Review: The Punisher

It is very difficult to classify a series like The Punisher. Marvel series often choose to combine genres when planning their shows on Netflix. So we have a first season of Daredevil that has certain police features, a first season of Jessica Jones in which the psychological thriller mixed with black cinema predominates, one of Luke Cage that is updated blaxploitation, and one of Iron Fist that did not end in convince people a lot. And The Defenders, a story with an excellent first half that as the chapters progressed was losing the strength with which it started.

And now there is The Punisher. Obviously it is not a series of superheroes because Frank Castle does not pretend to be one and he does not have the same intentions to do good, at least not in the measures of a hero. It is not a series that deals precisely with action, although it does. Nor of the police, although the investigation by the National Security agent Dinah Madani is of importance in the plot. Nor is it a conspiracy thriller, although it draws on stories like Public Enemy, The Ambassador of Fear, and The Three Days of the Condor. Not a military drama, even though the soldiers' post-traumatic stress becomes palpable in the way they treat it. Nor is it focused on raising a debate on increased control of firearms, although it does not avoid the issue and has characters showing arguments in favor of it.

The Punisher takes all of this and mixes it, making it one of the best series the house of ideas has ever produced.

Some of the credit goes to Jon Bernthal, unsurprisingly. The actor handled very well how to bring the character of Frank Castle to life. If, in his first appearance in Daredevil, the code of honor by which the ex-marine was governed was well shown, in The Punisher we know the background of that code. Frank Castle is not only a person seeking revenge for the death of his wife and son, but he is also someone who wants to do the right thing regardless of the price.

But neither should we leave the rest of the cast out. A large part of the weight that the series carries with it falls on David “Micro” Liberman, who demonstrates the vulnerability and despair of a person who is capable of giving up everything, in order to protect a loved one. The relationship between Micro and Castle is a little difficult to carry until each one begins to trust the other. The friendship of these two is treated in an organic and unforced way, without avoiding moments of tension both between them and with Micro's wife and children.

One of the characters created for the series is Dinah Madani. Her journey throughout the season gives Amber Rose Revah a chance to shine, from the action scenes to the calmer ones. Madani is a female character with great motivation to accomplish her goal, an aspect that is rare to see in female characters and is a great contribution to the series. The work of his co-stars Michael Nathanson (agent Sam Stein), Tony Plana (his superior Rafael Hernández) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (his mother) do nothing but raise the interpretive level even further.

Another highlight is Ben Barnes, who has endowed Billy Russo with various layers of complexity and managed to star in certain disturbing moments in the series. And following the law of Marvel stories, the villain could not be missing. Paul Schulze playing Rawlins, the director of CIA operations who may be too mainstream. However, although he is the typical opponent of the protagonist, his performance manages to make a notable impact on the viewer by making him want Frank Castle to finish him in the most violent way possible, Paul Schulze fulfilling his work with great merit.

Now the question would be, does the series live up to the violence shown in the character's comics? The answer is yes. Here Marvel grants freedom, so the action scenes are not cut to reflect the impact of a bullet on a person's body. It couldn't be treated any other way being Frank Castle. The action scenes in this series are justified and are not only produced for their own sake. They are working well, ensuring that the viewer is always aware of what is happening.

The rhythm of the series is growing, starting slowly with Castle living another life since he is believed to be dead, but when the opposite is discovered he ends up in a bloody maelstrom. It features several plot twists that will keep you more and more aware of what's going on and the use of flashbacks particularly pleased me a bit. Considering that I am not so loving of them.

In short, The punisher delves into the mind of a complex character like Frank Castle, with a cast that manages to be outstanding and a story that does justice to those written by Greg Rucka, Garth Ennis or Marc Guggenheim in the comics. A well-managed story that deals with themes of current relevance, good action scenes and a maturity that is not usually seen much in the productions of the house of ideas.