The Punisher has been one of those characters that needs a mature, action-packed, and brutal adaptation for screen. We got that in some cases in the Netflix shows as well as in Daredevil: Born Again. However, The Punisher: One Last Kill is exactly the adaptation I was hoping for. A brutal, bloody, gruesome, and unforgiving special.
Frank Castle, a PTSD-addled veteran who returns to action when Ma Gnucci, a wheelchair-bound crime matriarch, seeks revenge after he killed her son, forcing him to fight off the city’s criminals descending upon him.
What made this Marvel Special Presentation exactly that, special, was the performance of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle. Bernthal brings this intensity to Castle that we really haven’t had so far, don’t get me wrong I am a fan of the Thomas Jane portrayal, but this is next level. Castle has a lot of pain underneath his skin and Bernthal helped let it boil over. But it’s not just the brutal action, even during the quieter moments you can feel how utterly broken and exhausted Frank is. Because this emotional side of Castle land so well, it made the ass-kicking hit that much harder.
This is by-far the craziest combat, action, and killing sequences Marvel has ever done. The fights were fast and extremely intense, filled with blood and guts. The violence is extreme, but this is exactly how the Frank Castle characters was originally written, Castle doesn’t fight clean and this special committed to that from the start.
Outside of the fact that this Marvel Special Presentation was utterly blood-soaked, was that it didn’t feel like a standalone story as much as I had hoped. Werewolf by Night as well as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special can be consumed without much prior knowledge, but The Punisher: One Last Kill is one that really needed a bit more backstory to know who Frank Castle is as a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most of this likely falls on the length, coming in around 48 minutes made for a little time to set the foundation needed to bring in new fans to the Frank Castle character.
The Punisher: One Last Kill delivered the Frank Castle we all had hoped for, a vicious, emotionally charged, and brutal adaptation that really embraces the chaos of the Marvel character. It’s the portrayal by Jon Bernthal, bringing the rage and heartbreak to the small screen that made this special feel special. One Last Kill is the most savage and raw version of Castle we have seen to date, while also making the special the most brutal 48 minutes in MCU history with over 80 kills by Castle himself. While I think the special could’ve used a few more minutes, it still stands tall in the MCU.
The Punisher: One Last Kill was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Jon Bernthal and Green. The special stars Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher, Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Judith Light as Ma Gnucci, along with Roe Rancell and Mila Jaymes.
You can stream The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney+.
