any of the comic's storylines, and instead deviates into its own story, sharing only the main character (The Punisher) with the comic.
- Stan Lee was involved in the film as an executive advisor.
- One of the Frank Castle's lines was used in the opening of the song Answers by Vigilante (band)
External links
- [The Punisher Movies] hype at the [SuperHeroHype!]
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