Ray Stevenson didn’t get a fair shake at playing Frank Castle aka The Punisher, in the 2008 follow-up to The Punisher starring Thomas Jane. Jane declined to return as he felt the script didn’t go in the way that he wanted to portray the character.

What was there to dislike? And what did Ray Stevenson get stuck with?

Well, it’s bloody, brutal and violent. Totally expected for The Punisher.

But the film itself is way too comic book and honestly, it’s use of colours and neon lights make it look like a watered-down Joel Schumacher film. Not something you really want for a character like Frank Castle. Throw in a textbook comic book villain in Dominic West’s Jigsaw, and you’ve got something that was set up for failure before it could even get its feet under it.

Add in the fact that the action sequences are shot and choreographed horribly, lacking a narrative, geography, or style, and this film actually hurts.

With Jane not returning, the series gets a soft reboot, and through flashbacks, we see Castle’s family getting killed again. And now, he’s in New York taking down one crime family at a time with his latest focus being the Russoti family, but when he accidentally kills an undercover agent, he has to come to grips with what he’s done and has been doing.

Stevenson isn’t given much to do besides look imposing, which is unfortunate, as I think he really could have put Castle on the horns of a real dilemma here. But the story is more intent on racing from haphazard action sequence to haphazard action sequence.

After Billy Russoti is facially disfigured he takes on the name of Jigsaw and breaks his insane brother, Jim (Doug Hutchinson) out of an asylum, and they are determined not only to go after Castle but also after the dead agent’s family, Angela (Julie Benz) and daughter, Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas).

Despite Angela’s feelings about Frank, he is determined to protect them both and take Jigsaw out once and for all.

Wayne Knight shows up as The Punisher’s longtime aide, Microchip, Dash Mihok plays Officer Soap, Frank’s inside man on the force, and Colin Salmon plays an agent determined not only to bring Jigsaw to justice but Castle as well.

It’s a little too cartoony, and consequently, the characters are really restrained in what they can and can’t do (like grow). With a better story, tighter action sequences, and Thomas Jane (who continues to voice his willingness to return for the character) this could have really been something, but instead, it flounders and is arguably the worst of the Marvel movies before the introduction of the MCU (though Blade III could compete).

The series is fantastic, but I’d love to see the character return to the big screen, even just cameoing in one of the MCU films, and since we know the multiverse exists we could have both Thomas Jane and Jon Bernthal!