The First Reviews For THE PUNISHER Are Here - What's The Verdict On Marvel's Latest TV Series?

The first wave of reviews for The Punisher have been released this morning and they shed some light on whether or not Frank Castle's solo series delivers or simply fails to live up to expectations...

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By JoshWilding - Nov 13, 2017 01:11 AM EST
Filed Under: The Punisher
Marvel TV has been having a tough time of it lately. Iron Fist was its first critical disappointment while The Defenders also failed to live up to expectations. The Inhumans, meanwhile, was a total flop and so it's now up to The Punisher to redeem the company somewhat. So, does it succeed? Honestly, it's hard to say because some critics appear to love it while others didn't like it at all! There's no middle ground.

There are some reviews which are mixed but most appear to be on one end of the scale or another and that could point to the show being pretty divisive among fans. Then again, those who hated it seem to be making comparisons to what's been happening in the world lately and that seems a silly way to judge a TV show which isn't based in reality and is obviously adapted from a popular comic book.

Will The Punisher deliver? We'll find out on Friday but feel free to share your thoughts down below.

To view the list of reviews in its entirety, simply click on the VIEW LIST (ONE PAGE) button below!

 

The Punisher is riveting, politically adventurous entertainment, willing to get mired in the complexity of a nation that has come to define itself through the incalculable damage and untold amounts of killings done in the name of peace. When the need to set-up, reiterate, or preempt the plot becomes its more prominent concern, however, it’s emblematic of everything wrong with comic-book adaptations, on TV or elsewhere.

SOURCE: Collider
 

 

Netflix released all 13 episodes to critics, and despite strong performances from Bernthal, Walcott and Moss-Bachrach (Micro), it was a slog to reach the end. I found myself thinking back to Person of Interest, which did a better job with similar material. Its main characters were an ex-CIA vigilante and his hacker partner, battling shadowy enemies in the military-industrial complex. Even in the framework of a formulaic CBS crime show, it was more satisfying than Marvel’s attempt at serious long-form drama.

SOURCE: The Daily Dot
 

 

The Punisher is the show Marvel Television needed. It’s the show that proves there might just be hope yet for the studio’s small screen ambitions. And yes, if we’re judging purely on the act of transforming into a character, Bernthal absolutely deserves an Emmy nomination for this one. His performance has been far elevated from the days of Daredevil.

SOURCE: Forbes
 

 

For a show which seemed, given the timing of its launch, to be so controversial, its most controversial element is its lack of controversy. Frank Castle does some bad things, but nothing as bad as what happens in America on a regular basis. As a narrative about veterans trying to find their place in the world, “The Punisher” has something to say. But it could have been so much shorter, and its placement in the Marvel universe feels tangential at best.

SOURCE: Indie Wire
 

 

The Punisher’s first episode is sleepy and repetitive; nothing in it is anything we didn’t see in the second season of Daredevil. Along those same lines, The fifth and sixth episodes already drag more than the others, an indication of the usual mid-season Netflix slump. But at least Punisher’s repetitive beginning is part of the first narratively necessary step in the show’s plot: moving the goalpost on Frank’s revenge.

SOURCE: Polygon
 

 

It’s a conundrum: The Punisher is most effective when its title character is indiscriminately slaughtering his foes, but that’s also when it most consistently evokes the kinds of real-life horrors that pushed the premiere back once, and could have kept pushing it back indefinitely. There may hopefully be a time when Frank’s actions don’t instantly recall horrors from our world, but that version of his story will still need to be told much more compellingly than this.

SOURCE: Uproxx
 

 

I almost want to declare the existence of this “Punisher” show a miracle. I don’t know, really, what I was expecting from it, because from the moment it was announced it didn’t really feel like it fit with the other Marvel shows on Netflix. And aside from a few appearances by Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and a couple cameos by very minor characters from other shows, it really does just go its own way. And thank the Lord for that, because I like watching legitimately good TV shows. And “The Punisher,” somehow, is legitimately good.

SOURCE: The Wrap
 

 

In all, “The Punisher” is not just satisfying but surprising — an interpretation of Netflix and Marvel’s tried-and-true partnership that offers more depth and challenges to the audience than even the gritty world of “Marvel’s Jessica Jones.” Free from superpowers and superheroes, the Marvel universe is more forgiving — and more interesting. Of course, the slightly cartoony Marvel Cinematic Universe is still a world where people named Carson Wolf show up and act as if they are not obviously villains. But “The Punisher’s” place in it is a welcome morass of thorny questions and unresolvable answers. At least in this part of the television landscape, there is room for another antihero.

SOURCE: Variety

 

 

Marvel’s The Punisher did an excellent job reintroducing us to an iconic character, with the help of a brilliant performance from Jon Bernthal. While some of the supporting cast members are less memorable, there is still plenty of time for more character development down the road.

SOURCE: IGN

 

At the end of the day, for hardcore fans of the character, The Punisher is bound to offer a better experience than the three failed big screen adaptations. But those looking for more escapism in their superhero storytelling might be better off revisiting the other equally dark but less dour Marvel/Netflix shows.

SOURCE: We Got This Covered
 

 

Frank begins the 13-episode run alone and assuming a new identity; but it’s when he starts to open up that the man behind the scope begins to emerge. The show may not be to everyone’s tastes – fans may expect something more visceral, despite the fair amount of gore - I just sincerely hope people are patient with it and let the show develop, despite its odd missteps. It’s left me wanting more of The Punisher before even any of The Defenders return – and I’m eager to see what Frank does next.

SOURCE: Total Film
 
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Gjedi
Gjedi - 11/13/2017, 2:03 AM
First!!
Jezi
Jezi - 11/13/2017, 4:30 AM
@Gjedi -
Shazam
Shazam - 11/13/2017, 4:56 AM
@Gjedi - Congrats My Friend! So I guess one person does lol.
Jezi
Jezi - 11/13/2017, 5:29 AM
@Shazam - Why encourage it? Whoo! I'm the first person to leave a comment on this random article. I won't use this headstart to initiate thought-provoking discussion, I'll just use it to announce that I was the first person to see it, despite not actually reading it and coming straight here to announce that I was the first despite probably not actually being the first considering that the actual first person to see the article is probably too busy reading it and not caring that they were the first person in the thread. You know what I do when I'm the first person in a thread? I just think "Oh, nobody's commented yet, hmm.. whatever."
Shazam
Shazam - 11/13/2017, 6:30 AM
@xAdam - Let me get this straight....You are replying to a comment that actually took some "shade" away from your "Nobody Cares" comment. And your point is? Type what you want. This site is about fun, opinions, and greats discussions. If I feel like encouraging someone for a post, then that's just me. But commenting after someone took your shade away on another persons reply is just simply a decision you made......



@Gjedi @SuperCat
Jezi
Jezi - 11/13/2017, 12:04 PM
@Shazam - "This site is about fun, opinions, and greats discussions."

Is "FIRST!" any of these things?
Gjedi
Gjedi - 11/13/2017, 3:16 PM
@xAdam - actually you did..thank you..
Shazam
Shazam - 11/14/2017, 5:25 PM
@xAdam - I would say yes after reading @Gjedi comment....



And that's glory of having fun My friend on CBM....I'm a positive guy and I'm just keeping it fun as well.
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 11/13/2017, 2:05 AM
Cautiously optimistic about this still. I'm worried that it's gonna focus too much on Punisher's 'origin'. But as somebody who did not like the Defenders i really want to like this one
Shazam
Shazam - 11/13/2017, 4:59 AM
@TheManWithoutFear - That is my concern as well. Everything is taken so literal and figurative now a days when it come to certain show that’s held to a higher standard. I’m really hoping for the best for this series.
Coolkid
Coolkid - 11/13/2017, 2:07 AM
It's high time Marvel reduces the No. of Episode from 13 to 8 or 10(Again it didn't help Defenders though)... Episodes being dragging is the most common criticism I've heard for all other Netflix serieses as well... By reducing the no. of episdes, theye can get rid of a lof ot filler moments... And yeah, looking forward to watch The Punisher...!!!
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/13/2017, 2:13 AM
Can we get a non controversial mixed netflix show. Its not hard.
MUTO123
MUTO123 - 11/13/2017, 2:17 AM
[frick] Collider.
auditore
auditore - 11/13/2017, 3:01 AM
@MUTO123 - why?
MUTO123
MUTO123 - 11/13/2017, 9:49 AM
@auditore - To put it simply (and I’m not gonna go in-depth about it just because I don’t think they deserve that much attention), they’re everything that I detest in modern day criticism.
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 11/13/2017, 2:17 AM
So pretty mixed then. I'd say I'm surprised but the last few outings haven't been so great either.
Kyos
Kyos - 11/13/2017, 2:19 AM
They really should start giving the shows the number of episodes they actually have enticing material for, instead of sticking strictly to the 13 episode format no matter what. But as someone else pointed out - there's also Defenders.
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/13/2017, 2:25 AM
@Kyos - Defenders was bad because of a few reasons. It needed bigger action, better set, more costumes, better script.
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