Punisher: War Zone

By the time director Lexi Alexander's grimy, violent thriller comes to an end after nearly two gore-soaked hours, it's the viewer who'll feel punished. One of the few Marvel Comics heroes unable to make a successful transition from page to screen, the Punisher (aka Frank Castle, played here by lumpen, inexpressive Ray Stevenson) dispenses vigilante justice with the aplomb of a slasher-movie killer—caving in one miscreant's face with his fist, shoving a lead pipe through another's torso, blowing off heads with point-blank shotgun blasts, etc. Castle's nemesis is the hideously disfigured Jigsaw (Dominic West, speaking with a comically exaggerated, Sopranos-like accent), who breaks his similarly sociopathic brother (Doug Hutchison) out of the loony bin and sets off on a crime spree that pits rival gangs against each other—and all of them against the Punisher. The carnage never stops, not even long enough to establish the hint of a relationship between Castle and the single mom (Julie Benz) whom he inadvertently made a widow. Stupidity runs rampant in every scene of this cinematic travesty. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Lexi Alexander and cinematographer Steve Gainer, a nine-minute “making-of” featurette, production featurettes on “Training to Become The Punisher” (6 min.) and “The Weapons of The Punisher” (5 min.), a “Meet Jigsaw” segment on the villain (4 min.), a “Creating the Look of the Film” featurette (3 min.), and trailers. Also included is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a cinematic dud.] (E. Hulse)