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The Punisher | 2004 | R | - 6.10.6

A Delta Force operative and FBI special agent (Thomas Jane) plans to retire. But when his family is brutally murdered and he is left for dead, his only thought is to avenge their death. In his quest he confronts a powerful and ruthless Tampa businessman (John Travolta). Also with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Laura Elena Harring and Samantha Mathis. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh. [2:04]

SEX/NUDITY 6 - A man and a woman (married) kiss on a beach, he kisses down her chest and stomach, and they kiss and lie back on the sand. A woman opens her dress (we see her in a black slip that reveals cleavage and bare legs), and her husband kisses and caresses her. Two men kiss romantically. A man and a woman (married) kiss. A woman in a tiny bikini (or bra and panties, it's not clear) holds a bare-chested man with a towel wrapped around his waist from behind. A woman touches a man's face tenderly. We see topless women in a nightclub scene (their bare breasts are visible). A woman in a short skirt leans over a car and we see her bare buttocks. We see a man bare-chested in a few scenes, and a woman wears a bikini on a beach. A woman's dress is partially unbuttoned exposing part of her bra and cleavage. Women wear evening gowns that reveal cleavage, bare shoulders, backs and legs. Men and women dance together. A man says to another man "get a girlfriend." A man makes a remark about "...in some pornographic way," and a man makes a sexual remark about a man and his car. A man in a store asks another man if he needs help with some underpants.

VIOLENCE/GORE 10 - Many people are killed when several men with guns fire into a party: A table full of food is shot up, a woman is shot and falls to the ground, people panic and scream and are shot as they run, a man is shot off a motorcycle, a man is shot off a boat, a propane tank is shot and it explodes (we see a man in flames), and a man is shot in the back. A man is held around the throat, and a man is stabbed in the back. A woman and a boy are shot at as they race away in a car, men in another car chase them continuing to shoot, the woman's car overturns and flips (we see the woman and the boy with blood on their faces), they get out of the car and run, and they are chased by the other car and run down (we don't see them being struck, and we see their bodies lying on a pier). A man shoots at men in a truck, they shoot him (we see several bloody holes on his body), a man kicks him in the face and he falls through a railing (we see a bloody gash on his nose), he is shot in the chest and, he writhes and falls limp; the pier where he lies is set on fire, and his body is blown into the water. A man punches a man in the face, punches through a door, and kicks the man in the back. A man stabs another man in the chest, and the man who's been stabbed pulls the knife out (we hear squishing), and uses it to stab the man who stabbed him (the man screams). A man swings a wrench at another man, one man throws the other across the room, a grenade explodes in the bathroom (one man hides in the tub), and one man hits the other with a toilet. A man breaks through a wall, one man grabs another by the throat, slams the refrigerator door on his head, and one man throws boiling water in the face of the other (he screams and we see blisters on his face). One man tackles another, they crash through a railing, and tumble down stairs and crash onto the floor (one man lies motionless in a pool of blood). A man holds another man's facial piercing with a pair of pliers: he pulls a piercing out of his eyebrow (we see the skin begin to pull, we hear the man scream and see blood on his face after the fact), then he pulls one out of his nose. A bloody and severely injured man is tied onto the bumper of a car, the car drags him through a parking lot, the other cars in the lot begin exploding and burning, he catches on fire and the car continues to drag him (we hear the man screaming). A man is hit in the head with a large cutting blade (we see the blade in his head and see his head partly split and blood on his face and neck). A man slashes a man on the arm with a knife, then stabs him in the stomach, then stabs him several more times (we hear squishing with each blow), and the man slumps to the floor gasping. A man is shot in the chest with an arrow (he gasps) and a man is shot in the neck with an arrow. A man is slashed across the throat with a knife (blood sprays on a wall), a man is stabbed in the crotch, and then up through the chin into his head (we see the blood in his mouth). A man is shot in the stomach, a man is shot in the chest (we see a huge hole in his chest, surrounded by blood and matter), and a man shoots a knife into a man's neck, blood spurts and gushes as he falls to the ground. A man shoots a man in the leg, then the shoulder, then in the head (some blood is evident at the wounds). A man slaps a woman in the face (she falls on the floor and has blood on her mouth), he shoves her into a car, he shoves her off a bridge, she lands on railroad tracks and we hear her scream as a train runs her over. A man opens a door and there is a huge explosion, the man is blown back (we hear a man whimpering), and a man shoots him. A man holds a mine in his hand, we hear the man scream and hear an explosion from outside the building. A car slams into another car, and one driver shoots up the other car, which speeds away nearly hitting a child running in the street. A car runs into another car, flips over and a man with a gun approaches the driver as he tries to free himself (we see him with bloody wounds). Two men are shot, they fall back through a window (it shatters). A man fights with another man, and one slashes the other across the face with a knife. Helicopters with armed FBI agents surround a group of men; one man is shot repeatedly, and another man is shot (we see blood on his chest and clothes). A man throws hot beans in a man's face and hits him in the head with the pot. A man is kicked by three men, and we hear him moan. A man grabs a man in the crotch and slaps him in the face, then pulls a knife and walks toward another man who punches him in the nose (he has a very bloody face). A man grabs another man, shoves him against a wall, grabs another man and hits his head into a railing (both men lie unconscious). A man shoves another man against a stone wall. A man pounds on a door and threatens a woman on the other side, we hear that he has been physically abusive to her and she stands inside with a knife in her hand. Water is tinged red when a wounded man floats in it. A man's bloody shoulder wound is stitched up (we see a needle and thread going through skin and blood) and he flinches. A man puts a loaded gun under his chin with the intention of committing suicide. We see a dead body in a morgue (he's covered to the shoulders by a sheet). Two body bags with corpses are unzipped. A man and a woman are told that their son has been killed; the man whimpers and the woman slumps to the ground. A man jumps free just as a boat he is on explodes. A character talks about killing a man's whole family. A man dangles by his feet and another man threatens to burn him with a torch (the man screams in fear, others hear him imagining the worst and say "he's killing someone in there"). A man has a bullet hole scar on his chest, a man has multiple facial piercings. Men yell at others in several scenes. A man prepares an arsenal of weapons and a car for an attack. People stampede into streets, knocking others down and stepping on each other. We hear gunshots, bullet holes appear on the screen as the opening credits roll and liquid pours from the holes (it is in black and white).

LANGUAGE 6 - 8 F-words, 2 sexual references, 9 scatological terms (1 in German not translated), 2 anatomical terms, 7 mild obscenities, 2 religious profanities, 4 religious exclamations.

SUBSTANCE USE - People smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. A man talks about selling marijuana.

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Revenge, vigilantism, family, loyalty, arms dealing, grief, murder, pride, death of family members, punishment, blackmail, memories, money laundering, homosexuality, infidelity.

MESSAGE - Don't let your memories destroy you.

CAVEATS

Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.

We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.

Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.


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We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. You can help us keep our independence with a donation.

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