Punisher: War Zone is a 2008, action, crime film directed by Lexi Alexander; based on the fictional Marvel Comics vigilante/anti-hero the Punisher. The film is a reboot and an original telling of Frank Castle's war on crime and corruption rather than a sequel to 2004's The Punisher, and is the first film to be produced under the Marvel Knights production banner, which will focus on films for mature audiences. Irish actor Ray Stevenson replaces Thomas Jane as Frank Castle. In the film, Castle wages a one-man war against a horribly disfigured mob boss known as Jigsaw (Dominic West). Punisher: War Zone was released in North America by Lionsgate on December 5, 2008, and was released February 6, 2009 in the United Kingdom.
Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) has been the Punisher for six years as the story opens. He assaults a "beat the rap" party for a mob boss, Gaitano Cesare. Billy Russoti (Dominic West) escapes to his recycling plant hideout, and Detectives Martin Soap (Dash Mihok), and Saffiotti (Tony Calabretta), who were staking out the party, inform Castle. Castle infiltrates Russoti's hideout and kills one thug as he is exiting the bathroom. The gunshot alerts Russoti, and a brief fire fight between Castle and him ensues. During the battle, Russoti is thrown into a glass-crushing machine which ends up leaving the gangster hideously disfigured. Castle, who has taken cover behind the body of Nicky Donatelli (Romano Orzari), discovers that the first man he killed in the facility was an undercover FBI Agent.
Agent Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon), the partner of the deceased agent, joins the NYPD's "Punisher Task Force", partnering with Soap to help bring Castle to justice. Meanwhile, a facially mutilated Russoti, recovered from his run-in with the Punisher, frees his deranged brother, "Loony Bin Jim" (Doug Hutchison), using a new alias - "Jigsaw."
Distraught that he has become the evil he swore to battle, Castle attempts to make reparations to Donatelli's wife, Angela (Julie Benz) and daughter, Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas) to no avail. Castle considers retiring from the vigilante business, but reconsiders upon hearing information from his partner, Microchip (Wayne Knight), that Jigsaw is going after Donatelli's family for revenge.
Jigsaw, Loony Bin Jim, and two goons, Ink and Pittsy, break into Donatelli's house and hold the family hostage. Meanwhile the Punisher pursues Maginty(T. J. Storm), leader of a small group of acrobatic criminals who are seen using parkour. Agent Budiansky and Detective Soap arrive and attempt to arrest the Punisher but are easily disarmed and the Punisher warns Budiansky to leave him alone. Just as the Punisher is about to walk away, Budiansky gets up and handcuffs himself to the Punisher. The Punisher tells him that Jigsaw went after Donatelli's family, but Budiansky sends one police car to check on the Donatelli house, intending to take the Punisher back to the station. When the patrol car fails to respond, he is convinced to check on the house. Budiansky enters the house, and is caught by Ink and Pittsy. Soap frees the Punisher, who kills Ink, and Pittsy. Budiansky then arrests Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim after a short gun fight.
Jigsaw and his brother escapes custody by giving up Cristu Bulat (David Vadim), who was smuggling in a biological weapon to Arab terrorists in Queens to the FBI, in exchange for total immunity, the money Donatelli hid and a file on Microchip. They take Microchip hostage, killing his mother in the process; hire a small private army of criminals, including African-American gangbangers, Irish mobsters and Asian-American thugs; and then hole up in the Bradstreet Hotel. Castle enlists the help of Agent Budiansky, who sets up a distraction for him at the Bradstreet Hotel by offering up Jigsaw to Cristu's father, Tiberiu Bulat (Aubert Pallascio), who sends in his goons to start a shootout in the hotel's lobby. Castle enters by jumping through a second-floor window, leading to a brutal firefight with Jigsaw's hired guns. After the shootout, Loony Bin Jim attacks Castle. Quickly realizing that he will probably not survive the fight, Loony Bin Jim runs off. Castle chases him and confronts Jigsaw along with Loony Bin Jim, both holding Microchip and the Donatelli family at gunpoint. Jigsaw gives Castle a choice: If Frank shoots one of his friends, Jigsaw will let the others go free. Microchip boldly offers his life to save the Donatellis, but Castle chooses to shoot Loony Bin Jim instead. As a result, Jigsaw kills Microchip. Enraged by the loss of his partner, Castle attacks Jigsaw, which ends with the Punisher impaling Jigsaw with a metal rod and then throwing him onto a fire. As Jigsaw burns to death, Castle calmly tells him that "This is just the beginning."
Outside the building, Castle is forgiven by Angela and bids farewell to Budiansky and the Donatelli family. As Castle and Soap are walking past a church, Soap tries to persuade Frank to give up his role as the Punisher. Soap has a change of heart, however, when he is attacked by a mugger, who quickly becomes another victim of the Punisher.
Agent Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon), the partner of the deceased agent, joins the NYPD's "Punisher Task Force", partnering with Soap to help bring Castle to justice. Meanwhile, a facially mutilated Russoti, recovered from his run-in with the Punisher, frees his deranged brother, "Loony Bin Jim" (Doug Hutchison), using a new alias - "Jigsaw."
Distraught that he has become the evil he swore to battle, Castle attempts to make reparations to Donatelli's wife, Angela (Julie Benz) and daughter, Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas) to no avail. Castle considers retiring from the vigilante business, but reconsiders upon hearing information from his partner, Microchip (Wayne Knight), that Jigsaw is going after Donatelli's family for revenge.
Jigsaw, Loony Bin Jim, and two goons, Ink and Pittsy, break into Donatelli's house and hold the family hostage. Meanwhile the Punisher pursues Maginty(T. J. Storm), leader of a small group of acrobatic criminals who are seen using parkour. Agent Budiansky and Detective Soap arrive and attempt to arrest the Punisher but are easily disarmed and the Punisher warns Budiansky to leave him alone. Just as the Punisher is about to walk away, Budiansky gets up and handcuffs himself to the Punisher. The Punisher tells him that Jigsaw went after Donatelli's family, but Budiansky sends one police car to check on the Donatelli house, intending to take the Punisher back to the station. When the patrol car fails to respond, he is convinced to check on the house. Budiansky enters the house, and is caught by Ink and Pittsy. Soap frees the Punisher, who kills Ink, and Pittsy. Budiansky then arrests Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim after a short gun fight.
Jigsaw and his brother escapes custody by giving up Cristu Bulat (David Vadim), who was smuggling in a biological weapon to Arab terrorists in Queens to the FBI, in exchange for total immunity, the money Donatelli hid and a file on Microchip. They take Microchip hostage, killing his mother in the process; hire a small private army of criminals, including African-American gangbangers, Irish mobsters and Asian-American thugs; and then hole up in the Bradstreet Hotel. Castle enlists the help of Agent Budiansky, who sets up a distraction for him at the Bradstreet Hotel by offering up Jigsaw to Cristu's father, Tiberiu Bulat (Aubert Pallascio), who sends in his goons to start a shootout in the hotel's lobby. Castle enters by jumping through a second-floor window, leading to a brutal firefight with Jigsaw's hired guns. After the shootout, Loony Bin Jim attacks Castle. Quickly realizing that he will probably not survive the fight, Loony Bin Jim runs off. Castle chases him and confronts Jigsaw along with Loony Bin Jim, both holding Microchip and the Donatelli family at gunpoint. Jigsaw gives Castle a choice: If Frank shoots one of his friends, Jigsaw will let the others go free. Microchip boldly offers his life to save the Donatellis, but Castle chooses to shoot Loony Bin Jim instead. As a result, Jigsaw kills Microchip. Enraged by the loss of his partner, Castle attacks Jigsaw, which ends with the Punisher impaling Jigsaw with a metal rod and then throwing him onto a fire. As Jigsaw burns to death, Castle calmly tells him that "This is just the beginning."
Outside the building, Castle is forgiven by Angela and bids farewell to Budiansky and the Donatelli family. As Castle and Soap are walking past a church, Soap tries to persuade Frank to give up his role as the Punisher. Soap has a change of heart, however, when he is attacked by a mugger, who quickly becomes another victim of the Punisher.
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