The Punisher [Extended Cut]

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh, Avi Arad, Gale Anne Hurd Jonathan Hensleigh

Overview

An ordinary lawman goes outside the law to carry out his own brand of justice in this dark-themed thriller. Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) is an FBI agent who deeply loves his wife and son, but is also strongly devoted to his work. Castle's investigation of a powerful crime cartel leads to a gunfight which claims the life of a young boy, whose father is underworld kingpin Howard Saint (John Travolta). Furious and eager for revenge, Saint arranges for Castle and his family to be murdered in retaliation. However, while Castle's wife and son are killed, he somehow survives, even though he's believed to have perished. Bent on stopping Saint once and for all, Castle remakes himself as The Punisher, a ruthless and heavily armed killing machine who will not rest until Saint and his crew have been wiped clean from the Earth. Based on a Marvel Comics character first introduced in 1974, The Punisher also stars Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Laura Elena Harring, Roy Scheider, and Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/21/2006
UPC:	0012236180524
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	NR
Source:	Lions Gate
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround EX]
Language:	English
Time:	2:20:00

Special Features

Extended version of the film: over 17 minutes of additional material!; Animated Kuwait deleted scenes: the Kuwait battle scene, originally slated to open The Punisher, was never shot. In a groundbreaking DVD first, audiences will finally be able to enjoy this scene recreated in animated form and starring Thomas Jane and Russell Andrews; The Punisher comic book gallery: this feature will allow viewers to click through a gallery of select past and present Marvel comic book covers featuring The Punisher. A treasure trove for The Punisher comic book fans - this is the ultimate compendium to anyone's collection; "Making of" featurette; 16x9 widescreen; 6.1 DTS-ES audio; 5.1 Dolby Digital surround EX audio; English and Spanish subtitles

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Carpinello	John Saint/Bobby Saint
Laura Harring	Livia Saint
Ben Foster	Spacker Dave
John Pinette	Mr. Bumpo
Rebecca Romijn	Joan
Eddie Jemison	Micky Duka
Mark Collie	Harry Heck
Kevin Nash	The Russian
Eduardo Yáñez	Mike Toro
Omar Avila	Joe Toro
A. Russell Andrews	FBI Agent Jimmy Weeks
Edward Jemison	Nicky Duka
Marcus Johns	Will Castle
Bonnie Johnson	Betty Castle
Antoni Corone	T.J.
Russ Comegys	Tattooed Mike
Terry Loughlin	Spoon
Hank Stone	Cutter
Tom Nowicki	Lincoln
William Hasenzahl	EMT
Robin O'Dell	Field Reporter
Veryl E. Jones	Candelaria
Michael Reardon	Toro Croupier
Yamil Piedra	Toro Pit Boss
Jack Swanson	Accountant No.2
Jeff Chase	Enforcer
Carleth Keys	Bay News 9 Newscaster
Russell Durham	Tatooed Mike
Sonny Surowiec	Saint Puerto Rico Enforcer
Rick Elmhurst	Bay News 9 Newscaster
Josh Thomas	NBC Newscaster
Russell Durham Comegys	Actor
William Haze	Actor
Jonathan Hensleigh	Actor
Eddie Jamison	Nikki Duka
Carlo Siliotto	Composer

Technical Credits

Jonathan Hensleigh

Michael France

Jonathan Hensleigh	Director,Screenwriter
Avi Arad	Director,Producer,Producer
Gale Anne Hurd	Director
Christopher Eberts	Executive Producer
Kevin Feige	Executive Producer
Andrew Golov	Executive Producer
Stan Lee	Executive Producer
Patrick Gunn	Executive Producer
Amir Malin	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Christopher Roberts	Executive Producer
John Starke	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Michael France	Screenwriter
Vladislav Boyadjiev	Sound Effects
Kelly Cabral	Sound Effects
Paul Timothy Carden	Sound Effects
Tim Cooney	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

The Marvel Comics hero the Punisher comes to the screen a second time in this stylish, violent thriller, which brings more emotional heft to its subject matter than most movies of the type. Thomas Jane is appropriately grim as tight-lipped, humorless ex-FBI agent Frank Castle, whose entire family is massacred by henchmen of millionaire businessman and secret drug lord Howard Saint (John Travolta). Believed dead and living "under the radar" in a grungy boarding house, Castle hides behind a secret identity, the Punisher, as he systematically wreaks vengeance on Saint and everyone around him. Revenge takes the form of numerous, bloody conflicts, extravagantly mounted and creatively staged by first-time director Jonathan Hensleigh, the erstwhile screenwriter whose past hits include Jumanji and Armageddon. The fights and shootouts are unusually brutal, making this R-rated melodrama less family friendly than, for example, the Spider-Man or X-Men movies. But it's the absence of that comic book tone which enables Hensleigh and his actors to make The Punisher grittier and more visceral than other films of this genre. The nifty supporting cast includes Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Joan, a plucky waitress who befriends Castle; Will Patton as Howard Saint's unscrupulous right-hand man, Quentin; Roy Scheider as the agent's doomed father; and Laura Harring as Saint's wife, Livia. Actors of this caliber, along with the relatively dark tone and savage violence, give The Punisher more gravitas than most comic book adaptations.