I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting from The Punisher: One Last Kill beyond some sort of teaser of how Frank Castle would fit back into the MCU in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but what we get isn’t exactly it. The production is gritty and dark, which is fitting considering the character’s history and heartaches, but the end result is a little underwhelming, even when the performances are exceptional.
Every time Jon Bernthal steps back into Frank Castle’s shoes, something incredible happens. In the hands of a lesser-skilled actor, the character would be a one-dimensional anti-hero fighting the same battle and stuck in a rollercoaster of vengeance. But Bernthal wears his grief like a shield and armor, touching on the character’s humanity in a way that’s both agonizing and completely satisfying to bear witness to. The character complexities are a tremendous part of Frank’s appeal, and it’s all a testament to how much Bernthal layers him.
More than anything, The Punisher: One Last Call acts as an Odyssey of sorts for the character, with all his underlying emotions being the special feature’s strength. It’s underwhelming in that there was ample potential to give us more, but it simultaneously delivers plenty, specifically for the Karen Page fans. Because as many of us have always said, Karen’s role in Frank’s life is tremendous, and that’s especially obvious here.
Amidst the blood bath and seemingly end-all be-all quest Frank goes on, his visions are what ground the story. These are the best moments that feel earned, given how much his psyche is impacted by grief and the people around him, establishing the heart in an hour that’s otherwise overly violent. Parts of it also feel stagnant, and the pacing doesn’t exactly do any favors for what’s happening in the exposition, which is exactly why the introspection is a huge part of the appeal here.
The performances do the trick in also validating the issues some of us had with Daredevil: Born Again and the relationship dynamics. Frank’s entire world is gone, but Karen is a light that remains. A glimmer of hope that his character probably could never even attain in any capacity outside of his own imagination, because the MCU isn’t afraid of leaving people in the shadows. Not everyone gets to ride off into the sunset—and I don’t expect them to—but the bleakness they continue to set up in Frank’s character journey both works and doesn’t.
In a lot of ways, there’s still a good chance that elements in Brand New Day could fix the stagnant state we’re left in. Or it could give somewhat of a more clear picture, but the title here is also where expectations and uncertainties come from. The way everything feels contradictory is part of what makes the special a bit lackluster. The grittiness and the darkness all work to remind us of how violent this show and character are, but the heart remains a little wobbly. Without the emotional beats, it would’ve done very little to serve the MCU’s current timeline, and that, for a moment, is a strange thing to sit with.
Still, if you’re a fan of Frank Castle, you can’t miss it, and I suppose that alone says something.
Now streaming on Disney+: What are your thoughts on The Punisher: One Last Kill? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Disney/Marvel Studios