The fact that Kevin Nash actually got stabbed but carried on for the scene is just astounding

@rikflare7970

7 ай бұрын

Just knowing Thomas let him toss him thru a wall as a way to say sorry for stabbing him is🤘

@strikingmachine2975

7 ай бұрын

this is one of the best Superhero movies ever..

@JustSortaOK

7 ай бұрын

"Oh yeah, I got stabbed. What a pittance!"

@DirkusTurkess

7 ай бұрын

Only thing real in this business is the money and the miles. And the stabbings.

@luhedi6303

7 ай бұрын

His wrestling background definitely helped with taking pain and staying committed to the bit. 😮

Definitely one of the first mature Marvel movies I watched alongside Blade. The tie in video game is a hidden gem. Thomas Jane was perfect as Frank

@marlonclark-pp9wg

7 ай бұрын

same

@Stewb420

7 ай бұрын

I wish the game would become available on modern consoles. Not even a remaster, just a port would be great.

@randallflagg3700

7 ай бұрын

I liked that in the 2005 video game, Howard Sain't remaining son, John, became Jigsaw. Great design too, now that's a fucked up face, take notes MCU... and him using the Iron Man armor made him mor of a threat than his father, who was cool, but in the end he was just another thug with a gun. Weirdly, Garth Ennis has never wrote a Punisher story with Jigsaw in it, did he? He'd rather make up his own rogues gallery for Frankie, since he gets to mow them down anyway ('cept for a couple cockroaches like 'Cudda who just won't DIE)

@calebross8174

7 ай бұрын

That part with the deep fryer blew my kid mind

@artry93

7 ай бұрын

What makes me respect Thomas Jane more is the fact in 2023 there's a video on KZread of him and Bernthal where Jane is giving some gun advice and combat to help Bernthal's version return to Daredevil (2025). And RIP to Ray Stevenson.

I really feel for Thomas Jane here. I know what it's like to be stuck in a project you're desperately trying to save, but no one wants to listen, and actively does the opposite.

@Burnitdown13

7 ай бұрын

Sure you do

@supereldinho

7 ай бұрын

Hey, at least he got to voice The Punisher in the 2005 game, which was pretty much a love-letter to the character. Whatever faults the movie itself had, Jane himself wasn't among them.

@Dremth

7 ай бұрын

@@Burnitdown13 lol I mean, you can believe me or not. I really couldn't care less.

@Burnitdown13

7 ай бұрын

@@Dremth 🥲

@DL-df3lg

7 ай бұрын

@@Burnitdown13who the hell are you? I went to film school and also know exactly what that’s like. Not everyone has had as narrow a life experience as you bud. Try graduating high school before making a point on the internet.

Thomas Jane actually visited the comic shop i used to go to when i lived in Tampa. The owner saw him reading punisher comics and asked him not to without realizing that it was him. Thomas Jane apologized and went to the counter with the comics and said he was just researching the role. The owner then realized who he was an was excited that he came into his shop. He paid for the comics, signed an autograph for the owner and left.

As much as this movie has some pretty messy parts, I was always a fan of how Thomas Jane portrayed the character. It may not be a great movie, but it definitely has some charm.

I loved this punisher because it was grounded in reality. There were several moments where the bad guys nearly took him out. In warzone, he felt like this unstoppable force and never did i feel like he was in any danger

@christopherescobar10

7 ай бұрын

I normally hate movies that have protagonists that are basically unstoppable. I like this movie for the reasons you mentioned. Frank got beat up and he managed to survive. There was a lot at stake in the movie.

@cassandraking6603

7 ай бұрын

That's why I prefer warzone....unstoppable killing machine, that only killed assholes lol

@jamesjames7601

7 ай бұрын

@@cassandraking6603 yeah that's great if you dislike realism lol. Frank Castle is just a man

@unbearifiedbear1885

7 ай бұрын

The hero spending an entire second act montage "home alone"-ing his apartment, only to have it all immediately get *smashed to pieces* and almost be beaten to death by a Russian Terminator is _exactly_ my kind of cinema The bit where Frank pulls out the trick-draw revolver and Ivan just squashes the barrel 😂

@IanRose-mp1sq

7 ай бұрын

​@unbearifiedbear1885 how he just looks at the barrel then over at the Russian then gets thrown through a wall was great.

Jane had a great look for Castle, and when I think of the Punisher, his version comes to mind. Problem is that studios weren't able to decide if they wanted a dark, gritty melodrama or cornball goofy comic book action, so they kept trying to mix the two. What ended up was two very tonally awkward movies that had some great moments scattered throughout, but weren't consistent enough to appeal to either fanbase.

@artry93

7 ай бұрын

Agree. Looking at the film version of Spawn and the HBO Adult animation series based on the character around the 1990s.

@johnpinneriv9958

7 ай бұрын

Yep. Classic case of attempting to please everybody, and ending up pleasing nobody.

@kiillabytez

6 ай бұрын

The Punisher comic books were NEVER goofy or cornball. Pick up an issue next time.

I stand by this film being enjoyable I love the ending so much they way he confronts saint listing how he’s got his revenge and the moment of frank talking about killing saints son then his other son screaming in the background followed by the explosion and frank looking at saint and just saying “both your sons” is soo good

For a second, I thought this was about the game for a second, anyway, with most of the changes with this take, I freaking love Thomas Jane's performance and look in the movie. Even years later, we now have photos with Thomas and Jon Bernthal just hanging out, and I have to thank that movie for leading us to this lol (Also RIP Ray Stevenson, wish he was in that photo too, and probably won't have another place to say it anytime soon)

Jane was right- Walter Hill would have been the perfect choice for a "Punisher" movie. Oh, what might have been. Jane's performance in "The Expanse" really impressed me. I'm glad he's gotten some chances to shine, and sorry that they didn't come sooner.

It always amuses me when Matt uses Kevin Nash's "What a pittance" moment in these videos.

To me, The Punisher Extended cut was the best Punisher movie. It showed so much more than the theater cut.

I think this movie is criminally underrated. I put the fight with Kevin nash up there with some of the best fight scenes ever filmed, there’s nothing else like it in action movies. I read this day this film is used often in film schools as an example of how to shoot practical effects.

I fucking loved this movie, but it's a shame Thomas Jane wasn't being listened to because he was thinking much further ahead than Hollywood at the time.

That scene where Castle uses a popsicle to extract info has stuck with me. I love it. It’s a fine movie, and War Zone was a splatterific good time (RIP Ray).

I legit love this movie, it's unfortunate they never continued this version

@DocJerky

7 ай бұрын

Me too. I loved the short movie that was made with Jane as well.

When Nash had the fight with Jane, you can see how shocked he was that Nash picked him up himself and not using wires. And the scene when he gets thrown through the door is just funny. He kept trying and failing

Great video as always. I thought I knew everything about this movie but this is the first I'd heard of the real reasoning behind the location change. Ultimately, I still love this flick. I liked that Thomas Jane's Punisher wasn't so dark and edgy that he could conceivably fight alongside Tobey Maguire Spider-Man. Always wished that crossover would've happened.

@lordxmugen

7 ай бұрын

I think thats what makes Thomas Jane's Punisher so much better than Garth Ennis or Jon Bernthal's Punisher imo. He still kills bad guys in ways that almost makes you feel bad for the evil guys, but hes still VERY HUMAN (in emotion and physicality) and not just some invincible terminator. Honestly, when you think about it, this feels EXTREMELY CLOSE to what you would expect from a Max Payne character. Which is funny because the game that came out around the same time was very much a Max Payne style game. And he was in it!

Imagine turning someone into a fan of the IP you wanted him to be in the movie for only to then constantly tell him that things weren't allowed to be done right.

I will defend this movie with my life. it was such a great movie to teenager me, and the performance Jane gives throughout, ESPECIALLY in the opening when he runs down the dock to his wife and kid, was outstanding.

Wow Kevin Nash is a beast. Never heard of this knife scene before.

Tbh, when I first saw Thomas Jane, I seriously thought "Oh, hey, it's Connor McLeod from the Highlander movies!"

@Ant_FGC

7 ай бұрын

I finally feel validated for mixing them up as a kid. I was like "Hey, Raiden is the Punisher now!"

Underrated film one of my intros to punisher not a big fan of the Florida setting though.

Thomas Jane's cameo in Scott Pilgrim has been forever burned into my mind whenever I see him, so seeing these clips just makes me envision Frank Castle saying "It's milk and eggs, bitch."

I unironically love the Jane movie and I never until now thought about the fact that he wasn’t in New York 😂

To think Marvel wanted to make a Cinematic Universe since the early 2000's, and this Punisher was going to be part of it.

Never understood why people dont like this movie. I thought it was good.

@ladymctavish3299

7 ай бұрын

Only thing I've ever liked Thomas Jane in.

@whoelsebutmeofcoursei

7 ай бұрын

​@@ladymctavish3299 Try Nemesis (1992) he's in that movie for a while (naked also 😂)

@jwill7998

7 ай бұрын

It's dumb-fun.

@Spookdookin

7 ай бұрын

The way I feel about it is how I feel about a lot of comedy movies. It’s not the best or even great, it’s just fun.

@wolfiesjustfine6499

7 ай бұрын

​@@ladymctavish3299Try Hung

Teen me watching the 2004 Punisher merc Kevin Nash: "THIS IS SUCH GOOD SHIT"

17:04 that was such a cool KZread moment in 2011 when dirty laundry came out. I had hoped Thomas would get another movie or punisher show.

This movie was actually based on 3 comics because the Mickey character was straight out of the 90s Punisher War Zone comic. His torture scene was almost an exact remake from that comic.

I love this movie, Jane was a great Punisher.

I love this movie, and I can honestly re-watch it any time. Shame we never got a follow up with Jane in the role.

@garypasquill2355

7 ай бұрын

Watch the fan film Dirty laundry for more of the Punisher

I really enjoyed this movie. One of my faves, despite the negative reception. I have not seen the extended version. Yet.... Come to think of it, I wanna watch the Dolph film too! Thomas Jane is a complete legend. I totally get the creative challenges, especially his attempts to root the film and I hope that one day they make a 'definitive' version taking all the musical and creative differences into account. Love to see the (Close to) original vision.

God i love Thomas Jane. Punisher made me a big fan of his. Edits aside it was a regular watch on cable. I even remember his comic book pitch before the days of Kickstarter. Dirty Laundry was such a treat. It debutted at comic con I think and spread on forums and facebook like wild fire as people tried to find leaked recordings and no idea if it was ever going to get an official release. This was when there had never been such a high quality fan film done and it was a legal grey area. Simpler times.

Id like to see Bernthal's "season 3" be a remake of the original Lundgren flick, but spread out over 10 episodes.

Your next video HAS TO BE, "What Happened to The Day Before." The story around that game has been insane

I did love the "blowtorch" scene though where he tricked the guy thinking he was being burned when he was just using an icie XD

Thomas Jane is the definitive Punisher.

@hybridtheory9938

7 ай бұрын

Preach!

@danielbeckman6742

7 ай бұрын

True story

The fight between him and Kevin Nash is in my top 5 movie fights of all time, loved this movie.

The Punisher 2004 what happened? we got a great movie tie-in video game and almost got a sequel thats turn into saints row 1

That Walter Hill revelation is mental, Hill would have been tailor made! Also, for a guy not initially interested, Jane was so wholesome and perfect for the part. One of the best episodes in a while!

Loved this movie, loved the game that came out around the same time too. They got me into the Punisher comics, when I only knew him as the dude that tried to kill Spider-Man in the 90s cartoon😅

I loved this film. It was as dark as comic films were able to go at the time and I think Thomas Jane really put in a powerhouse performance. I didn't think anyone could fill the boots he left behind, Punisher Warzone was really fun, but I think Jon Bernthal REALLY delivered later on when we were allowed dark comic book adaptions. It's a shame Jane wasn't allowed to do that but that film has a special place in my heart.

@kingleech16

7 ай бұрын

I thought Bernthal did a good job and the stunt team were on point, but the writing let them down.

I watched this a few times and remember liking it a lot. I bought it on DVD too shortly after it came out. I'll need to rewatch it.

Thomas Jane really sold the voice work for the character. Loved him in the movie and Xbox game. Btw, great use of music from the game in the video.

The stabbing looked so real the first time I saw it that I believed it was, before finding out earlier this year that it was. I wish we got all the violent footage instead of just the directors cut. This movie is a bit cheesy, but a bloody good time... :) How about a deep dive into The Abyss (pun intended)? That film has many stories still left to tell...

@DeeWhy618

7 ай бұрын

Yes! The abyss is one of my favorite movies of all time! Famously disastrous production. The other being the adventures of baron munchausen, also from 1989, and a famously disastrous production worthy of a whathappened episode.

Jane's punisher was fantastic. It might have had issues in developing and issues pulling together a sequel but this movie turned out really well. It's a shame we didn't get a second one.

This was one of my favorite Marvel movies and still is to this day.

Easy guilty pleasure movie for me. Thomas Jane is good in just about every project I've ever seen him in. It would be great if he'd get another crack at it. He's older now but they could do an "Old Man Frank" style story that are pretty common.

Loved this movie. I was disappointed when I found the next Punisher movie wasn't gonna be the same crew.

I actually really loved this movie! I appreciated all the practical effects!

I love that Thomas Jane got to do Dirty Laundry. That short is brilliant.

Comic book sales at an all-time low is *still* the current style of our time, their sales never really improved.

I remember an old interview between thomas jane and stan lee talking about the movie, the laundry short and possible sequel. I love the punisher and its exactly what marvel needs now

Thomas Kane is my favorite actor to play the Punisher. Period. So the 2004 film is my favorite. War Zone was fabulously bonkers though & I unironically love it.

Yknoe, i may have forgotten about this movie, but watching this wqs like unlocking several core memories. I really enjoyed the dvd extended version a LOT, and at the time really appreciated the balance of humor and seriousness. The popsicle scene is imprinted on my brain as one of the funniest scenes abput torture ive ever seen. I was 14, mind you, but hey. It still made an impact on me 😔

I love that Thomas Jane is smoking a blunt in that interview. It's like he said "Okay, I'll talk about the movie. But I'm not going to be sober." Fair enough, Thomas. Fair enough

Thomas Jane such a class act.

been waiting for this

At first I thought this was going to be the punisher volition video game.

So many action directors get baited by studios into signing up thinking they're making a Summer blockbuster, only to get told by the studio too late that they're actually making a budget vanity project for an out-of-work star.

Would be nice to have a cameo seen with Thomas Jane to John’s character in Secret Wars. A quick 30 second scene showing John just what his universal counterpart had become causing him to think about how he’d like to move forward in his own universe. Obviously this would be a stretch and is very low priority or not at all but, would still be a cool moment.

To me, Thomas Jane will always be my favorite live action Frank Castle.

Personally I love this film. I appreciate all of the things it takes it's time with, I loved the characters and performances, and I feel like it lets its strengths shine instead of trying to bulldoze through to each next major plot point or action scene.

I honestly really enjoy this movie. One of my favorite early marvel films. Better than the junk the shit out now

Heya Matt, Just watched your video and I've gotta say - it's really well-analyzed. That being said, I've got some really juicy ones for you to dissect in your future videos: What Happened? - Max Payne (2008) - The Spirit (2008) - Skull Island: Rise of Kong (2023); AKA that one monkey turd that outshined Gollum in terms of production and content. - The Day Before (2023); You know what I mean.

This is one of the first times I see Matt cover something I hold very dear. Feels weird man.

Watched this movie yesterday actually, it’s really good and shame it didn’t get sequel, but I’m glad there’s that short on KZread with Thomas jane “reprising” the role, he’s easily the best punisher in my opinion

eyebrows raised at that aside about Punisher: War Zone, that movie is kino

@MattMcMuscles

7 ай бұрын

Facts are facts. It was a bigger financial and critical failure.

@helveticastndrd

7 ай бұрын

@@MattMcMusclesoh yeah, that is very, very, *very* true

This is my favourite movie. Sadly it wasn’t in cinemas in my country (or, if it was, it wasn’t advertised and I missed it), but when I rented it I loved it.

Love this movie, timing with this video is awesome, this was on tv last night!

The soundtrack was full of bangers 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Could you do a What Happened on the Ghost Rider movies?

COMMING SOON: "The Day Before - What Happened?"

@jetla22

7 ай бұрын

Hope he does one for that walking dead game

@whoelsebutmeofcoursei

7 ай бұрын

Oh yeah!!!

I loved this movie its like a classic action movie from the 80s to early 90s, going up against kill bill is what hurt the movie.

The 2nd attempt at bringing the punisher to the big screen.

@Prawnsacrifice

7 ай бұрын

The first movie was straight to video tho 😅😅

Hope you do one for The Walking dead destines. Its so bad its a guilty pleasure shitting on it 😂

@bearerofbadnews1375

7 ай бұрын

Arguable one of the worst games Gamemill has published this year. Which is saying a lot given Rise of Kong and Avatar the quest for balance also published by Gamemill came out that same year.

While I love Bernthal's version of the character, Thomas Jane's versuon is still the one that comes to mind when I picture the Punisher. The movie was schlocky, sure, but I still enjoy it all these years later

John Castle is no antihero, despite being the posterboy for the trope. He's really more of an antivillain or villain protagonist. That said, Mr Jane seems to have had the best understanding of the character and portrayed him best from what little I've seen.

I fully agree with my fellow “Blade” fans about Marvel movies. This and “Man on Fire” were the two movies I saw on back to back opening weeks. Had they just ditched the “loveable loser” neighbors, or at least made them less Shakespearian caricatures, it could’ve been the gritty trilogy that paired up with “Blade”.

Thomas Jane hit Nash with the knife poke of doom

Great vid

Wow, I didn't realize that knife scene happened like that! This is definitely one of my favorite marvel movies, I always loved watching it when it came on tv

I really enjoy this film, and Jane is my Punisher. Can you imagine a timeline where incompetent execs didn't maul it?

You know, I've read some comics in my time, I remember that Black Widow has met The Punisher.

8:05 Although the stated budget for the 2004 Punisher is $30 million, director Jonathan Hensleigh noted in the commentary track that the actual budget was probably closer to around $10 million. I actually quite like both Punisher and (especially) Punisher: War Zone, but like with all the Fox stuff their production is rife with studio interference over dumb stuff they shouldn't be arguing about. Marvel Studios has major issues, especially post-Endgame with the Disney+ TV show integration, but stuff like "aw gee, does this Punisher guy really have to just shoot everybody?" isn't the sort of thing they need to compromise halfway on.

As a long time Tampa resident, this feels like the ultimate Florida Man film and I will love and cherish it forever. Also there's no topping Thomas Jane as Castle.

I really enjoyed this film. Aside from the weird placement in Tampa and John Travolta's awkward villain, Thomas Jane did a decent job as Frank Castle

Loved this movie, and loved the ps2 video game that Thomas Jane came back to voice Frank for as well, I always thought he was fantastic as Frank.

I love the use of music and soundbites from the tie-in game 🤣😎😎

Happy Saturday with a video about the best Punisher

This is my favorite punisher movie.

Really enjoyed this movie the first time I watched it and every time since. My favorite Punisher film. The one with Dolph Lundgren grew on me too. And War Zone is real proper Punisher action. Didn't care for the netflix show though. Great overview!

That New York/Magic Kingdom image was hilarious. Gonna enjoy having that in my head for a while.

I still really love this movie. im amazed at what they made with little time and a small budget.

Thank you for reminding me of the Dirty Laundry mini-movie. I'm gonna go rewatch that after this lol.

I love the extended cut. It's far superior then the theatrical cut.

Good idea using his video game music in the background

Funny timing just started replaying the 2005 video game last night!

Loved the use of the Punisher arcade and ps2 games ost in the vid :)