Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film two stars, stating, ""The Punisher" is so grim and cheerless, you wonder if even its hero gets any satisfaction from his accomplishments." Joe Leydon of "Variety" describes the film as "depressingly rote and sometimes laughably silly". Leydon praises Jane for his "appropriate physicality and brooding gravitas" but criticizes Travolta, saying he does "nothing to inject fresh life into bland archetype". Michael Rechtshaffen of "The Hollywood Reporter" said, "By the end, the Punisher's greatest adversaries emerge as an unwelcome trio known as jokey, hokey, and hammy."