The Punisher, from inception, has been a character rooted in revenge. But who is Frank Castle without that? Who does the character become when his mission is complete and all that’s left are the ghosts?
“The Punisher: One Last Kill” sets out to answer that question, leaving as quickly as it arrives with a tight 48-minute runtime (about 10 minutes of which are credits). Of course, Castle has always been used sparingly outside of his own two-season series on Netflix, with almost all instances being of great effect to the characters and storylines unfolding around him. “The Punisher: One Last Kill” is no exception as a stand-alone offering. Though, its timing does leave something to be desired.
“One Last Kill” takes place after “The Punisher” and sometime around the events of “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2, but has nothing to do with what’s occurring in the rest of New York City. Instead, the story unfolds entirely within the confines of Frank’s (Jon Bernthal) neighborhood and remains detached from the happenings over on “Daredevil.” The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has aired stories out of chronological order plenty, but the timing of the special’s release highlights its stark disconnect from the rest of the happenings in the city. This is especially true after Frank’s post-credits ending in “Born Again” Season 1, which indicated that he had unfinished business with Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF).
Instead of tying in with the currently unfolding street-level story in the MCU (“Daredevil: Born Again” will return for Season 3), “One Last Kill” seems to take the anti-hero backwards. We meet Frank amid hallucinations, bolstered by a frantic editing style that remains present throughout the special. He’s a man haunted by both the living and the dead, convinced he’s lost his purpose, ready to end it all and join his late family.
Bernthal’s performance has never faltered as The Punisher. The guy was practically made in a lab to play Frank Castle, and that remains as true as ever as we watch the character oscillate between manic rage and stoic purpose. His PTSD is on full display throughout the special, giving Bernthal the chance to really sink his teeth in and lay the character bare for all to see.
Fans have been spoiled throughout the character’s small-screen tenure, getting to watch Bernthal bounce off the likes of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Debra Ann Wohl’s Karen Page in a way that makes everyone shine brighter. There’s no such scene partner here. On the one hand, that makes Bernthal stand out even more. On the other, lacking performances are starkly evident against his greatness. Particularly in that of Judith Light’s Ma Gnucci.
In fact, the re-introduction of the Gnucci family — once a throwaway callback to the comics in Netflix’s “The Punisher” series, now front and center in the MCU proper — drags us even farther into the past. The Gnucci family was cannon fodder for Frank back in the day, and now Ma is here to collect, acting as the lackluster primary antagonist as she seeks revenge for the loss of her own family. The “two sides of the same coin” of it all would be interesting, if there weren’t a markedly more engaging plot happening 15 blocks over that The Punisher wasn’t already directly involved in. As a comics nerd, sure! It’s cool to see Ma Gnucci come into play. Unfortunately, the release timing, Frank’s former ties to the happenings in Hell’s Kitchen and his clash with the AVTF always meant that the Gnucci plot was going to feel lesser.
In a way, this jump backwards feels like a mea culpa from Disney executives, trying to offer fans who don’t want to catch up with a bunch of Daredevil and Netflix series lore a way to connect with The Punisher before he appears in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It’s a move that’s understandable as a business decision, but one that’s ultimately detrimental to the art itself. This is a character with an established story that fans want to see grow. “One Last Kill,” while decent in execution, is more of a Punisher rehash than refreshing new angle.
The violence of The Punisher is another throughline that can always be expected alongside Bernthal’s stellar performances throughout the years. “One Last Kill” has it all, offering children in peril, nightmares of dead kids bleeding out, a whole host of gnarly goon deaths, and a completely unnecessary dog death that is likely to rankle viewers across the board. Beyond that, there’s an eight-count of fight choreography that gets re-used in quick succession in a way that’s noticeable, but the action remains on point otherwise. Never doubt what that man can do with a ball point pen.
“Heartwarming” isn’t an adjective that you hear used alongside Punisher storylines often, and rightfully so, but there are a couple of scenes that will tug on your heart strings here. Frank Castle is a lot of things but, above all, he’s a girl dad. “One Last Kill” does well to remember that, even if it does retread familiar territory too much.
“The Punisher: One Last Kill” doesn’t have a fancy answer to the core question of the series, because there isn’t one. Without revenge, Frank Castle is still an avenging angel (whether he likes it or not). His methods are questionable, his morals skewed but unflappable, and deep down he just can’t get past that huge heart of his. He’ll make that every bad guy in New York’s problem if it’s the last thing he does. The special is ultimately a mixed bag, doing little to elevate the character or engage the audience that’s already deeply familiar with The Punisher. Still, its low barrier of entry means that a few new people might find the character and dive deeper into his story. In the meantime, we’ll just have to wait to watch him smash corrupt cops’ heads in another day.
“The Punisher: One Last Kill” is now streaming on Disney+.
The post ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ Review: Jon Bernthal’s Violent Return Plays More Like Origin Story Recap appeared first on TheWrap.
