Punisher: War Zone

I finally got around to illegally downloading this film the other day, after many months of thinking about it and forgetting every single time i actually managed to get online even after thinking about it for most of a day which is seriously annoying and i know we all do it ALL the time *virtually breathes*, and it was everything i expected with freakin' awesomesauce sprayed on with buckets made of pure awesomeite.

I've watched the two older films, the 1980's Dolph Lundgrem version and the modern (2004, i think) version and i thought they were both slightly lacking in something. I had a slight preference to the older version in general because it more closely followed the original comic-book story and style, myself collecting Punisher comics, but they both seemed to be missing something in translation that was tangible but impossible to put your finger on... They both had different styles of pulling it off but the two actors both managed the acceptable angst, the directors managed to purvey a story correctly and both were paced well. It wasn't until i watched this newest film i finally realised what they were missing from both films, finally it rolled from the tiip of my tongue.

Hardcore, unrelenting, heart racing and occasionally offputting VIOLENCE. The comic books are abosolutely unrelenting, with a storyline-violence ratio of very little-OMG but somehow still managing to keep you thrilled and interested in what happens to all the created NPCs, and finally they managed to pull it off.

Personally, i would have loved the film purely for the guns. I loved watching all the different weapons and his horrifically incorrect use for them and just how many magazines he seemed to have on him, and the ammo capacity for all the weapons was withheld well giving it extra marks. Come on, M93r's for his standard sidearms? Wasteful much.

Anyone, before i go off on a gun rant (Wanted and Hitman are where i'll be doing that ^_^) i think this is a brilliant film. A lot of people will be put off slightly by the cheese, but that is just all in keeping with the comic book itself. Some may be put off by the whole idea of the film, and its lack of storyline, but then hey, just don't watch the film. Girl.

I'll give this my highest score yet, 8/10. If you like guns, watch it. If you like violence, watch it. If you LIVE, freakin watch it.