The Punisher (1989 Film)

***The Punisher***  is a 1989 Australian-American action film directed by Mark Goldblatt and starring Dolph Lundgren. It is based on the Marvel Comics' character of the same name. The film changes many details of the comic book origin and the main character does not wear the trademark "skull". *The Punisher*was filmed in Sydney, Australia and also co-starred Louis Gossett, Jr., Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard and Barry Otto.

Artisan Entertainment and Lionsgate have attempted to reboot the comic book character twice with 2004's *The Punisher* and then with 2008's *Punisher: War Zone*.

## Plot

Frank Castle is the city's most wanted, and most mysterious, vigilante, known as "The Punisher". He has killed 125 criminals in the past five years. An ex-police officer, Castle's family was murdered in a mob hit, in which Castle was also thought to have perished. This combined with Castle's furtive methods of attack have made the Punisher's identity a mystery to the general public. Living in the sewers and waging a one-man war against organized crime, his only friend is an old alcoholic named Shake, a former stage actor who speaks in rhyme for reasons unexplained. Now legally declared dead, Castle strikes back from beyond the grave, killing mobsters wherever he can find them. Due to his war against them, the Mafia families have weakened, forcing one of the family leaders, Gianni Franco, to come out of retirement. Franco has a plan to unify the families. This, however, has attracted the attention of the Yakuza, Asia's most powerful crime syndicate. Led by Lady Tanaka, the Yakuza decide to take over the Mafia families and all of their interests. In order to sway the mobsters to their cause, they kidnap their children and hold them for ransom.

Shake pleads with the Punisher to save the children, who are likely to be sold into the Islamic slave trade regardless of whether or not the Mafia give into the demands. The Punisher attacks Yakuza businesses, warning he will continue inflicting property damage unless the children are freed. The Yakuza later capture the Punisher and Shake and attempt to torture them into submission, but Punisher breaks free and decides the only course of action is a direct rescue. He is able to save most of the children with a .45 Thompson M1928 submachine gun, the Mafia leader's son is taken away to the Yakuza headquarters. Furthermore, the Punisher is taken into custody by the police, but later freed by Franco's men. Franco admits he brought this on himself as the hit on Castle's family was an error, and persuades the Punisher to help him save his son, and stop the Japanese criminal underworld from taking root in America. Franco and the Punisher raid the Yakuza headquarters, fight and kill all the Yakuza, including Lady Tanaka and her daughter. Upon being reunited with his son, Franco betrays the Punisher in an effort to monopolize the underworld, but the Punisher wins the duel. Franco's son then threatens the Punisher for killing his father, but cannot bring himself to hurt him. Castle warns Franco's son to "stay a good boy, and grow up to be a good man", not following his father's misdeeds, then disappears. The police arrive, only to find no trace of the Punisher.

## Cast

* Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle/The Punisher
* Louis Gossett, Jr. as Jake Berkowitz
* Jeroen Krabbé as Gianni Franco
* Kim Miyori as Lady Tanaka
* Bryan Marshall as Dino Moretti
* Nancy Everhard as Sam Leary
* Barry Otto as Shake
* Brian Rooney as Tommy Franco
* Zoshka Mizak as Tanaka's daughter
* Larry McCormick as TV newsreader
* Kenji Yamaki as Sato
* Todd Boyce as Terrone
* Hirofumi Kanayama as Tomio
* Lani John Tupu as Laccone
* Giancarlo Negroponte as Musso