The best you can say about The Punisher is that its title at least has the decency to be reflective of its contents, insufferable as they are. Adapted from the dark-hearted, vengeful comic book of the same name, The Punisher sees Thomas Jane playing Frank Castle. An old fashioned FBI agent, Castle is involved in a sting operation that goes askew, killing a suspect in the process. Since the deceased was the son of notorious mobster, Howard Saint (Travolta reaching a new nadir in terms of sheer ridiculousness), it's somewhat inevitable that a revenge ploy is unleashed, which wipes out the Castle family, including his wife and own son. You really don't need me to tell you that Castle, having adopted a new name and attitude, swears vengeance on the nasty mobster...
About as subtle and pleasant as a sledgehammer to the groin, The Punisher is a loud, remorseless picture, which preaches the dubious codas of revenge and vigilantism. Unsettling and vaguely threatening, the film wheels through its familiar arcs with predictability that border on the soporific. The action sequences occasionally work, but the marked reluctance on the part of the filmmakers to offer anything resembling humanity in this mess, however, is virtually unforgivable.
