The Punisher

Season 1 – 100% – I'm still amazed at how perfectly everything fit together. The rich script justifies why Frank's journey for revenge is a repeat, and it is combined with excellent acting from all the supporting characters, with Ben Barnes and the unfamiliar Amber Rose Revah standing out the most. As for Jon Bernthal, who was born to be the Punisher, he is a separate chapter all to himself. His willingness to embrace pure physicality and literally scream on screen in emotionally truthful scenes is unparalleled. This guy simply couldn't be a part of the Defenders because he would tear apart all the enemies in the first episode, even if it cost him his life. Season 2 – 90% – Not necessarily weaker, but in many ways the same season, lacking the surprise element of Frank's uncompromising solutions, but richer in the new, almost paternal dynamic of his relationship with the newcomer. Every action scene, every arrival of an unreadable new antagonist, every crisis moment portrayed by the reborn Billy, all of it makes The Punisher my favorite Marvel show on Netflix. If I could have only one wish, it would be for Jon Bernthal to appear in this role one more time, for as long as he likes. (01/03/2018)

Marvel put their heads together and finally made something that takes itself very seriously most of the time and looks serious, too. The King is dead, long live the King, I guess that's how you could describe Jon Bernthal's arrival in the role of the Punisher. Nothing against the way Thomas Jane leaned into it 13 years ago – written off by many right from the start, he wasn't bad in my opinion, but the people around him created a "mass" that didn’t work. The Punisher series is aware of this, and has learned from the mistakes and criticisms that were levelled at the original film. The creators put the kettle on and made Bernthal a badass passionate whose rage and screaming are as intense as his tears and bleeding from all the stabbing, slashing and gunshot wounds he sustains over 13 episodes. The whole thing is dramatic, intense, extremely bloody and deftly shot. Maybe 2 or 3 episodes are unnecessary and we can think the same about at least one storyline, but the whole thing is still pretty damn good and has everything you can expect from a top product: good characters, family values, criticism of the US and questioning the military system, terrorism, etc. The second season, if there is one, will have it very hard. (12/03/2017)

A very successful miniseries, which is not afraid to go against the expected concept of the "series John Wick / Death Wish" in terms of style and focus. But what is reprehensible is diluted content and course of events and an pointless thirteen-episode format. Which is a traditional recurring problem in the case of the Netflix-Marvel series, but this time it leaps to the eye with even greater intensity than ever before. However, all´s well that ends well, and if there is something really good about the movies it is the qualities of the final third, where the so far embarrassing impressions are completely rectified.| S1: 4/5 | (11/28/2017)

The series the year and the role of a lifetime for Jon Bernthal, he was born to play the Punisher. I'm a bit disappointed that the main revenge took place in Daredevil and that there's no proper bad guy, but this version has something going for it too. The series is surprisingly very intimate and it's more of a drama-thriller; the action doesn't happen until the final minutes of each episode and it's obviously very brutal to realistically rendered. The Punisher is half dead at the end of each episode, barely walking, he gets a solid beating and you sympathize with him. The series benefits mainly from great acting performances, dense suspenseful scenes, a very emotional touch, excellent dialogue and brutal action, but there could have been more of it. A big plus for the beautiful government detective Amber Rose Revah, who also shows up naked and looks very good. Probably the best action scene is the one is in the Special Forces bunker and the Taliban, a great show. 90% (11/30/2017)

If the film adaptations of Marvel were to go in this direction – i.e. flesh-and-blood characters who hurt with every punch, actions that make sense, witty dialogue, a plot that is not rudimentary and free of clichés – I would be all for it. So far it hasn't happened (honorable exceptions like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok, at least they are distinctive and funny). The series Daredevil and especially The Punisher are complete counterpoints to the film's generic CGI attractions, even though they are backed by a common studio, which is interesting. The Punisher in particular has such a great imprint of realism and believability that I wonder if it has anything to do with comics anymore, and it does a really great job of scriptwriting. (08/21/2018)