A few reviewers have defended the film, stating that, compared to most comic book-based films, it is a well-done throwback to the old-school action films of the 1960s and 1970s. Critic A. O. Scott stated, "But lightness is not among Hensleigh's gifts. Making his directorial debut after a successful run as a screenwriter and producer (on projects like "Die Hard with a Vengeance", "Jumanji", and "The Rock") he has clearly conceived "The Punisher" as a throwback to the leathery, angry urban revenge movies of the 1970s."