The PTSD angle is part of his character; the problem is that they let it change his personality. Castle is conflicted, but the classic version of the character buries that conflict internally and it comes out as rage, not "rage+tears". He's adopted a moral perspective that makes him able to accept both his background and himself, even though that perspective is, by almost any moral standard, profoundly broken. This is the essence of the Punisher as an anti-hero; he's swallowed his sadness, converted it to anger, and built a new moral system out of it. He believes his own bullshit enough that he sometimes sounds really reasonable when he explains it, and there's enough wrong with authority figures in the Marvel universe that a vigilante circumventing them can easily be seen as a hero by a lot of different people, which reinforces Castle's sense of justifiable homicide.
But when you make him angsty *as* he's taking the law into his own hands, it communicates a lack of commitment to his cause. It makes him more sympathetic, which can make for good drama on the surface, but it's also too easy, and not the way the character was meant to be. Originally only a select few ever got to see the "real" Frank Castle, still simmering below the surface with obsession over the deaths of his loved ones, still haunted by the idea that what he's doing isn't right. It's the heart of his dysfunctional friendship with Daredevil, who doesn't always follow his Catholic faith very well, but who does always take its universal truths and objective morals seriously. Matt sees that Frank is even more dangerous than he seems, because Frank is ignoring his own moral compass and redefining "right".
So if Frank is wailing and gnashing his teeth all the time, even while he's killing people, you get a) better temporary drama, but b) a less faithful adaptation, a weaker character arc, and a less important relationship with Matt Murdock over the long haul. It's the exact kind of short-term bargain Disney usually makes with properties it didn't generate, but merely cannibalized. It's also the reason why it's possible to be interested in this version of the character, while still being disturbed by how it's really Jon Bernthal wearing the real Punisher's skin like a suit. He looks the part; from a certain distance he acts the part too. But it's not the same guy.
Good points. The PTSD angle is part of the character, but it shouldn't be changing how Frank acts and operates.
I much prefer the classic handling of the Punisher where Frank is haunted by what happened to his family, but he keeps it internally and has his emotions in control. He uses it as fuel and the reason why he waged war on organized crime and save the innocents.
They did this exact thing with the James Bond character. Guys don’t want to watch a ton of emotional trauma wrestling. Emotion attached to God, family and duty, absolutely. That’s the Punisher.
At least with the final Bond, where they dipped into this aspect the most, his emotional attachment was to existing family. It was jarring and probably excessive, but it's possible to accept even a man like him finally losing his careful control in the face of his loved ones literally in danger at that literal moment in time. Not so with Frank Castle, who in Disney's version hasn't even begun the process of "getting over it, but the wrong way." He's still raw after years, which, again, may be understandable IRL, but isn't the character.
I find the PTSD angle for Frank to be overdone at this point. It has become a convenient device for writers to depict Frank as a man who is utterly unstable, reckless, and doesn't understand why he is waging a war against organized crime.
He's Catholic... so is there anything of faith in it? At all? Because pagans will just take a knee to the crime and wretched and corruption and squalor. We of Jesus... NOPE. So, anything?
Killing "Share" on the Walking Dead was the beginning of the end. Killing the father and son, put a steak through its heart; don't care about Disney products and the Punisher kinda bores me. Sorry.
The PTSD angle is part of his character; the problem is that they let it change his personality. Castle is conflicted, but the classic version of the character buries that conflict internally and it comes out as rage, not "rage+tears". He's adopted a moral perspective that makes him able to accept both his background and himself, even though that perspective is, by almost any moral standard, profoundly broken. This is the essence of the Punisher as an anti-hero; he's swallowed his sadness, converted it to anger, and built a new moral system out of it. He believes his own bullshit enough that he sometimes sounds really reasonable when he explains it, and there's enough wrong with authority figures in the Marvel universe that a vigilante circumventing them can easily be seen as a hero by a lot of different people, which reinforces Castle's sense of justifiable homicide.
But when you make him angsty *as* he's taking the law into his own hands, it communicates a lack of commitment to his cause. It makes him more sympathetic, which can make for good drama on the surface, but it's also too easy, and not the way the character was meant to be. Originally only a select few ever got to see the "real" Frank Castle, still simmering below the surface with obsession over the deaths of his loved ones, still haunted by the idea that what he's doing isn't right. It's the heart of his dysfunctional friendship with Daredevil, who doesn't always follow his Catholic faith very well, but who does always take its universal truths and objective morals seriously. Matt sees that Frank is even more dangerous than he seems, because Frank is ignoring his own moral compass and redefining "right".
So if Frank is wailing and gnashing his teeth all the time, even while he's killing people, you get a) better temporary drama, but b) a less faithful adaptation, a weaker character arc, and a less important relationship with Matt Murdock over the long haul. It's the exact kind of short-term bargain Disney usually makes with properties it didn't generate, but merely cannibalized. It's also the reason why it's possible to be interested in this version of the character, while still being disturbed by how it's really Jon Bernthal wearing the real Punisher's skin like a suit. He looks the part; from a certain distance he acts the part too. But it's not the same guy.
Good points. The PTSD angle is part of the character, but it shouldn't be changing how Frank acts and operates.
I much prefer the classic handling of the Punisher where Frank is haunted by what happened to his family, but he keeps it internally and has his emotions in control. He uses it as fuel and the reason why he waged war on organized crime and save the innocents.
They did this exact thing with the James Bond character. Guys don’t want to watch a ton of emotional trauma wrestling. Emotion attached to God, family and duty, absolutely. That’s the Punisher.
At least with the final Bond, where they dipped into this aspect the most, his emotional attachment was to existing family. It was jarring and probably excessive, but it's possible to accept even a man like him finally losing his careful control in the face of his loved ones literally in danger at that literal moment in time. Not so with Frank Castle, who in Disney's version hasn't even begun the process of "getting over it, but the wrong way." He's still raw after years, which, again, may be understandable IRL, but isn't the character.
Hollywood and the left is all about suffering and validating the victimhood of the sufferer.
Castle was an instrument of vengeance by choice, not because he had a late-night emo-session and crashed out the next day.
Castle was methodical, not driven by tearful outbursts under a blanket wailing about Britney.
No. No interest in seeing this "reimagining," either.
They themselves are bitter, miserable and mentally ill. Misery loves company. They want validation and reaffirmation for their failed choices in life.
I find the PTSD angle for Frank to be overdone at this point. It has become a convenient device for writers to depict Frank as a man who is utterly unstable, reckless, and doesn't understand why he is waging a war against organized crime.
He's Catholic... so is there anything of faith in it? At all? Because pagans will just take a knee to the crime and wretched and corruption and squalor. We of Jesus... NOPE. So, anything?
Killing "Share" on the Walking Dead was the beginning of the end. Killing the father and son, put a steak through its heart; don't care about Disney products and the Punisher kinda bores me. Sorry.
I'd like to hear The Legend Chuck Dixon's take on this.
I'd also like to hear what Mike Baron has to say on it.
Who's behind this show? Is it that Kelly Sue DeCowshit chick?
Disney kidf33kers.
Disney doesn't do morality. It shows in every character they write. Disney's world is that of a grey.
Disney prefers f33king children.