The Punisher (1989) on Netflix
Frank Castle's wife and daughters died in a Mafia car bomb meant for him. Five years later he hunts mobsters from the sewers as the Punisher, while a Yakuza syndicate moves in.
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Trailer
Plot summary
Frank Castle was an undercover police detective until a Mafia car bomb killed his wife and two daughters and left him presumed dead. Five years on he lives in the city's sewers, known only as the Punisher, and has assassinated 125 mobsters with throwing knives engraved with a skull. His only ally is Shake, a stage performer turned derelict who speaks in rhyme. The mob families, worn down by his war, bring kingpin Gianni Franco out of retirement to unite them, which draws the attention of the Yakuza and their leader, Lady Tanaka. The Yakuza seize the mobsters' children and hold them for ransom, and Shake urges the Punisher to rescue them.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Punisher (1989)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The Punisher's iconic skull logo was left off Dolph Lundgren's costume as a conscious creative choice by director Mark Goldblatt, not the rights issue fans commonly assume; Goldblatt said on the DVD commentary that he later regretted the removal.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for Frank Castle but was ruled out because his salary would have eaten most of the film's budget; Chuck Norris, Mickey Rourke and Steven Seagal were also floated as potential leads.
- To play Frank Castle, Dolph Lundgren dropped 25 pounds and isolated himself for most of production to convey the character's intensity, keeping himself on edge and aloof.
- New World Pictures, which bought Marvel's parent company in 1986, made The Punisher its only film adaptation of a Marvel Comics character, and it was one of the last films the company produced.
- The script was originally set in New York City but was relocated because shooting there cost too much; Mark Goldblatt was persuaded to film in Australia instead of Seattle because New World Pictures had recently opened a subsidiary there.
- When Mark Goldblatt complained about the script, New World executives told him they liked it as it was; later, producer Robert Mark Kamen was brought on board to rework the script.
- Goldblatt had never heard of the Punisher when New World sent him an early draft, which he equated with "a Friday the 13th in sheep's clothing".
- Christopher Lambert was considered for Frank Castle, but a recent ankle injury ruled him out of such a physically demanding role.
