The Punisher

Frank Castle is an undercover FBI agent whose life is torn apart when a brutal attack takes his wife and son. Grief pushes him beyond the law, and he adopts the Punisher persona to pursue those he holds responsible, using military skills and relentless tactics to dismantle their operations. The film follows his single-minded campaign through violent confrontations and moral compromises, focusing on his hunt for the crime family linked to the murders without revealing every turn or the final outcome. It keeps attention on Castle's transformation and the escalating consequences of revenge.

Released in 2004, the film was directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and adapts the Marvel Comics character created by Gerry Conway, with a script credit to Michael France. The cast includes Thomas Jane as Frank Castle and John Travolta as the crime boss Howard Saint.

Critics were mixed, reflected in an average user vote around 6.35 out of 10, with praise for the lead performances and the film's gritty tone, while some reviewers pointed to uneven pacing and tonal shifts. Central themes include revenge, justice versus vigilantism, the cost of violence, and how trauma reshapes identity.

The movie left a clear imprint among comic book adaptations for its darker, more grounded approach to a vigilante antihero. Thomas Jane's portrayal and Travolta's charismatic antagonist helped the film find a steady fan base, and it remains a reference point when adaptations aim for a more somber, realistic mood rather than broad spectacle.

Commercially, the picture performed modestly in theaters but gained traction afterward through home video and cable broadcasts, where its audience grew among viewers drawn to tougher, more adult-oriented superhero stories.