‘The Punisher’ (1989) Review

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Over on Kung Pew Video, I’ve been revisiting the direct-to-video relics that raised us. This week: The Punisher.

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The Punisher: One Last Kill hit Disney+ last week, and so far, I’m hearing good things. But I gotta be honest, Jon Bernthal’s version of Frank Castle has never been my favorite. 

So instead of watching that, I decided to revisit my favorite screen version of this character: 1989’s The Punisher, starring Dolph Lundgren.  

And you know what? I think this movie’s gotten better with age. 

Punisher War Journal 

In 1988, one of my oldest friends introduced me to Punisher War Journal. Up to that point, my superhero knowledge had come mainly from TV shows like Super Friends, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, and the old live-action Spider-Man. 

But as an adolescent boy, I was the perfect age to be shocked and utterly fascinated by a comic book character that was armed to the teeth and loose on the streets of NYC just blowing bad guys away. 

I was hooked, and I bought every War Journal I could get my hands on. Man, I wish I still had those.

So when I heard they were making a Punisher movie, I was ready. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it at the theater. I lived in a small town, and I guess it never made it out to the sticks. Besides, Tim Burton’s Batman came out that summer, and that thing gobbled up all of the superhero movie hype that year. 

But when I finally saw The Punisher, I didn’t love it–if I’m being honest. 

But I watched it over and over again on cable, and I slowly grew to appreciate the movie for what it was rather than what I’d hoped it would be. 

And what it is…is honestly kinda strange. But in the best possible way. 

Off-Kilter Big Apple

One of the things I love most about it is the whole vibe it’s giving off.

Produced by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, The Punisher has that scrappy late-80s B-movie DNA coursing through its veins. Which means producer Robert Mark Kamen and director Mark Goldblatt were working on a budget. Which is why Sydney, Australia, is standing in for the Big Apple. And because Sydney is nothing like NYC, the whole thing just has this off-kilter atmosphere.

Like the world is tilted a few degrees off from normal.

It’s dark and claustrophobic. Shots are framed in close to hide the fact that it wasn’t shot anywhere near New York City. And because of that, it never really feels like we’re in the living, breathing metropolis that New York City actually is. You don’t get that gritty, urban decay vibe you get from so many movies shot there in this era. 

Which, on one hand, is to the movie’s detriment. But on the other? It’s one of my favorite things about it. 

Casting International Actors

And the casting choices kinda add to the bizarre, slightly off-center atmosphere of this world. 

You’ve got a Swede playing Frank Castle. Jeroen Krabbé, a Dutchman, chewing scenery as Franco. And not sounding a damn thing like an Italian New Yorker. A bunch of Australian actors as mob guys. Japanese MMA fighters playing yakuza. And a few American actors sprinkled in for good measure.

But instead of hurting the movie, this weird slurry of acting talent slants the whole thing deeper into that weird comic book world feeling.  

And speaking of the cast…

Louis Gossett Jr. is fantastic in this. I love him as an actor and have ever since I saw him in Iron Eagle. But his performance here just grounds the movie and gives it the emotional core it needs.  

Filling Frank’s Shoes

And then there’s Dolph himself. Now look…I’m not telling you Dolph is doing thespian stuff here. His accent is all jacked up. And his delivery is wooden most of the time. (Which I think actually works.) Sometimes he sounds vaguely American and sometimes he sounds like a Swede trying not to sound like a Swede. 

But physically? The dude IS Frank Castle to me. He’s 6’5”. Massive. Intimidating with that ashen skin and the dark circles under his eyes. And built like a damn Terminator.

And one thing I appreciate about this version of the character is that they don’t go soft with him. Bernthal’s version is all about psychological trauma. But this take on the character is more like an urban legend. Less soldier with PTSD, more force of nature.  

There’s even a scene where Berkowitz accuses him of being nuts. And the Punisher makes a joke. And honestly, I kinda love that. Because, at the very least, this movie is letting you decide for yourself. 

But one thing’s for sure: Castle’s a scary mofo. And the action scenes sell the audience on how badass he is. There are lots of great shootouts and fights.

Setting the Right Tone

And because the villains are Yakuza, you also get samurai swords, martial arts, and that whole creepy Japanese gangster vibe all rolled up into one juicy, strange comic book bad guy sushi roll. Which is obviously totally in my wheelhouse.

And Kim Miyori as Lady Tanaka?

Perfect casting, man. She’s cold and intimidating but also sophisticated and extremely cunning. Man, is she creepy. Like, you actually buy that these tough Italian mob guys would be afraid of her. And giving her that odd mute American henchwoman just leans even further into the movie’s weird dream logic.

And then there’s the ending. I had honestly forgotten whether this version of the Punisher actually kills Franco at the end or not. But when he does…and then warns Franco’s son Tommy to grow up to be a good man…or he’ll be waiting?

I was like Damn, they would never do this today. And I love that about this movie.

Flawed but Fun

Now obviously it’s not perfect.

The lack of the skull logo on the shirt annoys people. And like I said, the tight shots make the city feel small. Some of the mob performances are super hammy. Nancy Everhard’s character is underbaked and could have drawn out more of the emotion from the Berkowitz character. But I don’t think the writers knew what to do with her. 

And yes…there’s the issue of Dolph’s accent.

But honestly? Almost none of these are negatives for me. 

Even Franco’s ridiculous wardrobe for the rescue mission works for me. The guy puts on a jean jacket, pops his collar, grabs a UZI, and he’s ready for action. Meanwhile, Lundgren is kitted out in leather like the Punisher meets the T 800 from T2: Judgment Day. Are these two going to save Franco’s kid or are they headed down to the local biker bar to knock back some cold ones? 

It’s ridiculous and perfect all at the same time. 

Dolph is My Punisher

The movie is stylized. And violent. A little trashy. And, all in all, pretty damn surreal. And somehow it all comes together into one of my favorite comic book adaptations of all time.

1989’s The Punisher may not be the slickest version of Frank Castle. Or the best acted. Hell, it may not even be the most comic-accurate. But for me, it’s still the version that feels the edgiest, most atmospheric, and honestly…the most fun to revisit.

And in a world where every comic book movie now costs 300 million dollars and is afraid of its own reflection, there’s something refreshing about this grimy little Australian Punisher movie where Dolph Lundgren stalks the sewers of Sydney, talking to God, and meting out punishment for the guilty with no remorse–like a leather-clad Viking, armed with machine guns and bushels of death’s head knives. 

And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Kung Pew Video is where I dig into the neon-drenched, straight-to-VHS corner of film history. New episodes weekly. Be kind. Subscribe. See ya in the VHS wasteland.