Priest: For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Frank Castle: Matthew 7:2.
Priest: You're a long way from the seminary, Frank.
Frank Castle: I accepted that a long time ago.
- Punisher: War Zone movie
Hi guys,
some time ago I managed to add a bust to my collection which had been on my wish list for quite some time.
I have always found The Punisher to be a very intriguing and fascinating character and I simply loved the hardcore action and explicit violence of the Punisher: War Zone movie ever since I saw it for the first time.
The Punisher lives in a grim world where the guilty are punished in an unforgiving and brutal way and the movie showed all that and more. Frank is not the kind of man who will turn his other cheek towards you when you cross the line of good and evil. Should you ever take that decison please don't go begging for forgiveness and mercy afterwards. Once the line his crossed you will realize that while dirty deeds may be done dirt cheap, they can still have some pretty drastic life-changing consequences nevertheless. The Punisher will hunt you down and if you are lucky he will show you that he has not forgotten everything he learned in seminary by giving you an opportunity to say a last prayer before he pulls the trigger.
The Punisher is a hardcore character who is helping out society by taking out the garbage. When it comes down to delivering capital punishment Frank Castle is the best there is.
This bust manages the capture the excitement and grim, frightening atmosphere of the movie and that's why I have always liked it from the start.
I liked the way Thomas Jane played the role of Frank Castle but feel that Ray Stevenson really brought something extra to the table. When I look at Thomas Jane I look at Frank Castle; when I look at Ray Stevenson I look at The Punisher; that's IMHO basically the difference between these two great actors.
The sculptor Koei Matsumoto masterfully captured the likeliness of Ray Stevenson in this well armed bust but that is not the only good thing to mention about the bust. I like the pose which shows The Punisher doing what he does best, I like the details visible in Frank's clothes (I love the characteristic bleak, somewhat vague stylized picture of a skull on Frank's body armor!), weapons and body armor and, initially to my surprise, I also like the special Movie Marquee that lights up, replete with bullet holes on the sies, and the Punisher: War Zone logo on the front which forms the base.
For fans of The Punisher and especially fans of the Punisher: War Zone movie this is bust delivers the goods in a complete package and I very much like it for what it is and for what it brings to my collection.
Of course I would not want you to take my word for it and I very much encourage you to make up your own mind. Since pictures say much more than words in this regard, I have taken a couple of pictures from this bust which I will post below very shortly. I will also post my comments and my scores for this bust to provide you with my personal view on this bust and it's pro's and cons as I see them.
Please feel free to have a look at them and let me know what your thoughts are on this bust. Remember that there are no right or wrong opinions so I hope you will not feel hesitant to speak out your mind!
Alright then guys; I guess this is it. Buckle up and do not forget to bring your bullet-proof vests with you since we are about to visit a vigilant hero fighting a dark and dirty war in the dungeons of our society.
If you want to make a difference then get ready to join Frank and deliver some capital punishment yourselves in the firm belief that no unjust deed should ever go unpunished!
Have fun and enjoy!
My verdict
Bust Number: 2112/2250
Release date: December 2008
Sculptor: Kouei Matsumoto
Statue size: the bust is 9 inches / 23 cm tall
Material: Cold cast
Sculpt:
8.0 - Impressive
I very much like the sculpt of this bust. Frank's stance with a torch/explosive in one hand and a gun in his other works very well and it catches the deadly efficiency and the dangerous life Frank is living, in a very convincing way.
Frank is no Superman or Hulk , he is no mutant with incredible powers which will flatten his opponent and keep him safe. No, Frank is 'just' a well trained marine with a deadly arsenal of weapons and a drive to deliver punishment to those whose actions have been begging for it. That's what I like about the Punisher and that's what I see when I look at the sculpt. The beautifully textured detail in Frank's body armor, the famous skull visible on Frank's chest plate, the details visible in his weapons as well as the likeliness with actor Ray Stevenson, the details in his sculpted hair, it's all there and it all makes this bust to what it is. I love for example the metal painted buttons and ring on Frank's body armore as well as the fact that he wears open gloves in which the lower part of his vingers are uncovered. Little details like this show the man means business and is out to do a job nobody else can't.
I also like the base consisting of the movie marquee (including the Marvel Knights logo underneath it!) together wil the walls damaged by bullet holes on both sides. Normally speaking I am not a big fan of name plates but here is somehow works for me linking the bust effectively to the movie.
You may or may not have liked the Punisher; War Zone movie just like you may or may not like Ray Stevenson's performance as The Punisher. No matter how you feel however I think there is no denying that Kotobukiya really managed to capture the essence of The Punisher is an impressive way.
Paint & Mixed Media:
8.0 - Impressive
There is not much to say about the paintjob and I mean that in a positive way. The bust is painted very well and when I examined the bust I felt the painter really knew what he or she was doing. Frank's body armor is mainly painted in a grim, matte black paint and while this might sound boring, I do not feel it is when looking at the bust. Instead I feel the paintjob honors the actual colors of Frank's body armor and as such deserves high praises. I also like Frank's skin color as well as the colors of his weapons. And of course the famous white skull painted on Frank's chest plate which is clear but on the other hand vague enough to allow Frank to hide in the shadows if that's what needed to get close to his target.
What also helps is the nice white background of the movie marquee which is a natural eyecatcher and brings some extra color to this bust. The only thing which I would have changed if I could is the color of the flames of Frank's torch. In my opinion it is a little bit too pink and I would have liked it to a be a little bit more orange/reddish. But this is absolutely not a dealbreaker to me and the way I see it the paintjob is solid from bottom to top.
Design:
8.5 - Very impressive
I am lucky enough to have several statues and busts of The Punisher in my collection and in my opinion each of them brings something else to the table. What I like very much about this bust is the fact that you are immediately drawn into the action. This bust shows you in a clear and confronting way how the Punisher tries to restore the balance and what his methods are to bring justice to those who have it coming to them. The Punisher is a man of few words and he lets his bullets speak for him. This bust shows Frank dishing out justice bullet by bullet to everybody who has decided to cross the line and thought they could get away with it. The Punisher is out to send out a message and a warning to people like that and this bust caught that message very well in all of its grim and unforgiving truth.
This is underlined by the solemn, grave and determined look on Frank's face; his heavy eyebrows together with the intense look in his eyes make you realize that this is a man who is going to get his job done one way or the other.
I also love the plate on the back of the base where you can the bust number and the full name of the bust. I think it looks very classy and I feel it looks better than the printed text which you an find for example on the bottom of the base of statues made by Bowen Designs or Sideshow. Last but not least I would like to mention that the base has a light up function which can lit up the movie marquee at the front of the base. It's a bit of a gimmick which I most likely will never use but on the other hand it does not take away anything from the design of the bust and gives you an extra display option in a dark or shadowy room.
Production & Build Quality:
8.0 - Impressive
I initially had some small problems to connect Frank's outstretched right arm with the rest of his body (I had to push a little bit to make the pin go in all the way) but that does not take away from the fact that this bust is solidly built and built to last. The bust is bigger than I initially imagined and it is built like a tank.
Frank is not the kind of man who will go down easily and neither will this bust assuming that you will handle it with the normal care and a little TLC. Give Frank the respect he deserves and he will watch over your collection and you for the rest of your life.
Overall rating:
8.125 - Impressive
This is truly an impressive bust which I can wholeheartedly recommend to all to all fans and collectors in general and all Punisher fans in particular.
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We have a new target, Marine. Form on me. We're going to war.
- Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher
Background info
Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti.
After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw.
With the "Punisher Task Force" hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited
before more of his evil deeds go unpunished.
Real Name:
Frank Castle (born Castiglione)
Physical Attributes:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Powers: None
Abilities:
Punisher is the recipient of multidisciplinary military training from the U.S. Marine Corps.
While a Marine, he also received training from the U.S. Army and Navy.
From this training, Punisher is proficient in not only basic infantry skills, but in special operations, which includes the use and maintenance of specialized firearms and explosive ordnance.
He is highly trained in infiltration into heavily-guarded enemy territories and structures for the purpose of assassination, captures, and military intelligence.
Also, he is trained in various forms of camouflage and stealth.
From his airborne training, Punisher is able to pack and maintain his own parachute rigs, as well as professionally control his landings, in daylight and at night. From his Navy UDT training, Punisher is well-skilled in extended underwater operations, including demolitions.
He is skilled with a great many types of explosives, ranging from simple dynamite to plastique to improvised explosives. His hand-to-hand combat skills are more then sufficient to allow him to incapacitate and kill men much stronger than he is, as well as to deal with groups of armed and unarmed enemies, killing them all without weapons if he deems it necessary.
He is also extremely deadly in knife training, preferring the knife he learned to fight with in the USMC: the ka-bar.
Additionally, he is a preternaturally-precise marksman.
He is thoroughly trained and experienced in unconventional ("guerilla") warfare. He is an armorer, a gunsmith, and an expert in field medicine.
Weapons:
The Punisher's ever-changing arsenal of weaponry includes various automatic and semi-automatic rifles, and an array of handguns, fragmentation and tear gas grenades, other explosives, and combat knives.
A personal favorite is his ballistic knife, which can launch its blade with lethal force.
He commonly uses M16 .223 caliber automatic rifles, Sterling Mark 6 9mm, semi-automatic rifles, 9mm Browning Llama automatic pistols, .45 caliber automatic frame rechambered for 9mm. ammunition, .223 caliber Derringers, and Gerber Mark II combat knives.
If I see you anywhere near Hell, I'll kick your ass out.
- Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher
Rainer
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Nothing can stop The Juggernaut... NOTHING!
