Misguided Praise: A review of the 2004 “Punisher” movie on its 20th anniversary and the political associations that have appeared with the character

Generic action movies are usually bloody and bland, so I didn’t expect much from Jonathan Hensleigh’s 2004 film “Punisher” — which celebrated its 20th anniversary on April 16. 

To my surprise, I was enthralled to see such a unique and well-written stand-alone Marvel movie that was made before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which I much prefer over it — with “Blade” and “Spider-Man” being just as good.

But unlike “Blade” and “Spider-Man,” “Punisher” has gained many political affiliations from the usage of the skull-symbol created for the character from the police during BLM protests as well as among military personnel. 

“Punisher” utilizes the character qualities of an “anti-hero” — a protagonist that ultimately works towards the “right thing” — but uses morally questionable means to get there. It also utilized very stylized action sequences with quick cuts in fight scenes and hard-hitting punches that make the viewer feel the afflictee’s pain. 

I loved this movie and I’ll never understand why it received a poor reception upon its release, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 29% from critics.

Unlike the majority of the cliche action movies of the early 2000s, “Punisher” is much heavier in tone and plot, which became clear within the first fifteen minutes of the movie when main character Frank Castle’s entire family is murdered in front of him. 

Frank had killed the son of crime lord Howard Saint — played by John Travolta — while thwarting their crime organization. As a result of the gruesome death, Saint had Frank’s whole family killed.

This cold open had me hooked right away, setting up the rest of the movie to feel adequately paced and watchable. 

Frank then left his job with the F.B.I. and was presumed dead along with his family, then quickly plotted to take down everyone involved with his family’s murder no matter the cost.

Throughout the film he was opposing authority to get there, both from the government and organized crime, which only further infuriates me that police and military personnel have adopted the iconic skull as a symbol of force in recent years. 

Even the character’s original creator, Gerry Conway, came out to speak on the matter, saying that the character was never meant to symbolize oppression (via police and armed forces), and he now hopes to reshape The Punisher for this moment in history, which is warranted considering how the character is written. 

In this movie, the logo originated from Frank’s son, who gifted him a shirt with the skull as a symbol of luck and hope. This has so much more meaning not just to the characters but to the viewers too rather than the misinterpreted skull of power and force that is so commonly attributed to the symbol unlike the other comic books, television shows and movies featuring Punisher. 

The fact that law enforcement is donning the logo is steeped in irony — it’s exactly the opposite of what the character would want. Punisher does things that law enforcement can’t, and Conway knows this. 

Punisher’s capabilities are seen throughout the film, as he doesn’t wait for a trial or the government to take down the organized crime in his city — he is the judge, jury and executioner.

Despite the controversy, this movie holds up incredibly well over time, as Frank has a positive effect on those he doesn’t wish to harm, such as his neighbors. Frank stands up against his neighbor’s abusive boyfriend, and in return is given dinner and protection. When people come looking for him later his neighbors don’t budge — even after being tortured.

It’s a sweet moment of characterization for both Frank and the neighbors, and makes the character seem a lot more human rather than a mindless killing machine.

The neighbors were the first people he had talked to since the killing of his family, and they soon became his new family. I was relieved when the female character of this new “family” never became Frank’s new love interest, as I think that’s more realistic to the character’s writing.

The ending was incredible, and while I’ll leave out the major details, there are many Shakespearian undertones and minor subplots that build up to a big payout in the end which shows the incredible structure of the script.

This is without a doubt one of my favorite Marvel movies ever, and tops nearly every single MCU installment for me. I hope they start making movies like this again. I felt emotionally connected to the characters and so invested in the plot, while with modern superhero projects the characters feel so distant and disconnected from their viewers. 

I went into “Punisher” expecting the dreaded generic action movie that I despise, but came out with a new appreciation for the character, symbol and what the character was intended to stand for — hope, not power.