Underrated Marvel Movie Getting A Brand New Upgraded Release
One of the most underrated Marvel films is being resurrected, as it has been announced the film is getting a brand-new 4K re-release.
Lionsgate’s 2008 action-packed sequel Punisher: War Zone is getting some love in the form of a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital Steelbook. The collection will release on October 18th, and it will come loaded with bonus features including behind-the-scenes looks at the actors’ training processes, the weapons used through the film, and audio commentary from some of the crew members, including the director Lexi Alexander. You can see the box art images below:
Punisher: War Zone finds Frank Castle, aka The Punisher (Ray Stevenson), once again going to war against the crime syndicate responsible for the death of his wife and kids. With assistance from his trusted sidekick, Microchip (Wayne Knight), he nearly kills mob boss Billy Russoti (Dominic West) but instead leaves him horribly mutilated. Thirsty for revenge, Billy (who renames himself Jigsaw) recruits criminals from every corner of the city to eliminate Frank.
The Punisher was released in 2004 and starred Thomas Jane as Frank Castle (aka The Punisher). The plot is very similar to that of Punisher: Warzone. In the film, an undercover FBI agent becomes a vigilante and sets out to unleash his wrath upon the corrupt businessman who slaughtered his entire family at a reunion. The Punisher character has appeared in comics, shows, and films, all bearing the same type of origin story. Frank Castle is usually a former operative of some kind that goes rogue and kills the people responsible for taking his family away.
At one point, Jane was attached to reprise the role in Punisher: War Zone, but he eventually dropped out due to creative differences. “I regretfully and painfully had to pull out of P2,” he told Ain’t It Cool News in a 2007 interview. He continued, “What I won’t do is spend months of my life sweating over a movie that I just don’t believe in.”
Punisher: War Zone is often, and some would say, unfairly overlooked. For one, 2004’s The Punisher wasn’t exactly well-received, naturally killing any excitement for a follow-up. Of course, recasting the role of Frank Castle certainly didn’t help matters. In addition, the story went in a completely different direction than its predecessor. Still, some folks, including Giant Freakin Robot’s Drew Deitsch, believe the sequel deserved better. In fact, he said “Not only it is awesome, but it’s one of the best Marvel adaptations ever made. Want an even bolder claim? It’s the best adaptation of the Punisher EVER.”
Released in theaters on December 4th, 2008, Punisher: War Zone sits on Rotten Tomatoes with a 29% rotten rating from critics and a 42% rotten rating from audiences. The film earned just over $8 million domestically and around $2 million internationally. With a budget of $35 million, it was considered a box-office flop. Fortunately, with the upcoming Steelbook collection, the forgotten sequel may get a new lease on life. Collider reports the following special features: Training to Become the Punisher, The Making of Punisher: War Zone, Creating the Look of the Film, Meet Jigsaw, Weapons of The Punisher, Audio Commentary with Director Lexi Alexander and Director of Photography Steve Gainer, and Theatrical Trailer.
Punisher: War Zone stars Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Doug Hutchinson, Colin Salmon, Wayne Night, Larry Day, and Dash Mihok. Lexi Alexander directs from a script by Nick Santora, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Steelbook collection when it hits retail shelves on October 18th, 2022.
