The Punisher Trailer

The Punisher is a 2004 American comic book action film, it institution logo is Marvel. The Punisher is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, starring Thomas Jane as the antihero Frank Castle / The Punisher and John Travolta as the villain Howard Saint, a money launderer who orders the death of Castle's entire family. The film was an attempt at rebooting the character after the failure of the 1989 film of the same name. The Punisher was shot on location in Tampa, Florida, and surrounding environs in mid- to late 2003. The film was directed by Jonathan Hen sleigh.

The story and plot were mainly based on two Punisher comic book stories; The Punisher: Year One and Welcome Back, Frank along with scenes from other Punisher stories such as Marvel Preview Presents: The Punisher #2, Marvel Super Action Featuring: The Punisher #1, The Punisher War Zone, and The Punisher War Journal.

Special agent Frank Castle had it all: A loving family, a great life, and an adventurous job. But when his life is taken away from him by a ruthless criminal and his associates, Frank has become reborn. Now serving as judge, jury, and executioner, he's a new kind of vigilante out to wage a one man war against those who have done him wrong.

After an undercover operation where Bobby Saint, son of corrupt businessman Howard Saint, is killed. FBI agent Frank Castle retires. Howard Saint holding Castle responsible for the death of his son butchers Frank's family during a family reunion and leaves Frank for dead. Burnt out and taunted by memories of his murdered family, Frank sets out to avenge his family, and he becomes a judge, jury and executioner known as "The Punisher".

Unlike ‘The Dark Knight’ trailer, this trailer starts with Todorov theory that a narrative starts as equilibrium. It begins with an establishing shot of a man taking out a guitar in a café. The lighting in the shot is seen to be dark, yet the blinds show the audience that it is light outside. This connotes the café to be an unfriendly area. This shot moves onto the same guy beginning to play, by an edit cut and the small strings used at the same time and leads to the final shot of what may look like the hero looking up towards the man. The sound of the guitar connotes new life; in turn the rise of a legend, also that this soundtrack is used throughout the trailer.

This leads on to showing the audience who the film is made by, Lions Gate Films, this institution logo also allows the audience to refer to other film made by them. The colour scheme of this shot is of a range of different shades of green. This foreshadows what the film’s mood will be like. After that a fast edit cut to the hero’s logo flashes. This allows the audience to relate to this character, and then cuts away to the comic book label of the film.

 The opening scene of the trailer starts with Todorov theory that a narrative starts as equilibrium. This being of the hero’s family all together and are shown through editing, cut and freeze frames. This foreshadows what main events may occur. This opening, as well as in other films is important part of a trailer because it allow the whole mood of the film to be set, it also allows the audience to choose a side and is a ggod example of Claude Levi Strauss' Binary Opposites Theory. The sound used doesn’t match the happy atmosphere. This coonotes to the audience that a turn of events changes everything.

Later on in the trailer, the audience gets to see what happens to the hero that makes him who he is. At 43 seconds into the trailer the enemy or more known as the villain is shown, however it isn’t clear to the audience. After this point a sting is introduced, this creates a climax and leads to an increase in the pace of the trailer. This is shown by the fast edits between shots and event that happen within the film.

At 57 seconds in to the trailer the soundtrack changes, as if to symbolise/coonote life or re-birth of a character known as the Punisher.  After that other sound techniques areis used, such as voice over from different characters, for example 1.36 seconds into the trailer the punisher’s catchphrase: ‘It’s not revenges, no, not revenge. It’s punishment’. After that point the soundtrack changes again, this connotesThe Punisher’s other personality.

The trailer doesn’t end in the classic way that all trailer do, in which they show the title and the release date. Instead the trailer ends with a long shot of the Punisher saying ‘Call me The Punisher’, and then ends with the logo. Unlike other trailer, The Punisher trailer doesn't hav a release date.