‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ Review: Retreading What We Know

Marvel Television’s third Special Presentation is a brutal return to the mind of Frank Castle, who by now is experiencing the same set of thoughts and mindset for the umpteenth time. This time, he’s still doing what he does best, tracking down those involved with the murder of his family. For those wondering, this is the same plot as every single one of his Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances thus far following his introduction in Daredevil Season 2, his solo show on Netflix, Daredevil: Born Again and honestly, at this point probably Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The special follows Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) wrestling with his mental health following his slaughtering of those who killed his family, when Ma Gnucci (Judith Light), the sole survivor of his rampage, sets her sights on him, Frank must come out of retirement.

As a Frank Castle fan, it is always a joy to see the character on screen, but when you retread the same plot, the same mindset, and the same character growth-regression cycle, it becomes slightly infuriating. This is what holds this special back from being something, ironically, special.

Technically, this special holds up quite well, with the camera work by cinematographer Robert Elswit being the main highlight here, utilising staging in the background and a tracking shot of Frank Castle at one point to showcase the absolute carnage that is going on the streets of New York, which wouldn’t be there if Punisher wasn’t in this current headspace. ADR in the main action sequence of the special is quite horrible, with grunting noises made by Bernthal’s Castle being added over the top of music that plays in the scene and with Bernthal facing away at each time they’re used it is especially obvious.

Judith Light’s Ma Gnucci fails to be a compelling villain, and ordinarily would just be another henchmen who Castle kills with ease. She’s setup to be a genuine threat to Castle, but Castle easily kills his way out of the situation and thanks to his inclusion in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the stakes are at an all time low.

That as it may be, it is still good to see Bernthal in the role, even if his writing isn’t up to par, and the action alone makes this a worthy watch, especially with its slick runtime, brutal fights, and beautiful cinematography.

The Punisher: One Last Kill stars Jon Bernthal, Judith Light as Ma Gnucci, Jason Moore as Curtis Hoyle, and more. The special is now streaming on Disney+ worldwide. Watch it below:

Thanks for reading this The Punisher: One Last Kill review. For more, stay tuned here at Feature First.