Man on Fire vs. The Punisher
 

Wow, I have seen both and I have thoroughly enjoyed both. However, they are two completely different movies. Most of you say, "But archer, how can you say this, they are both revenge movies!" Not at all true. The Punisher is a punishment movie ;) and Man on Fire is a revenge movie. In all seriousness though, Man on Fire is very plot and character development driven, and it deals with themes such as self-sacrifice, love for life and other human beings, etc. The relationship that develops between Pita and Creasy is one that you sense is very true and believable (partially because Man on Fire is based on a true story). Tony Scott does a great job with this film.
On to The Punisher. If someone who weren't into the epics of Frank Castle in the Marvel Universe, then they would probably say that The Punisher is inferior to Man on Fire. I disagree, because, as I've said before, they are two different films and it's like comparing apples and oranges. The Punisher follows the sense of the comic books very well, Tom Jane is ideally suited for this role, he isn't a pretty boy and he can kick your ass. The scenes with the mafia bosses the Saints are laughable, but this is the way they would be portrayed in the comics, so I have no problem with it. For fun factor, The Punisher is definitely better, you just don't get much better lines than the one where Castle kills the last Saint brother. For in-depth introspection into movies, then Man on Fire is definitely better. It really depends on your mood, because all action lovers will enjoy both films, but for the casual goer, it will depend heavily on what you feel like watching at the time.

i liked both movies, and you're right - apart from the revenge theme, they're very different films. "punisher" is a comic book movie - the characters and action are exaggerated for effect the same way they are in print. "man" is a much more traditional movie. with "punisher" the revenge is a fantasy. with "man" the revenge is supposed to be everyman's response.

All I know is Man On Fire rocked my world hard.

I'm biased towards the Punisher only because it was made in my hometown.

For me, The Punisher was alright. I didn't mind paying the money to see it. I wouldn't watch it again. Man on Fire was much better. I would watch it again.

I haven't seen either one of the new ones.
I did catch the original movies, though.
While the Lundgren' Punisher wasn't that great, it is alright for something to watch/listen to while focusing on work or surfing.
The original MoF though, was an exceptional film starring Scott Glenn and guest-starring Joe Pesci and Jonathan Pryce.
It's gritty and pretty realistic in its violence, in my opinion.
If you haven't seen it, I would recommend doing so. Now. Go. What are waiting for? Are you still here? Somebody get me a cattle prod!

I'm looking forward to these remakes. :)

To be honest, I hated the new punisher. It seemed like all of the actors were there as a chore, not a joy. The storyline was not something you'd see in the comic, or you'd expect to see in a movie for that matter. The director was either a first time director, or someone I'd never hire.
In Man on Fire, Denzel washington actually conveyed some emotion. Dakota Fanning gave her usual 'girl who is way to smart fo her age' type performance, but it actually fit with this movie pretty well. The relationship development between the two is what makes this movie great. You actually get the feeling that these two people would start on rocky ground, but would start to be great friends and almost move to a father/daughter thing by the end.
I would say Man on Fire has it all over punisher.

I watched man on fire but not punisher. MOF got bad reviews but I really really liked it. It seemed like everyones complaint was because of shakey cam. I liked shakey cam. One of my favorite things about MOF was the way subtitles were used.

I enjoyed Man on Fire a lot; more than The Punisher.

The Punisher had good shock value, in that he would shoot up some little kids and a mom, and as I sit there and am like, "Wow, did he just shoot little kids and a mom," he turns kicks down another door and shoots some more.

Man on Fire was a really well done movie, and while I did like The Punisher, I just think MoF was one of the better movies in theaters this summer. I went to see it knowing nothing and was really impressed with both the storyline and the movie itself.

I would gladly go see Man on Fire again, but I don't think I would be too excited about sitting through The Punisher again.