MOVIE - PUNISHER: WAR ZONE PICS!!!

With the comic book genre riding high on the success of movies like “Iron Man ” and “The Dark Knight,” it’s been awhile since we’ve seen something as truly terrible as “Ghost Rider.” That trend doesn’t look to end any time soon, either, as Lionsgate’s reboot of their “Punisher” franchise is far from the low-rent piece of garbage that many were expecting it to be. Following Tom Jane’s decision not to return to the title role, and director Lexi Alexander’s falling out with the studio over the final cut, early buzz wasn't too promising. Nevertheless, “Punisher: War Zone” succeeds in almost everything it sets out to do, and though the film’s over-the-top violence and twisted sense of humor won’t win over many non-fans of the book, it’s still an action-packed guilty pleasure that will serve as a nice distraction for those looking to escape all the hoopla of awards season.