As with my revision of X-Men '00
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ager/news/?a=47647
my Spider-Man '02 revision
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ager/news/?a=50361
my older DareDevil '03 revision
http://media.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ager/news/?a=23157
and my Hulk '03 revision
http://comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ager/news/?a=50529
The criteria is such that I can not choose any actor in the movie for any role in the movie. It's an all new cast.
That being said, I enjoyed The Punisher very much. There wasn't a character I disliked. From the very tough Jane to the superbly, over-acting Travolta, I thought it was well done.
I did revision the '89 version as well
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ager/news/?a=25700
This has no connection
All 3 movies, like the others, are taped back-to-back
The Punisher (rated R) as the 1st would, naturally, be titled,
Starts out a black screen. over it is the sound of war. Guns, bombs and scream echo throughout. Frank Castle jolts out of bed in a cold sweat, dog tags around his neck, holding his head. His wife wakes up "Honey, were you doing it again? Go back to sleep. As of today, you're a veteran, no longer a marine. Put that in your past a live happy. The kids wanted to surprise you by taking you on a picnic tomorrow. (he smiles) Act surprised. They said they wanted you to remember tomorrow for the rest of your life." (they kiss good night)
Castle leaves the picnic as he forgot drinks. Meanwhile, Maria and the children bare witness to a car chase which turns into a deadly execution (attempt) right before there eyes as she hold them tight, hands over eyes. Castle pulls back up to see all 3 shot. He drives onto the park after the killers, Bruno Costa, Consigliere to brother Frank, and his 4 Capos.
He is unloaded on, crashing his car. The 5 men escape. He crawls out, seeing his dead family and hears the victim choking on his blood, thus alive. He violently tortures the man until he learns the identification of the killers.
The screen reads the title... The Punisher
As he lat dormant for weeks, healing, it is believed, due to his disappearance, he killed his family. He hunts down and brutally kills all people associated with the Costas, breaking into a strip club/hang out of the family and laying waste to most. He leaves a message with one of the strippers, "Tell Costa, Frank Castle wants him dead."
The media dub him The Punisher and Costa pays the commissioner a hefty amount to protect him. He puts LT Richthofen in charge of his safety, a job she is not proud of.
Throughout the movie, he takes out each Capo in very violent and unique ways. LT has no choice but to arrest Castle when confronted. This happens before he can kill Bruno or Frank Costa. She may be less happy than Castle about this. The movie ends as he walks through the jail, with objects ranging from shoes to cups of urine, being thrown at him by the inmates. Castle cracks the only smile since he left his wife and children to get drinks.
Punisher: War Zone the sequel
for 10 minutes in the sequel we are intro'd to Microchip. Castle beats the hell out of every inmate, outnumbering or otherwise, with ease. The 2 breakout and continue to hunt the Costa brothers.
Bruno flips out and starts to go crazy with fear. Frank Costa hires Audrey to assassinate his brother. Castle kills her with extreme violence for taking his kill.
Costa hires 5 killers to take out his enemy. Yeah, it doesn't work.
Meanwhile, Det. Soap is hired to take out Castle for the police force. Soap and LT do what they can to secretly help Castle and Micro.
When its all said and done Micro comments how they can rest and Castle says not until there all gone.
Punisher: Max the threequel
Castle befriends Jen Cook after he saves her from nearly being raped and kills her attacker, Slug, by mutilating his downstairs.
Castle and Micro go after Silvermane and his Capos, as they are NYC's largest gang. He has a multitude of battles with Russo, whom he mockingly refers to as Jigsaw by their 3rd encounter. He never succeeds in killing him, however. He battles The Russian, losing, and barely surviving the 1st time, only to outsmart and kill him the 2nd. He battles Hammer Head, Silvermane's Consigliere, and, after finding out that his head was harder than The Russian's fists, and, to that note, could stop a bullet, he kills him too. Silvermane is also killed with Castle showing no mercy for the weak.
In the end, Castle states that this will never be over, there's always scum out there.
The last scene shows Jigsaw spinning around in Silvermane's office chair and smiling.
THE CAST:
The vigilante hero...
The Punisher
Mark Valley
Age: 40
Seen in: 4400
Die his hair black, cut it and slick it back. He is the best of a list containing roughly 12 people. Admittedly. Chris Meloni was ideal, however, I chose him as Blonsky in Hulk. Valley has a rugged look perfect for this role.
Feel free to write who, besides Tom Jane, could've been a good Castle. Clive Owen was my 3rd choice, yet to familiar to an audience.
The wife...
Maria Castle
Mariska Hargitay
40
L&O: SVU
Hargitay personifies a strong woman. She looks as if she could raise 2 children whilst her husband is absent nearly the entire marriage fighting in the Marines. It takes a tough woman to be the wife of a Marine in war, and a tougher one to be the wife of Frank Castle. She looks like she belongs with Valley.
The tech-head partner...
Microchip
Robbie Coltrane
54
Harry Potter
Coltrane has a specific look to him. From 1 angle he can look like a misleading teddy bear to be trusted and from another, he looks like an untrustworthy slime ball. Micro is intro'd in jail; he's not an innocent man. An innocent man would never align himself with Castle, never mind allow him to do the things he does.
The victim...
Jen Cooke
Nia Long
34
Boiler Room
Long is so so so pretty, not too mention she is a very intense and underrated actor. She brings such emotion to many of her scenes, I thought she would bring heart to this film. Micro is not Castle conscience by a long shot. She, however, is.
The Punisher Task Force...
Detective Martin Soap
Colin Firth
44
Love Actually
Over his illustrius career he has garnered well over 30 awards for his acting skills. I chose him for Reed Richards in a What If?... version of Fantastic 4 done in the 90's. A few years younger and he would've been a contender for Banner in the aforementioned Hulk cast.
LT Molly Von Richthofen
Sarah Clarke
32
24
She was so obnoxiously evil in 24 that I hated her guts more than any villain I could remember. That's acting. She did swerve the audience, starting out the new series as a good guy, or so we thought. She has the right appeal and is a young enough age to where the character proves her hard work paid off at the young age.
The crooked opposition...
Commissioner
Kevin Kline
57
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Really, I haven't got a clue what the Commissioner looks like. So, I went with a great character actor that can play a public figure and actually be some worm getting paid to be crooked punk.
The Costa Familia...
Frank Costa
Robert De Niro
61
A Bronx Tale
De Niro is a legend in the business and bares a striking resemblance to Costa. I wanted to pack in as many huge/tough guy actors as possible to give it a sort of Scream movie effect. Remember Drew Barrymore dying so quickly in the movie? Everyone immediately thought, or was supposed to think, that no one was safe and anyone could fall prey to Ghostface. Well, no matter the screen time, these actors are big names.
Bruno Costa
Chazz Palminteri
54
A Bronx Tale
You can plainly see the remarkable similarities between Palminteri and Costa, I hope. The 1st few movies I saw him in he portrayed very powerful "bad" men. I never figured he could play "good." Then, I noticed, he was just as convincing on the side of law. My point is that Palminteri transcends acting, like very few others, and would rule in the most important villain role, serving under his brother.
The Capos...
Luis Allegra
John Turturro
47
Secret Window
As a fan of the Coen brothers, I have become very familiar with his unique ability to absolve himself into a wide range of roles. I am a huge fan of his and feel he would only add to the talent pool I've already chosen.
Byron Hannigan
Michael Madsen
47
Reservoir Dogs
I was looking for a take-no-BS- tough-guy. I found him. Valley would garner instant cred with any audience member the moment he takes down the Tarantino alumni.
Leon Kolsky
Daniel Day-Lewis
47
The Crucible
This is part a shout-out to my What If?... Punisher fancast and part because he is not only a fantastic actor (to some, not me, I feel he overacts) but looks very much like the character.
Matt Skinner
Eric Roberts
48
Best of the Best
He's my avatar. I love this guy. He was my Castle in my Punisher '89 revision fancast and I strongly stand by that as a great choice.
Frank Costa has his brother killed by...
Audrey
Natasha Henstridge
30
Species
A small role for an actor of whom I've only seen in Species and Whole 10 yards. She's sexy, and dangerous looking and I'm fine with her in this role.
Frank Costa's hired guns... (a variation of the comic occurs as to the foe hiring them)
Cane
Bill Nighy
53
Underworld
I never heard of him before Underworld, but since then, I've been dying to see him in other movies. The perfect Brit for the part.
Combat
Sly Stallone
48
Rocky
Combat's the muscle. Stallone will forever be a powerful guy. I wanted the least likely Italians in this movie (with the exception of De Niro) but still have great actors and big names. I'm a Rocky fanatic, what can I
say?
Garrote
Christopher Lambert
47
Highlander (and check out my "woulda, coulda, shoulda Batman fancast with him)
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ager/news/?a=37112
A tough, scary, creepy French guy. My number one choice.
Stiletto
John Ventimiglia
41
Sopranos
The spitting image of the Brazilian hitman, Ventimigli's role in the hit series isn't that of a tough-guy mafioso so I believe this role isn't a stereotype, something I tried hard to avoid.
Tequila
Lucy Lawless
36
Xena
They don't get more intimidating then the warrior princes, do they?
The Silvermane gang...
Silvermane
Kirk Douglas
78
Spartacus
They don't get more iconic than Douglas. I wanted a very aged, legendary actor and almost went with Christopher Lee, but he was wrong for the part. Although Lee was better verbally projecting his voice at this age than was Douglas, he looked too menacing and is over cast anyway. This is near perfect.
Hammer Head
Elias Koteas
43
Fallen
One of the best actors to never be a top draw. For all my talk about how great this guy or that guy is, he might just be better than any of them. His take on Hammer Head would be slightly more realistic. No giant Dick Tracy head or zute suit style clothes. Maybe he has an affinity to speak in stereo typical lingo seen and learned through movies. Nothing assinine that would take away from the seriousness of the film, he is not the comic relief, there is none.
The Russian
Dolph Lundgren
46
Rocky
Yup, it's called a nod. A nod to the original Punisher and his Rocky character.
(thanks for the pic, LEEE777)
Jigsaw
Jim Caviezel
36
Passion
Loaded up with a ton of movies, Caviezel's career slowed down as of late. In this year, though, he was the actor to cast. The "beaut" is the perfect villain for him to covet