CRAPS: The Punisher (1989)

SPOILER ALERT!

I'm a huge fan of the Punisher and I have been for a long time. Before this morning, I had seen the 2004 movie, the 2008 movie, and the Netflix series, and read some comics. I felt weird that I had seen two of his three movies. I wanted to watch that third one I haven't seen so I could finally say I've seen all three. This one I hadn't watched was the first one to be released, a movie from 1989 starring Dolph Lundgren as the titular Frank Castle/The Punisher.
    For those uninitiated to the character, Frank Castle is a war veteran who has a wife and kids, until one day he and his family witness a crime and the perpetrators decide to eliminate all witnesses. They kill his wife and kids and try to kill him, but don't succeed. Castle swears punishment on crime, dons a black suit with a skull on it, and begins to mass-murder criminals as the Punisher.
   This portrayal of the character keeps the origin and characterization pretty much the same but has some shortcomings. The movie follows Castle's mission to inflict punishment on crime bosses in the city. That's really all there was to it.

THE CRAPS SYSTEM

-Characters: 4/10. I only really cared for Punisher and even that was iffy. I don't understand why they chose Dolph Lundgren to play him - he just didn't seem like the right fit for the character. There had to have been dozens of other brooding actors to choose from in the eighties. I also didn't like the costume. They didn't use the iconic suit or even put his skull logo on it - he was literally just a dude in clothes.
-Rewatchability: 4/10. Don't really think I'll ever rewatch this unless sometime I get the urge to watch all Punisher stuff.
-Artistry: 6/10. It's a good comic-booky story if that's all you're looking for. But if you're looking for a good movie, go somewhere else.
-Plotlines: 7/10. Punisher punishes criminals. That's all we really need from a Punisher movie, right? And it delivered on that. I just wish it had some more depth and urgency.
-Soundtrack: 5/10. I didn't hear much as far as memorable music but nothing that put me off.

Overall: 26/50

Please watch the 2004 Punisher movie instead. It's so, so much better.

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