Movie

The Punisher (1989)

The Punisher is classic 1980s action nonsense that pits the tough title character (Dolph Lundgren) against a horde of mafia and Yakuza goons. And the two female villains have remained etched in my memory ever since I first saw them.

The historical body count – before the movie even begins – is over a hundred, and many more die before the end credits. For the opening setup, we have a perfect tone-setter as the leather-clad antihero breaks into a house. Then he eliminates some hapless bodyguards and closes in on a mobster who foolishly thought himself invincible. A big explosion (there had to be one) and the introduction is over.

With the opening cannon fodder disposed of, it’s time to introduce more challenging opponents. First to fly into town is Franco (Jeroen Krabbé), a pragmatic godfather who unites the warring mafia families. The Punisher gets a lead on a drug shipment from a drunk English thespian who speaks in rhymes, but the Yakuza have already set up an ambush. Lady Tanaka, a truly evil woman who makes Franco seem small time, is the main antagonist. And her mute adopted daughter is far more important – and deadly – than she first seems.

As a subplot, Lieutenant Jake Berkowitz (Louis Gossett Jr.) believes his old partner Frank Castle is the Punisher, and teams up with Detective Sam Leary (Nancy Everhard). Their investigation in the sewer tunnels is a sideline to the carnage, where the cops provide useful backstory while we wait for the next action set piece.

Comic book fans criticise the hero for not wearing the iconic skull emblem, but villainess lovers won’t feel shortchanged with this action classic. Picture 1980s glory with two female villains – a boss lady and a skilled henchwoman – who are not wasted. That’s why Tanaka and her daughter rank so high on my list. They only come second because a solo villainess deserves the top slot, but this is the greatest ever female baddie pairing.

Villainesses

Lady Tanaka (Kim Miyori), Tanaka’s Daughter (Zoshka Mizak)

With two female villains, I’d normally split the summaries up, but Tanaka rarely goes anywhere without her daughter for protection. So it seems fitting to cover them both in one large section.

An early action scene has the Punisher intercepting a drug shipment, only to find an army of ninjas with other plans. The stealthy attackers take out the sentries, while a scuba team hijacks the incoming vessel. The wetsuit ninjas are well trained, and a false Coast Guard distraction gives them cover to eliminate the mafia crew. After two males use dart guns and spiked balls, the female leader shows off her martial arts skills. Two leg swipes chop a guy’s hand off and slit his throat. How does she manage that? With a sharp blade attached to the side of her foot, one of many weapons in her arsenal.

One great thing about this enforcer is she never conceals she’s female, and it’s only a question of whose face is behind the dark scuba goggles. That will be answered soon, but first it’s the Punisher against the ninjas who mark him as a threat. The antihero kills quite a few men and crashes an escaping van into the ocean by taking out the driver. The female is a more worthy foe and throws a knife into the Punisher’s chest from a long distance. Once again we see a close-up of the villainess’ dark visor, and are left to relish the next female ninja encounter.

The samurai sword and ninja outfits are not-so-subtle clues that the Japanese are behind the assault, but Franco grants Lady Tanaka an audience. She plays hardball and demands a controlling interest in Franco’s organisation. This is a smart and ruthless woman who knows he would never agree to such terms, even if she torments an objector with her jewelled finger blade.

Tanaka tells Franco she’s taken steps to ensure his cooperation. Yakuza speak for abducting the mafia family heads’ children, including Franco’s son Tommy. The Punisher is happy to let the gangsters wipe each other out until the drunk informant mentions the children are innocent. And because Frank Castle (yes, Berkowitz is right) lost his own family in an underworld hit, he dishes out his own justice. This involves crashing through the roof of a Yakuza casino and unloading entire clips of ammo into roulette tables and slot machines.

Franco shares Lady Tanaka’s history, and we learn she killed her own brother as a test of loyalty. And we’re shown her fake affection for the kidnapped children she plans to sell into slavery. She would never take the casino attack lightly, so she does what any evil villain would and sets a trap.

Lured to a deserted funfair by false information, the Punisher takes the bait. Instead of the children, an army of ninjas awaits. Despite the advantage of sheer numbers and surprise, not to mention the bizarre sliding entrance, the Punisher kills a fair few masked mooks with his shotgun. He makes it to his trusty motorcycle and would be home free were it not for a certain female ninja. Once again, the woman is more competent that her underlings and disables the bike with a thrown ball and chain.

Dazed by the fall and unable to mount a defence, the Punisher suffers quite a beating before the female takes her turn. After a few swivel kicks, the villainess unmasks herself, and it’s no surprise she’s Tanaka’s daughter. However, the reveal has an epic quality since it’s all about her victory. Two matchups so far, and she’s won them both.

When the hero wakes up, he’s literally on the rack and Tanaka wants payback for the casino raid. What does a trapped man do in this situation? Come out with wisecracks, of course. Tanaka runs her finger blade over the Punisher’s bare chest and uses the classic technique of threatening a friend (in this case, the drunk informant). This being a dark tale, the tough guy looks away and lets the Englishman endure. Not through with them yet, Tanaka leaves her goons in charge while she attends another meeting. A perfect opportunity to escape, put a Yakuza thug on the rack, and find out where the children are.

Tanaka’s meeting is with the mob heads after they pay the ransom. Franco is a notable absentee since he didn’t trust the crime lord to keep her end of the bargain. A wise decision, as the other customers are Yakuza plants who wipe out the mafia bodyguards. One guy voices his disgust, only to learn the daughter has yet another concealed weapon: earrings that double as throwing daggers. The henchwoman’s aim is implausibly perfect and pins the man’s wrists to the wall.

The mafia bosses don’t last long, since Tanaka poisoned their champagne glasses. All she has to do is gloat as they clutch their throats and die. The man against the wall didn’t drink because of a medical condition, so the villainess blows his brains out. Preamble to establish the women as badass before the final showdown, but it works.

Tanaka and her daughter disappear for twenty minutes of downtime while the Punisher rescues the children (except for Tommy) from a Yakuza hideout. The hero hijacks a bus, which doubles as a getaway vehicle until they run into a police roadblock. Berkowitz and Leary get some alone time with Castle, but he’s not the best conversationalist. The police don’t keep their man long since Franco stages a dramatic rescue. An alliance as fragile as they come, but the mafia boss has Berkowitz as a bargaining chip, so the Punisher reluctantly agrees.

The Punisher and Franco infiltrate the Yakuza base – concealed in a downtown skyscraper – and wipe out an entire room of thugs. After the usual air vent sneaking about, the drunk sidekick blows the lights, which turns the interior an emergency red colour. That hides the blood nicely, and Berkowitz – who’s escaped from the mafia – cannot interfere from the outside.

Two samurai henchmen challenge the hero in Tanaka’s inner sanctum, but he defeats them. That leaves only the Yakuza boss and her daughter to contend with. The dragon lady lures Franco into a trap using his son as bait, and the henchwoman drops behind him, ready for a deadly stealth attack. Then the Punisher crashes through an Oriental wall panel and knocks the daughter aside.

The last fight between her and the Punisher is extended as she uses martial arts and every concealed weapon in her arsenal. After a brief scuffle, the villainess plays dead, only to throw a knife into him. The daughter pulls another hidden blade, which the Punisher knocks away. He gets her in a necklock, but she uses the earrings to cut his wrists and escape. There’s time for the shoe blade and deft kicks before the muscular male snaps the woman’s neck.

No surprise Franco turns against the Punisher, leading to a rather tame shooting compared to what came before. Fortunately, the villainess gets a better demise. Franco catches up with her as power is restored, and she proposes he kill himself to save his son. Of course, there’s no guarantee Tanaka will keep her word (she probably wouldn’t). So it’s good for Franco that the Punisher comes crashing through a window and throws a knife – possibly the weapon the daughter used – into the villainess’ head.