Fist of the North Star (1996)

So you probably already figured out by the score that I thought this was terrible. Where should I start hmm ? Well how about first off the complete lack of staying true to the Manga or even the severely condensed animated OVA. There were so many things that didn't and couldn't have possibly made sense, like for example the scene when me shirk is fighting zombies hmmm let me think for a second..... Zombies .... No definitely don't remember that happening. Then there's shin killing Ryuken hmmmm.... Wow wasn't there someone really important to the overall storyline that actually killed him lol yeh that's right RAOH !!!!!!! He was only the most insane bad ass in the entire frigging manga and anime series, but instead he's shot by a gun ....... By shin ...... WTF. Well next Rin was it actually blind she was mute you freaking moronic director and beyond popular belief swinging your arms around like your prancing to a Christmas jingle while making your own fast punching sound effects does not actually make it look like your fists are moving faster then they actually are, you just look like someone freaking out on an acid trip. Last but not least I think in the very least the only reason for me anyways that this movie was watchable was because i personally saw Ben stiller from specifically zoo lander in the facial expressions that Gary Daniels had occupying his face the entire movie, don't believe me ? Watch the scene about 20 minutes in when "Kenshiro" heals Rins blindness c'mon that is so Ben stiller. Only difference well Ben is trying to be funny and succeeds, Gary well I'm going to go out on a limb and say he was totally serious and trying too hard. Well this was fun, you know writing the review not watching the movie, well accept for zoo lander oops I mean Kenshiro faces lol.

Fist of The North Star is a live action version of the Japaniese Anime Hokuto no ken, the film isn't a great adaptation of the Anime since they're are things that were slightly better in the series like Kenshirô's hundred crack Fist of the North Star technique but this film is a pretty good Martial arts movie. Tony Randel who directed Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Amyitivlle 1992: It's About Time directs this film and Peter Atkins who wrote Hellraiser II, III and IV wrote the screenplay for this film. Fist of the North Star does have some cool fight scenes, the acting is good and there is some gore in the film.Fist of The North Star isn't has good as the Anime but it is a solid martial arts film, some fans of Hokuto no ken may be disappointed with the movie but for those that like post-apocalyptic movies then check this one out. 10/10

Gary Daniels stars as a warrior who comes back to take down a ruthless dictator who killed his father, as well as claim his rightful throne, while Chris Penn makes an impression as the general who is the lone survivor of a Gary Daniels fight sequence. Fist Of The North Star is a well made actioner, it has great sets, okay acting, some alright action (if a bit under-lit) and some interesting ideas. Plus it stays at least mildly watchable through out. The problem is, is that it could've been better. I'm not into Anime, but adaptations of that medium have to please the fans and yet appeal to people like me, who have no idea of the story. Unfortunately in this case, Fist Of The North Star ends up coming off so muddled and murky that most likely it will satisfy neither audience frame. Still there are some inspired moments, such as some nice exploding heads, a brutal tone and Chris Penn giving an impressive performance. Even Costas Mandlyor does well in the role of the villain, the most disappointing aspect of the film is Gary Daniels who remains expressionless through out, making it hard to care whether he lives or dies, considering he's the hero, here lies the failure of this adaptation. Also i'm not sure if Hellbound:Hellraiser II's director is the right guy to approach this material. Daniels fares much better in 1998's Spoiler.* * out of 4-(Fair)

I stayed up to watch this film thinking it was the incredible 1980's Japanese manga movie 'Hokuto no ken'. Little did I know there was a farcical 1990's low budget Hollywood version, and this indeed was it. This is surely the gayest film of all time, particularly in the final battle scene, in which one of the main protagonists is wearing a woman's blouse. It is all bronzed, shiny flesh and rippling muscles and plenty of 'smell the fart' acting. As I recall, the plot of the original version was quite hard to follow, but for this version it seems to have pretty much been given up on altogether. The best thing about this film is that it stars Downtown Julie Brown, who has the coolest name in showbiz.