After making an impressive appearance during Season 2 of
Netflix's Daredevil, The Punisher is now starring in his very own self-titled
series!
Most of us who are familiar with Marvel, are already aware
of his background, but for the uninitiated, well it goes like this: Frank
Castle (Short for Castiglione) a spec
ops veteran comes home from the war, only to find out how short lived his
reunion with his family has been.
Instead of waiting for some omen, as in a bat, castle fortifies
himself with weaponry, combat acumen and the will to avenge by the means of
revenge! In the episode's Prologue, frank is playing guitar in the company of
his daughter. This quiet tender moment is abruptly interrupted with frank in
full rage banging against the wall and falling into an upward crouched
position. Its apparently obvious that Castle is a broken man after witnessing
the loss of his wife and kids. The reveals are told in sequential flashbacks
also like CW's Arrow but not as frequent.
And it shows, the minute we flash-forward to frank pursue a
couple of bikers from the Dogs of Hell gang (You know, the thugs Mr. Castle
fucked up during the first few episodes of Daredevil season 2?) as the guitar acoustics
ramp up to a heavier tone.
But it doesn’t stop there, I liked the montage of Castle
traveling within the states and Mexico whacking out high profile targets prior
to retiring from his crusade of vengeance. (Cue the opening title sequence.)
"3AM" is a reintroduction to Frank Castle. This episode
provides a more in-depth perspective of Frank coping with the loss of his
family and his motivation to punish the guilty.
The pacing and dialogue
was adequate and blends well into the series’ narrative i.e. the plight of
veterans who face hardships after coming home from their tours in the Middle
East. (There's a vetreran who comes off as an angry white male archetype who
feels a sense of disillusionment in America, thus claiming how the Liberals are
taking away their “guns and their rights”).
To keep Frank grounded, you have supporting characters like
Curtis Hoyle, a PTSD counselor who comes off simular to Captain America: The Winter
Soldier's Sam Wilson. Also, Donald Chavez, Frank's coworker at a construction
site eager to belong to the extent of being involved in a heist gone sour.
Well, to his detriment at least.
The final 10 minutes were the main highlight of
"3AM" and the ending itself, is a welcomed Easter egg for all you
Punisher fans out there. Frank's character may be a bit sensitive but at the
same time, you’ll witness the wrath of a man who gets pushed too far as he
dishes out some serious "punishment"!
Jon Bernthal gives a more organic take of the fictional character
without the need for campy one-note liners, thus providing a more credible albeit,
convincing performance. It’s more of a humanistic approach thanks in part to
his solitary lifestyle and constant flashbacks of his wife Maria and their
children. There's a nice buildup leading to the last few minutes with both CQC
and gunfight scenes providing rather impressive results.
This is only the first episode in and I'm feeling confident
that "Mr. P" will break the losing streak of the current Marvel
themed TV shows. At least they got it right within one hour unlike the entire
90 or so minutes in the 2008 adaptation starring Thomas Jane. The Punisher gives off a vibe similar to Sons
of Anarchy and I can only imagine what SOA’s founder, Kurt Sutter who is known
for his brutal, yet realistic storytelling and direction could have done with
this series.
Unfortunately, the series debut faces bad timing due to the
current mass shootings, primarily the horrific Vegas terrorist attack. (Yes, it
was an act of terror and not “Mental Illness”.) And as once a huge fan of the
character, I hope this doesn’t affect the overall reception of the Netflix
series because it’s more than just guns blazing, but a character study of a Man
pushed too far!