This is an ultra-violent '80s action movie. Accept every facet of that statement and what it entails and you will love the hell out of this movie. Dolph Lundgren survives everything that should kill a normal man and racks up a ludicrous body count by the end. Louis Gossett Jr. gets angry (and eats pizza) like only LGJ can. Many a mobster and ninja (yes, I said ninja) is dispatched in painful, bloody ways. Thousands of rounds are discharged in one of the longest, most hilarious scenes of gun destruction ever committed to film. If any of these things doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then you probably never made it to this page to read this review anyway. Loved it. Watched for BMFcast 121.

Disjointed but insanely violent actioner from an era when comic book movies weren't a big deal. Thus no one cared about Dolph Lundgren murdering mobsters, SCUBA ninjas, the yakuza, and slot machines galore. The plot and acting leave much to be desired, but the violence is the selling point, and man, do people get punished. Louis Gossett Jr. is along for the ride to be bald and angry.

The plot is something you have to sludge through but there are some nice action pieces and cool explosions in this. Namely the house that gets blown up twice in the beginning.

Aside from Dolph barely being able to deliver lines or keep his eyes open, he is a pretty terrible Punisher that manages to get captured three times, beaten up and never wears a skull on his chest (the simplest costume still never accomplished).

Louis Gossett Jr. is black, bald, and does not look like a bitch! Good enough Lundgren actioner but Showdown in Little Tokyo is the more fun out of his Yakuza beat down films.

It is not a perfect film by any means-even as an 80's action film-but it's a shame that it only went direct to video in the United States as this is a really violent film which is a lot of fun to watch; as I have never been a comics fan I don't care too much that there are many changes to the Frank Castle character, although even I think it's odd how you never see his trademark logo. There are some quality setpieces and some darkly hilarious moments.

The plot is something you have to sludge through but there are some nice action pieces and cool explosions in this. Namely the house that gets blown up twice in the beginning.

Aside from Dolph barely being able to deliver lines or keep his eyes open, he is a pretty terrible Punisher that manages to get captured three times, beaten up and never wears a skull on his chest (the simplest costume still never accomplished).

The type of movie that you can tell was directed by an editor.

One of the better trashy movies of the 80ies. It's full of the usual problems (not so good actors, logic and plot holes) but the action is decent and it takes itself not too serious. Some nice one-liners and the stupid look of Dolph Lundgren make it quite entertaining.

The Punisher is a violent eighties film, much like Dolph's other films. If you like eighties action, you will really like The Punisher, it's a better film than the 2004 release.

Some great one-liners in this one.

Interesting facts about The Punisher:

91 people are killed individually on screen in this movie, not including those who die in explosions.

Dolph did most of his own stunts.

In the opening sequence, on a cinema marquee, a poster is visible for the film "Make Them Die Slowly", better known as Cannibal Ferox.

Its worth a watch...

nice and brutal comic adaptation. shame that the director wasn't up to the challenge because all the interesting action set pieces (and there is a lot of them) are average at best. Lundgren delivers couple of solid one liners, but nothing more... from all the punisher movies the best, even thou cheapest looking! where is the skull on punisher's shirt thou???

Still the best Punisher movie, sure it's a big dumb spectacle at times but Dolph Lundgren's Frank Castle is dark and a redemptive in his quest for revenge. Easily one of my favorite 80's action flicks, and the big bad is Ice Cold. I wish the other 2 movies that followed were as awesome