THE PUNISHER: ONE LAST KILL

The last time we saw Frank Castle, he was escaping imprisonment at the end of the first season of Daredevil: Born Again. Totally absent from the second season, fans were questioning when we'd see him next. Turns out there wasn't much time to wait because, a week after the season finale, he's back in The Punisher: One Last Kill, the latest special presentation from Marvel Studios. It's one that doesn't pull any punches so prepare yourself for some ultra-violence.

Trying to live a life without the need for revenge as The Punisher, it's safe to say Frank Castle isn't in the best of states, his psyche teetering on the edge of total collapse. His past actions and the voices in his head won't leave him be, as well as the violence in the surrounding neighbourhood there as a reminder for just how awful humanity can be. It's not long before he's back in the habit of breaking bones and killing scumbags, in rather spectacular fashion, as a powerful criminal figure threatens the peaceful life he has chosen to lead.

One Last Kill has limited time to tell a compelling story, yet what they pack into this special presentation manages to outdo what some feature films can muster in terms of character development and storytelling. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs and co-writes with Jon Bernthal himself, who at this point has to go down as perfect casting in a comic book adaptation, and what they conjure up is a simmering pot of paranoia and rage that threatens to boil over at any moment.

Bernthal himself is someone who promotes speaking openly about mental health on his podcast, Real Ones, and he brings that to the table in One Last Kill. As previously mentioned, Frank is struggling mentally and the depiction of his mental state in the opening moments is really well handled. Picturing people from his dark past in the vicinity of his apartment walls, as well as flashbacks to times with his murdered wife and kids, Frank makes for such a fascinating protagonist - just as likely to lose it at himself than others around him.

When he loses it here, it's a thing of real beauty. The action is brutally pulsating as Frank hits and shoots his way out of an apartment block of people trying to kill him. It's dynamic in its approach and doesn't shy away from the violence, proving Marvel Studios aren't afraid to make the more adult stuff when they want to. Anything he can get his hands on is used as a weapon, leaving a comedic mark on some action moments, and once again showing that Frank isn't messing about in the business of killing scumbags.

Jon Bernthal grunts and smashes his way through proceedings as Frank Castle, a character you can tell he has a lot of love for. This is very much his time to shine and he doesn't waste a second. Too long has Bernthal been a supporting man, it's so great when he gets to be the lead and show the world what he can do. It's not just the physical side of it all either, Bernthal being one of those hard men who can do the vulnerable side of a character so well. It's these quieter moments with Frank that bring out the best in Bernthal as an actor.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is a lean mean killing machine from Marvel Studios. If this is to be a tease for them giving us further seasons of a Punisher show, all the signs are there that Marvel and Jon Bernthal could deliver something special once again.

Verdict: ★★★★½