I've Seen PUNISHER: WAR ZONE

Porn actor, Frank Castle, stars in "Punish Her!".

Punisher: War Zone is about Frank Castle taking out the city's mob bosses in his own vigilante fashion. In the process, a trigger-happy Punisher accidentally kills an undercover agent and creates his own worst enemy, Jigsaw, by failing to properly recycle him.

Ray Stevenson played the title character, and made me forget all about Thomas Jane's portrayal of the mercenary not for hire. And let's not forget the pioneer that paved the way to this insignificant point, Dolph "Don't Call Me Dolphin" Lundgren. Newman from Seinfeld fame was Microchip. Julie Benz, the missionary from Rambo, played the agent's widow. Benz had a New York accent for her first line in the film and then it mysteriously went away. Rhea Pearlman should have been cast as the deceased agent's mom in Benz's stead. Then Rhea's character would use her son's death to guilt trip Frank Castle into a grotesque love tryst. A graphic and explicitly nude love scene from Pearlman ought to evoke many a reaction from the soon to be emotionally traumatized audience.

I had serious doubts upon hearing that a woman was put in charge to direct this manly movie. I was concerned that a female perspective would portray Punisher as a sensitive pacifist. She would have Frank Castle cradle the dying agent in his secure arms, and gently kiss the undercover mole goodbye with his soft, velvety lips, as he passed on to the afterlife. But, thankfully, that was not the case. There were a couple of funny scenes involving sudden violence, but there wasn't enough cinematic originality in regards to the brutality.

The Punisher concept is viable provided it receives the proper imaginative screenplay it deserves. Having said that, this flick is not worth watching at the theater for. It's more of a high quality straight to video feature.