History Film / PunisherWarZone

** The Bulats serve as normal Russian criminals types, and Cristu is also a smuggler in New York City though Tiberiu is referred as being a RetiredMonster.
** Pittsy and Ink are now father and son rather being [[ThoseTwoGuys those two henchmen]] and serve as Jigsaw's [[TokenGoodTeammate good teammates]].
** Finally, Maginty is now the gang leader in a Urban Freeflow Gang who do their thing with LeParkour.

This is the only film produced under the [[DarkerAndEdgier Marvel Knights]] banner, which was intended to be a cinematic equivalent of the Creator/MarvelComics imprint of the same name. Though not an entry in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, this film is also a co-production between Marvel Studios and Creator/{{Lionsgate}}.

This is the only film produced under the Marvel Knights banner, which was intended to be the cinematic equivalent of the Creator/MarvelComics imprint of the same name. Though not an entry in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, this film is also a co-production between Marvel Studios and Creator/{{Lionsgate}}.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/punisher_war_zone_4573.jpg]]

** Although the comic book Jigsaw has appeared long before the {{Saw}} franchise, near the end of ''War Zone'', Jigsaw says "Let's play a game" and then [[spoiler: [[SadisticChoice forces Frank to choose between the lives of Micro or the little girl]].]]

A critical and [[BoxOfficeBomb financial failure]] upon initial release, the film nonetheless has a small cult following, chief among them Creator/PattonOswalt who gave it a ColbertBump in [[http://www.pattonoswalt.com/index.cfm?page=spew&id=90b this]] blog post. Having more in common with Creator/GarthEnnis's run on ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX Punisher MAX]]'' than the last movie, the film could be described as a giant monument to [[{{Gorn}} violence]], stupid fun, [[RatedMForManly masculinity]] and [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer balls-out insanity]].

* KarmaHoudini: Tiberiu Bulat, one of the comic's notable monsterous characters, was last seen overseeing a BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork to pave way for the Punisher.

Ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson), waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti (Dominic West). After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle (who accidentally kills an undercover FBI agent during his attempted hit), he sets out to get revenge on Castle under the alias of Jigsaw. With the "Punisher Task Force" hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of the mobster's evil deeds go unpunished.

** The film is one of the darkest {{Marvel}} films ever created, if not the darkest.

* MadeOfPlasticine: Pretty much anyone who is not named Frank Castle. Some bad guys are gibbed in ways that should not be possible; early on, Frank headbutts a {{Mook}} so hard it ''pulls skin off of his face,'' and a mob boss is beheaded with a tactical knife.

* AdaptationalHeroism: To some degree. A couple of characters (Cristu Bulat, Tiberiu Bulat, Pittsy, Ink, and Maginty) are InNameOnly and not as nearly as horrible as their comic book counterparts. The Bulats serve as normal Russian criminals types, and Cristu is also a smuggler in New York City though Tiberiu is referred as being a RetiredMonster. Pittsy and Ink are now father and son rather being [[ThoseTwoGuys those two henchmen]] and serve as Jigsaw's [[TokenGoodTeammate good teammates]]. Finally, Maginty is now the gang leader in a Urban Freeflow Gang who do their thing with LeParkour.

%%* KarmaHoudini: Tiberiu Bulat.

* WouldHitAGirl: You expect this from Loony Bin Jim right off the bat... but the TokenGoodTeammate?

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/punisher_war_zone_4573.jpg]]

** The film is one of the darkest {{Marvel}} films ever created, if not the darkest.

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** This film is one of the darkest {{Marvel}} films ever created, if not the darkest.

** This film is easily one of the darkest {{Marvel}} films ever created, if not the darkest.

** This film is easily one of the darkest films based on a {{Marvel}} character ever created, if not the darkest.

* TenMinuteRetirement: Frank goes through one after learning that he killed a CIA mole.

[[redirect:Film/ThePunisher]]

[[redirect:Film/PunisherWarZone]]