Scene of the Week: Frank Castle vs. The Russian
The movie Gods have been good to the character of Frank Castle. He has been given more opportunities to prove his on screen prowess than Robert Downey Jr. We’ve seen the role played by Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, Ray Stevenson, and now Jon Bernthal. It’s debatable which of the dark-haired justice seekers played the part better but there is no doubt in my mind that the greatest mano-a-mano fight so far has been the one in the 2004 film The Punisher.
Just as Frank Castle has found his way back to civilization after surviving a hit on himself and his family, he’s met at the door by a man so big that any career choice other than actor/pro-wrestler/basketball player would sound ludicrous. Lucky for us, the viewers, that man is played by none other than actor/wrestler/basketball player Kevin Nash. You may remember Nash from his days in the WWE as Diesel or in his post-E life as one of the founding members of the NWO in WCW. Nash has had a Hall of Fame career in professional wrestling and has now played a number of roles in films like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 and John Wick. It’s safe to say that after watching Nash and Tom Jane go at it in The Punisher, there will be a long career for the big man in the movies.
I’ve had some annoying solicitors at my door over the years but I’ve never had to hit them with a wrench and throw them down the stairs (even though I might have wanted to) to get rid of them. Thankfully for all, The Russian didn’t knock on the wrong door and punch right through the pretty face of John Stamos’ wife! There might have been Hell to pay!
https://youtu.be/_26siT7GDXo
