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 (062326)
The Punisher: One Last Kill is an exhilarating but uneven TV Special that
highlights one of Marvel’s most popular antiheroes, Frank Castle, the Punisher.
Unlike most Marvel heroes, Frank has no powers beyond his first-rate military
skills, tactical mind, and mastery of weapons. But like Wolverine, his brutality
and ruthlessness often allow him to defeat foes who are more powerful or
numerous than he is.
The character was created by Gerry Conway (recently deceased), John Romita Sr.,
and Ross Andru as a sympathetic Spider-Man foe who means well but goes too far.
Created in the seventies, when brutal vigilantism was popular in films, Castle
was Marvel’s answer to protagonists in Walking Tall (1973), Death Wish (1974),
and, to a lesser extent, Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name/Harry Callahan and Billy Jack.
Several versions of the Punisher have appeared on film and TV over the years. Dolph Lundgren
starred in The Punisher (1989), Thomas Jane in The Punisher (2004), and then
later in the fan
short Punisher: Dirty Laundry (2012), and finally Ray Stevenson in Punisher War
Zone (2008). None of these films was especially impressive and made much of an
impact.
Jon Bernthal is by far the best on-screen Frank Castle. He seems born for the
role and sometimes looks as if he breathes soot and perspires blood. To bring
him back to the Punisher role, Bernthal was given unprecedented control: he
stars, co-produces, and writes the 48 minute TV Special. Without his involvement, I would have rated it
lower. Just having him elevates the film.
Bernthal was terrific as a a small town cop in the early seasons of The Walking Dead
(2010-2012) and he will appear in the upcoming film The Odyssey (20226), directed
by Christopher Nolan.
The supporting cast, some drawn from other Marvel projects, is also quite
impressive. Deborah Ann Woll, from True Blood (2008-2014), Daredevil
(2015-2018), and Daredevil: Born Again (2025-up), briefly reprises her role as
Karen Page. Judith Light, who was in One Life to Live (1977-83), Who's the Boss
(84-92), and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2022-2010), shines as Ma
Gnucci, the bitter matriarch of a slaughtered crime family.
Punisher: One Last Kill is set in New York’s Little Italy, making strong use of
its location. The area is filmed like an inferno, appearing even more
crime-ridden and brutal than Gotham City. By eliminating major criminals, the
Punisher creates a power vacuum, leaving the area up for grabs as petty
criminals fight for dominance. One thug tosses a homeless man’s dog in front of
a train for fun. Later, Castle directly confronts this felon, delivering exactly
what the audience expects.
Frank Castle, of course, is known for his one-man war against organized crime
after mobsters killed his entire family. He destroyed the Gnucci crime family,
who were the last people directly involved in his family’s death. After this, he
is left without a sense of purpose and experiences a PTSD-fueled breakdown.
He puts away his crime-fighting gear and goes to his family’s gravesite to kill
himself. He is stopped by a hallucination of his daughter, who reminds him of
all he lost. In his greatest trial, he also sees visions of past friends. He
interacts with Curtis Hoyle and Karen Page, who both berate and console him.
Frank has a climactic confrontation with Old Ma Gnucci, a determined,
wheelchair-bound elderly woman who poses no direct physical threat to him.
Although a criminal, she and Frank share much in common. Isolated, she is also
her family’s sole survivor—because he killed the rest. Ma Gnucci reveals his
location and sets a bounty on his head, so dangerous assassins compete to kill
him. Since Frank lacks superpowers, his success in killing so many criminals can
seem unlikely, but the scenes are undeniably exciting.
Frank had hoped to retire, but, like Michael Corleone in The Godfather II, he is
pulled back into his old life against his will. Frank spends much of the rest of
the film dispatching his enemies in the most violent ways imaginable, which
provides much visceral excitement.
I previously read the Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon comic series that inspired
this special, Welcome Back Frank, which was marvelous. While the film is often
effective and comics-accurate, it never matches the quality of the original. Its
main problem is presenting only the middle of a story, failing to deliver a
complete, self-contained tale like the excellent
Werewolf by Night
Special.
The Punisher: One Last Kill seems made to promote future projects like the next
season of Daredevil: Born Again and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It's not
mandatory viewing, but comic book fans will likely appreciate it. I enjoyed it,
though I was left wanting more.
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