Netflix Does Frank Castle Justice

The Punisher is arguably Marvel’s darkest, yet most attractive anti-hero. For those of you that don’t know, The Punisher is a comic based around Frank Castle. The ex-marine turned vigilante following the massacre of his family that immediately caught the interest of Marvel readers. After appearing in an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man back in 1974, fans were instantly draw to the brutal world of the man who would bring a one-man war to the criminal world. A war where he takes no prisoners and the only mercy he gives is a quick death.

Frank Castle’s rise to popularity has been slow considering the numerous failed attempts to bring him into the public eye. The first attempt was in 1989 with a film starring action star Dolph Lundgren that failed miserably both critically and financially. The second time would be in 2004 staring Thomas Jane, and it was more acceptable to fans, but still lacking financial success. The final blow came in 2008 with Punisher: War Zone, starring Ray Stevenson, and that’s when Marvel threw in the towel for good reason.

Many thought they had seen the last of a live action punisher until the success of Daredevil, another anti-hero of Marvel that was produced into a series by Netflix. When it was time for season two, many fans rejoiced when they heard that Frank Castle would take part and he was being played by Jon Bernthal. Fans widely accepted the new punisher with open arms and a spin-off staring Bernthal was inevitable. The question is, did the Netflix series succeed where three films failed? The answer is a bloody, broken yes!

The Punisher takes off sometime after the season two events of Daredevil and Frank Castle has gone into hiding after getting justice for his family. Much like any soldier coming home, Frank is having a hard time adjusting to a quiet civilian lifestyle. Frank soon finds that the war he left behind didn’t just come back to haunt him, but also shed more light about the massacre of his family. With the help of a friend, Frank once again finds he must fight this war that never ended if he wants to put it behind him and put certain dreams to rest. It’s arguably Netflix’s bloodiest show that punisher fans would expect from their favorite anti-hero.

The show starts off with a bang but then slowly drags in a few episodes as it heads towards the finale. Once you hit two thirds of the way, the action really picks up and that’s when you want to start the binge watching. Jon Bernthal delivered once again, by bringing the methodical, brutal savagery of Frank Castle. What I love the most about the series is that it took the time to show the mental torment that Frank experiences as he attempts to find a reason to live. Fans will not be disappointed by this show, but they might be bored midway through.

There are several antagonists in this series that make it a mess for a few episodes, but the main antagonist is Billy Russo, played by Ben Barnes. Billy is someone who has a history with Frank Castle. If fans don’t recognize who Billy is, then I promise you that you will at the finale when you see the Easter egg. There’s also an appearance by fan favorite out of Daredevil, Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Karen, a former assistant turned reporter. The show also expresses certain political issues such as gun control and the treatment of soldiers returning home from war.

There was a lot riding on this show and fans were waiting patiently to see this in October, but because of the massacre that occurred in Las Vegas, it was pushed back a month. It’s been a long history of failures for this Marvel character; almost as horrible as the Fantastic Four franchise owned by Fox. Thanks to Netflix and great story telling, Frank Castle has gotten the treatment he deserves and fans can’t be more grateful. It’s a long but brutal, dark and deep story that grabs your attention and for that I give this series nine out of ten stars. The Punisher is a must see for anyone who is a fan of the character or Marvel in general, because this series does Frank Castle justice. 

The Defenders

The Defenders has been anticipated ever since the success of Daredevil that premiered back in 2015. With the continued success of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, it seemed that Iron Fist was going to foreshadow an epic saga. The tale of Danny Rand would turn out to be a stone around the neck of the fearsome foursome as Iron Fist was littered with flaws. Those flaws would carry over to the eight-episode season, but it wouldn’t damage the series too much. The Defenders first season was worthy of the hype, but it could’ve been better than what it was.

The show kicks off some time after the events of all four character seasons and some fans will be surprised by how some of the characters have moved on (spoiler alert). Matt Murdock has moved on without Foggy and has retired from being a vigilante to resume work as an attorney. Jessica Jones is still an angry, drunk private investigator who is trying to move on after killing her mind controlling stalker, Kilgrave. Luke Cage is freed thanks to certain help and finally gets the coffee that he’s been wanting for a while. Danny Rand, however, is continuing his fight against the hand and that’s what’s lead him back to New York.

 Each character has a sub story that would eventually lead them together and force them to work together to bring down The Hand, an organization that’s been a problem from the start. Things don’t go smoothly for several factors both externally and internally with the four heroes thanks to the leader of the Hand, Alexandra Reid (Sigourney Weaver). It’s a roller coaster ride that takes off after the third episode with great choreographed fights and a story that delivers plenty of twists and turns. The few problems that I have are mostly with the characters Matt Murdock and Danny Rand.

As mentioned, Matt Murdock has retired from being a vigilante but there wasn’t any real explanation given for leaving the mask locked up. It takes forever for him to finally put the suit back on and when he does, that’s when things picked up. To be honest, the first three episodes are boring, but that’s mostly because the story is setting up. Danny Rand’s dialogue was repetitive to the point it makes you want to fast forward his parts. Most of the time, he’s reminding everyone who he is, what his mission is and why he must complete his mission.

Most of the series focused on Iron Fist and it might be the last we see of this character in Netflix’s plans for the Marvel characters. The ending of this series closes a lot of doors related to his story the most, so it might be implied that Marvel and Netflix are moving on from this character because of the lousy reviews from fans and critics. Time will tell if Iron Fist survives, but right now Marvel and Netflix will be releasing The Punisher later this year. Fans of the famous anti-hero are chomping at the bits to see Jon Bernthal reprise the role. Jessica Jones will return for her own season, Luke Cage is starting production and Daredevil will begin filming soon.

The Defenders gets a 7.5 out of 10, it was a great show, but it could’ve been better by having more episodes. The fact that it’s only eight episodes and not 10 or 12 is a bummer, but the series is still worth watching; even if it starts off slow. The chemistry is spot on with the main characters, Sigourney Weaver plays a great antagonist, and the series brings closure to everyone. This will allow for a fresh start to everyone’s solo season and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Daredevil in particular after the end of this series. If you want to know what I’m talking about, then start binge watching.