Parents' Guide to

Punisher: War Zone

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Violent vigilante comic book story is gory, grim stuff.

Movie R 2008 100 minutes
Punisher: War Zone Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 12 parent reviews

A Caring Mother
A Caring Mother Parent of 17-year-old
April 15, 2019
age 2+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Dannythebanshee
Dannythebanshee Adult
December 24, 2018
age 18+

Really good movie depending on your taste in movies

What i really liked about this movie was that the hardcore violence in this dark antihero movie based on the comic where a kid can climb on walls and shoot web made really gory was awesome! Its constant action the way a superhero movie should be sometimes. Dont get me wrong jon bernthal was amazing on Netflix, but you camt watch it in a couple hours it drags on and i wanted to show my brothers about punisher. So i showed them this movie! We enjoy constant action and although i loved netflixs daredevil and punisher, id like to watch marvel movies with my brother and dad and hate that i cant go to the theaters to see a punisher movie evwr again because punisher will probably stay on television. The rating is about pg-13 or 14. It is bloody but thats what the ratimg had to be to be bloody. Not really anything nasty like deadpool which i loved but can only watch alone or with spouse. Other than them mentioning hookers and the bad guy calling that little girl jailbait which just shows what a sick man he really is with no morals.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on a popular comic book character first introduced in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1974, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE revolves around ex-Marine/Special Forces instructor Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson). When Frank's wife and children are slain after witnessing a mob execution, Frank begins a one-man war on New York's underworld, unimpeded by due process and the rule of law. Frank's most recent assault on crime boss Bily Russoti (Dominic West) not only sees Frank killing an undercover FBI agent but also leaves Rusotti grievously wounded, insane with rage, and even more dangerous. As Frank tries to atone for his acts to the agent's wife and daughter, Rusotti breaks his criminally insane brother, "Looney Bin Jim" (Doug Hutchison), out of the asylum to pull off a bioweapons-smuggling scheme -- and exact personal revenge.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12):
Kids say (14):

There's no denying the vim, verve, and energy that director Lexi Alexander (Hooligans) brings to Punisher: War Zone; there's also no denying the movie's extreme gore and violence. This film marks the third time that The Punisher's come to the big screen -- previous iterations have starred Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane -- and unrepentant fans of hardcore action cinema will enjoy it. In many ways, the filmmakers were even right to make the film so over-the-top; a sanitized, PG-13 version of a film about a semi-insane vigilante who murders criminals might be even more upsetting than the atomized flesh and spraying blood on display here.

Stevenson is easily watchable in the lead role -- tormented when he needs to be, lightning-fast and unhesitant when in action. And West (best known for his work on The Wire) grimaces, giggles, and glowers out from under disgusting make-up and prosthetics as the mutilated villain, who goes by the name "Jigsaw" (in many ways, Jigsaw is a modern -- and disgusting -- nod to classic Dick Tracy villains like Flatop, the Brow, and other deformed, demented pulp fiction criminals). Punisher: War Zone is going to appeal to a very limited audience of older action fans, but they'll love its high-adrenaline, gore-heavy approach. If you go in expecting the glossy, "biff bang pow!" bloodless action of recent comic book adaptations like Iron Man or Batman Begins, you're going to get a rude, gory awakening.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of extreme violence on screen. What draws viewers to this kind of movie? What are the effects of watching so much grisly violence, even if it's intended to be deliberately over-the-top and cartoonish? Families can also discuss the film's endorsement of "going outside the law" to punish criminals who've evaded the consequences of their actions. Do the ends ever justify the means? What other recourse do people have when the system doesn't work?

Movie Details

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