Writing

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Movie Analysis: The Punisher

Name: Wai Man Chan

Assignment Due Date: May 16 2022

Movie Analysis: The Punisher

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The Punisher features Dolf Lundgren, a presumed-dead rogue cop who broods over his

family members’ deaths and spends most of his spare time killing gangsters. The Punisher is

nonetheless a high-grade violent movie that sees the deaths of several gangsters. Several threats

make violence necessary in this movie. Dolf Lundgren is an undercover FBI agent who becomes

a vigilante to unleash his wrath on a corrupt businessman who murdered his entire family at a

reunion (Kamen, 2020). The business had been released from police custody and acquitted of the

murder of the castle family. In five years, the business was responsible for over a hundred and

twenty-five organized crimes in the city. The movie begins by Dolf Lundren secretly following

the corrupt businessman and his gangsters to his house to unleash his wrath upon them. This

research paper analyses the threats that make violence necessary in the movie, the enemy’s

motive, the motive of the good guy, and whether the fighting resolved the problem.

Based on the movie, several threats make violence necessary. For instance, the corrupt

businessman has been acquitted of all the crimes he committed, including the murder of the

castle family (Kamen, 2020). The business confirms to media houses that he does not fear the

Punisher. This necessitates violence to avenge the deaths of the castle family and other crimes

committed in the city. The first violence in the movie is necessitated by threats to the safety of

the gangster and the FBI agent. Each of them is afraid of being killed if he fails to act swiftly.

More importantly, the FBI agent engages in violence against the gangsters at the businessman’s

home to ensure that he overwhelms and kills them so that they do not attack him and continue

with their heinous business. The threats to innocent people cause the FBI agent to hunt down

criminals and kill them in violent and ruthless attacks. Innocent children are held at ransom

because their fathers are rich gangsters, yet there is no one to secure their freedom. The plight of

innocent children necessitates a violent response by Dolf Lundgren. The gangsters had organized

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a party using the proceeds of crime, and the Punisher unleashed violence on them to message

them that the welfare of the children mattered (Kamen, 2020). Violence was necessary because

dialogue could not work, and the FBI agent’s life was equally in danger. The gangsters engage in

violence because of the threats to their lives. Dolf Lundgren is out to finish them, and they

cannot sit and watch themselves being killed one by one.

Arguably, the enemy’s motive is to cause more crimes in society. The Japanese

businessmen abduct children and ask for ransoms from their parents. This illegal business earns

them millions of dollars. On the other hand, Americans in the same business are pushed against

the walls by their Japanese counterparts to work by their terms and conditions (Kamen, 2020).

The motives of the two criminal groups are not anything good for a functioning society, but they

use all means possible to shield themselves against the Punisher. For instance, hiding the

children for ransoms necessitates the criminals to engage in a gun battle against the undercover

FBI agent. One can conclude that the gangsters are out to protect their business and will do

anything to keep authorities or anyone against the business at bay. The gangsters explain to the

undercover FBI agent that his actions caused them nearly two million dollars in cash (Kamen,

2020). However, he responds to them by saying that he does not give a shit. As a result, he is

subjected to more pain to make him understand the cost of his actions.

Dolf Lundgren is the good guy who is out to rid society of criminal outfits in the movie.

He exhibits out of the ordinary actions of a man whose sole reason for living is revenge. He is

considered a rogue FBI agent who feels that the wheels of justice are not rolling as required.

Hence, he decides to engage in violence to avenge the castle family’s deaths and several other

crimes (Kamen, 2020). Dolf Lundgren has no other reason to fight criminals other than making

them pay for their actions. When arrested, chained, and subjected to overwhelming by the

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gangsters, he slowly unchains himself and turns against them. The movie star chains his

adversaries and makes them go through the same pain to experience how it feels to be on the

receiving end. He leaves his aggressor to die by being pulled apart by electric chains while he

goes out to save the lives of other innocent people (Kamen, 2020). Lundgren’s core objective is

to punish the guilty who have escaped or bribed their way out of the criminal justice system. The

criminals had held innocent children at ransom with no intention of releasing them. Lundgren

explores extraordinary means to secure their freedom and let them join their parents.

Arguably, Lundgren’s decision to use violence to rid society of crime bears fruits because

his vengeful actions cause the deaths of several members of criminal gangs. Were it not for his

bold steps, the criminals would continue to terrorize innocent people and hold more children at

ransom. His extraordinary courage enables him to set the children free and drive them back home

despite the numerous threats to his life (Kamen, 2020). As he secures the freedom of the

abducted children, he kills several members of the criminal gangs and those who escape death

scamper away in fear of being arrested. Sadly, Lundgren is arrested by authorities for failing to

let the law take its course to determine the guilt and innocence of the people he killed. The

criminal justice system does not seem to appreciate the role played by the vengeful FBI agent in

ridding society of bad people.

In brief, the Punisher is one of the most interesting and worth watching movies putting

criminals on one side and the law on the other. Based on the movie, criminals play around with

the law to keep causing trouble in society. However, Lundgren emerges as a police officer who

goes against criminal justice principles to restore order in society. A functionally efficient

criminal justice system is critical in society to secure the rights of everyone.

Reference

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Kamen, R. M (Producer). (2020). The Punisher [Film]. New World Pictures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMTeMOFwoog