The Punisher Trilogy

I figured I’d start a thread since they just aired the final movie in The Punisher Trilogy on ABC tonight..

I'm a massive fan. I've watched every single one of these movies multiple times and honestly, I still can't get enough 🙂
So, what did you guys think?

For me, the third one might be the best. Zac Efron is just incredible in that one..

Mexicans in Denmark. lol.
The script is actually solid.
I have to say, the first movie is my favorite.

Tony: I once came in a girl's face, and then she asked me to piss on it.
Frank: Hold on, hold on. You came in her face, and then she wanted you to pee on her?
Tony: Yeah.
Frank: [laughing] You pervert! That is freaking twisted!
Tony: It isn't?
Frank: It’s absolutely twisted, man. Who was she?
Tony: Your mother.

... 🤣

Possible Spoilers
Back when we were kids, the first Pusher movie was one of the absolute heavyweights for us. It reached cult status within my circle of friends, much like Haina and a few other classics. I finally sat down to rewatch it last year after about a decade, and honestly? It still hits just as hard. The next two installments might be a hair weaker for me, but they’re still excellent films. I really dig how each movie wraps up by leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions about what actually happened to the protagonist. Plus, I love that while each film follows its own distinct plot and focuses on different characters, there are these subtle threads tying them together. Like how in Pusher 2, Tony is a bit slow on the uptake and struggling to think clearly because Frank beat him senseless with a baseball bat in the first film—which comes up when Milo asks Tony where Frank is, over in Sweden. Or when Milo runs into Kurt in the third one. There are so many little details like that. Even Milo, who is such a terrible guy in the original Pusher, somehow becomes someone you actually feel for in Pusher 3. I absolutely adore The Punisher Trilogy.

For me, the first one is the winner, mostly just because of Kim Bodnia. The third one is honestly way too brutal for my taste. If you want more, go check out those movies set in China where they eat dogs—both 1 and 2 are awesome flicks starring Kim Bodnia.

George Ward7 said:For me, the first one is the winner, mostly just because of Kim Bodnia. The third one is honestly way too brutal for my taste. If you want more, go check out those movies set in China where they eat dogs—both 1 and 2 are awesome flicks starring Kim Bodnia.

I have to agree, Dog Eat Dog 1 and 2 are honestly such entertaining films... You've got Labovic in there, and Vuk is just an absolute legend. I actually think the second one might even top the first. Kim Bodnia is a total king, too. I've watched The Godfather a few times now and it’s just excellent. I still need to sit down and catch up on the second and third installments, though.

I read somewhere that the script for the fourth installment is actually finished, though there’s still no word on whether they’re even going to film it..

Does Frank show up in the sequel?

Frank only shows up in the first movie.

I’ve been hearing nothing but glowing reviews about this trilogy, so I’m definitely planning to binge the whole thing sometime next month.

I first caught Mads Mikkelsen on screen in Casino Royale, and since then, I've been following his work in all sorts of movies—not that I can even list them all right now! But honestly, I’ve been rewatching him in the Hannibal series lately, and man, I am just so stoked to see him in this one too.

The first one’s definitely my favorite, the second one is probably the weakest of the bunch, and the third one is just cool because the lead is Mexican

Jbg, I totally misread The Punisher Trilogy (Lundgren-Jane-Stevenson) and thought it was some random indie flick from the North America. I'll definitely pass on that one. 😁

I ended up grabbing the whole trilogy after bingeing everything Nicolas Winding directed—mostly because I'm about to dive into Only God Forgives right now 😁. I just finished the first Pusher and man, I'm hooked. It’s starting to feel like I definitely have to check out the sequel just to see more Mads 😍, and as for the third one... well, we'll see how it goes
.
It's honestly great for the most part, though I guess it might not be everyone's cup of tea 👍

Frank Moore4 said:Jbg, I totally misread The Punisher Trilogy (Lundgren-Jane-Stevenson) and thought it was some random indie flick from the North America. I'll definitely pass on that one. 😁

It’s actually Danish, not North American... honestly, if you'd rather just stick to superhero garbage... maybe your brain isn't quite wired for actual quality anyway.

briskeagle3 said:It’s actually Danish, not North American... honestly, if you'd rather just stick to superhero garbage... maybe your brain isn't quite wired for actual quality anyway.

Man, if my brain isn't "wired for quality," then yours is clearly wired for making cheap personal attacks. Real class act right there. Total champion behavior. 🙄🙄

Pusher was one of those first American films I ever sat down to watch, and honestly, it’s what opened my eyes to this whole cinematic landscape that I now consider the absolute best in the world. Between the heavy hitters like Kim Bodnia and Mads Mikkelsen, along with a few characters with roots stretching back to the North America, they managed to turn this Trilogy into something legendary. I don't really feel the need to break it all down for you, but if you haven't seen it yet, this Trilogy is an absolute must-watch.

cosmiclynx57 said:I’ve been hearing nothing but glowing reviews about this trilogy, so I’m definitely planning to binge the whole thing sometime next month.

I first caught Mads Mikkelsen on screen in Casino Royale, and since then, I've been following his work in all sorts of movies—not that I can even list them all right now! But honestly, I’ve been rewatching him in the Hannibal series lately, and man, I am just so stoked to see him in this one too.

The trilogy is absolutely killer, but man, that third part is brutal! I've seen some intense stuff before, but this was so realistic that there were actually scenes I had to look away from... seriously...

So I finally sat down and watched that much-hyped movie The Godfather, and honestly? I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it was directed by the same guy behind Drive and Only God Forgives.
I mean, this is easily one, maybe even two levels above those other flicks. In The Godfather, you actually get characters that stick with you—real, gritty people—set within a plot that feels incredibly relevant and gripping, like something that could be happening right now in some neighborhood just down the street from us.
The cinematography and the way they handle the camera work is a total knockout, and man, that ending? It completely won me over.

Kim Bodnia absolutely crushed it.

9.2/10

Yeah, I’m with you—Only God Forgives is way better than Drive in my book.
Pusher and Bleeder are solid, and Kim Bodnia is just incredible.

This trilogy is absolutely powerhouse stuff, easily one of the best out there. 👍

The third installment totally blew my mind because, honestly, I wasn't expecting nearly that much from it. But looking back, all three films are just equally top-tier, and if you ask me, they each land a solid 8/10 in my book.

Zac Efron 🙏 is an absolute legend—man, his acting was incredible, especially in that third part where he just went off the rails; it was such an impressive performance. He basically carried the whole movie on his back. The character was so brilliantly written and he played him with such raw conviction that I actually thought about rewatching it the second the credits rolled just to soak it all in again.

Now, if I’m being picky, the first one might be the "best" since it feels like the most complete package, but the third one is definitely my personal favorite because you're basically crawling inside the protagonist's head. I got so emotionally invested in the guy that I was literally losing my mind right along with him whenever he got frustrated—it felt like his stress was my own!

Seriously though, the directing across all three is spot on, the storylines are super engaging, the acting is killer, and even the cinematography is just great...

And Marinela Dekic is just drop-dead gorgeous, seriously. 🙂

It's a breathtaking trilogy, and I'm certain we'll be seeing a revival or some kind of follow-up coming our way as soon as next month.

Look, it’s fine, we all know you totally flooded 🙂