Punshier War Zone (2008) (Blu Ray) - 5/10

At least the new Punisher War Zone movie knows what it's supposed to do and doesn't try to be anything else but hardcore. Checking it out on Blu Ray this afternoon, I was impressed by the choreography and graphic violence in the opening scene which gave me hope that it could be just one long 90 minute gun opera set to rock music. Unfortunately though, the women director seemed to think it would be a better idea to balance out the death and dry humor with a girl and her daughter who must be saved, kidnapped, then rescued just like every other cookie-cutter hollywood crapfest. It's a shame too because there are some really cool action scenes in this movie that show of lots of CGI head explosions and blood spurts, giving it an almost Boondock Saints-type vibe where we get lots of circling camera shots and hand to hand closeups. The balance of humor the bad guy tries to bring and the inner demons the punisher must battle in order to justify all the murders just didn't seem like it was in the same movie, totally detracting me from the my enjoyment of it as a comic book adaption. In the end, I pretty much only watched this movie for the gory action and gunfights and on that front it delivered. If only it would have kept me concerned for everyone involved in between the over-the-top ballet of carnage so that I could want to watch this again.