The Punisher(1989)

The Punisher(1989)

-1989 action film starring Dolph Lundgren
-Filmed in Sydney, Australia
-Tells the story of Frank Castle, a cop who became the Punisher after his family was wiped out in a mob hit
-Was rebooted in 2004 and in 2008 with The Punisher: War Zone

Did You Know?
-The police cars used in the movie were Australian Valiant cars that were converted to left hand drive.
-Dolph Lundgren did most of his own stunts

Plot
-Frank Castle(Dolph Lundgren) is the city's most wanted and mysterious vigilante. He is known as simply "The Punisher". He has murdered over 125 people in 5 years. He is an ex-police officer whose family was killed in a mob hit. He lives in the sewers, planning a one man war against organized crime, with his only friend being an old alcoholic named Shake(Barry Otto). Castle, legally declared dead, is back to strike from the grave. He kills mobsters where he can find them. Because he has begun killing mobsters, Mafia families have weakened, forcing one of the leaders, named Gianni Franco(Jeroen Krabbe) to take control. And now this has gained the attention of the Yakuza(Japanese Mafia), which is Asia's most powerful crime syndicate. They are led by Lady Tanaka(Kim Miyori). Now that the Mafia is out of the picture, the Yakuza decide to take over the Mafia's businesses. In order to get the Mafia to bend to their will, the Yakuza gangsters take the children of the mobsters to hold for ransom

-Shake makes a plea with the Punisher to save the kids, who are probably going to be sold into child slavery regardless of whether the Mafia gives in. He is able to save most of the kids with a .45 Thompson M1928 submachine gun, the son of the Mafia leader is taken away to the Yakuza HQ. Elsewhere, the Punisher is taken into police custody, only to be freed by Franco's men. Franco persuades the Punisher to help him save his son and stop the Yakuza from taking root in America, Franco and the Punisher go to the Yakuza HQ, kill the gangsters, including Lady Tanaka and her daughter. After being reunited with his son, Franco betrays the Punisher in an effort to kill him, but the Punisher wins the fight, killing Franco. As the police arrive on the scene, Castle warns Franco's son not to follow the sins of his dad and he vanishes

Cast

Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle / The Punisher

Louis Gossett, Jr. as Jake Berkowitz

Jeroen Krabbé as Gianni Franco

Kim Miyori as Lady Tanaka

Bryan Marshall as Dino Moretti

Nancy Everhard as Sam Leary

Barry Otto as Shake

Brian Rooney as Tommy Franco

Zoshka Mizak as Tanaka's daughter

Larry McCormick as TV newsreader

Kenji Yamaki as Sato

Todd Boyce as Terrone

Hirofumi Kanayama as Tomio

Lani John Tupu as Laccone

John Negroponte as Musso