The Punisher (Marvel's famed man of Vengeance) gets the big screen treatment for the second time (he first graced theaters in the form of the silly, misbegotten actioneer starring Dolph Lungren back in 1989) and while this comic book adaptation is far more gritty than many audiences will be accustomed to, it still offers up familiar themes.

Thomas Jane is Frank Castle, a highly decorated cop who winds up on the hit-list of mob boss Howard Saint (played by John Travolta) after a sting operation gone bad claims the life of one of the villain's sons. In an eye for an eye type of scenario, Saint takes out his vengeance, but Castle goes him one better turning it into an eye for an eye for an eye proposition.

The Punisher is a hero of sorts, but ultimately, this is a story of revenge and a blood-soaked one at that. This film is incredibly violent and extremely ugly, but it's also stylish and pulsating with a wicked sense of humor. The fashion in which Castle takes his revenge is rather creative. The Punisher has no interest in putting a bullet in Saint's head. That would be far too easy - the Punisher's methods are far more elaborate.

Jane was much more charismatic in Stander (See Showest Report #1) but Frank Castle is a much different character. This is a man who has everything taken away from him and Jane plays him as a brooding, vengeful, soft spoken individual with a heart like a bottomless black pit, without a shred of mercy.

John Travolta tries his hand at villainy again (you may remember his bad guy roles in Face Off, Broken Arrow and Swordfish) with mixed results. While understated, I don't know that I ever fully bought into this nasty new character. He always came across as Travolta playing s bad guy - it never really worked for me.

I really liked Will Patton (so good in No Way Out) as Saint's right hand man. I've always liked this actor. He has a quiet, unassuming nature, but you know that at any given moment, he's fully capable of something incredibly ruthless.

Rebecca Romijn-Stamos aquits herself surprisingly well as a woman with an unfortunate habit of becoming involved with all the wrong men. Castle also has two hilariously offbeat neighbors, whom offer moments of comic relief to an otherwise dark and heartless film.

The Punisher was directed with visual flair by Jonathan Hensleigh (he's the screenwriter who penned screenplays for Die Hard With a Vengence and The Saint). It's clear that he's most interested in blowing the audience to the back of the theater with bullets and explosions. My favorite sequences here involves a hilariously cruel torture scene in which Castle tries to intimidate a slimey weasel into giving up information on Saint and his whereabouts, and a bloody, ultra-violent fist fight between The Punisher and a bulky, towering bad guy who talks with his fists of steel.

Much of The Punisher reminded me of the outstanding, underrated Mel Gibson movie Payback with it's in your face violence and dark sense of humor, granted I enjoyed that particular movie much more because it had stronger dialogue, plausible circumstances and bigger surprises.

I think what really turned me off in The Punisher was the dumb, uninteresting dialogue and the rather unrealistic actions and behavior of so many of it's characters. The Punisher is pretty creative in exacting his revenge, but far too often the plot would set-off your internal "Yea Right?" button. I didn't for a second buy into the ways in which Castle managed to turn some of these evil criminals against each other. These villains were all aware that Castle was out there somewhere, and certainly they would have been a little more cautious and smart in their actions. Suffice to say that The Punisher asks you to suspend disbelief a little to frequently, and the film suffers as a result.

On the other hand, if it's action you want, it's action you're going to get. As silly as The Punisher is, it is fast-paced and incredibly violent. If you're looking for mindless fun and you're a fan of Marvel, you may just have a good time. And if the ending of this picture is any indication, a sequel is already in the works.