Daniels’ performance is certainly a high point, with his charisma and macho build befitting someone like Kenshiro. Silver Liningsĭespite the sub-par acting, there are notable exceptions that make the Fist of the North Star movie vaguely interesting. Remarkably, there are a few aspects that lend a particular charm to the experience. Even taking into account further executive meddling to tone down the violence for the Western release, the results can make you wonder just what was Randel thinking in trying to bring Kenshiro’s adventures to American audiences.įor all the inept schlock on display, however, the film isn’t entirely worthless. One moment, it could be dull, if not stilted line delivery, while another scene could be so hammy that it’s like watching a Saturday Morning Cartoon from the era. (Source: IMDb)Įven setting aside the questionable casting decisions - be it roping in the likes of Malcolm McDowell or how almost no one looks at all Japanese or even Asian, despite them all retaining the same names from the source material - the quality of the overall acting can vary considerably. While Jackal (Chris Penn) is clearly meant to evoke Jagi in his crassness and Hokuto-induced head cage, he otherwise wouldn’t be out of place in any other B-Movie from the ’90s.
Neither do the bland, forgettable soundtrack, cheap greenscreens used for some of the backdrops and mystic auras, nor the wildly inconsistent gore really succeed in conveying the visceral action of the manga and anime. From the nigh-featureless opening credits to the dingy industrial sets, just about everything screams low budget, while the outfits worn by many of the characters are more befitting hobos and wannabe-bikers than The Road Warrior. Indeed, what really stands out in this rendition of Fist of the North Star is how underwhelming the presentation is. The only time in the film when Kenshiro actually makes copious uses of Hokuto Shinken also demonstrates much of what’s wrong with this film, from the overacting to the downplayed bloodshed and second-rate sets. Though even then, the carnage is rather tame and dull, and it doesn’t get much better from here on. Tellingly, it’s not until well past the 15-minute mark that you actually get to see the hero in action. The plot itself, meanwhile, manages to both come across like a simplistic Cliff Notes summary of the early plotlines and is incredibly dragging at times, spending too long with filler and slow-motion shots. While the broad strokes are in line with the manga and anime, even a complete newcomer would find something off about Shin killing the elderly Master Ryuken (Malcolm McDowell) via revolver early on. That aforementioned “loosely adapting” of the source material isn’t hyperbole. The direct-to-video cheapness of the film extends to how dim and dull the lighting can be. Together with the blind Lynn (Nalona Herron) and the plucky Bat (Dante Basco), he sets off on a quest to not only bring justice to the downtrodden but also search for his beloved Julia (Isako Washio). Standing against him is the Kenshiro (Gary Daniels), he with seven scars and last heir to the dangerous martial art known as Hokuto Shinken: the Fist of the North Star. The Southern Cross martial arts school seeks to forge a new empire over the lawlessness, under the tyrannical rule of Lord Shin (Costas Mandylor). Loosely adapting the source material’s initial story arcs, the film is set in the desolate wastelands of the year 20XX, after a nuclear apocalypse had wiped out civilization. Once its loveable quirks show up, however, it makes viewing this movie more tolerable. With a run-time of 103 minutes, finding that charm can take effort. The trailer’s attempts to entice viewers with dramatic flair and action only succeeded in spotlighting the dubious casting decisions and laughable special effects. Yet somehow, echoing the infamously “so bad, it’s good” schlock that’s Riki Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991), there’s a peculiar charm to the ensuing trainwreck that almost makes up for its myriad blunders, albeit not as successfully. (Source: IMDb)ĭirected by Tony Randel, a filmmaker with an at-best sketchy track record, and distributed by independent firm Overseas Filmgroup, this direct-to-video piece (though it had received a theatrical release in Japan) has since gone down in infamy among fans as not only one of the worst Western takes of Japanese media to come out of the 1990s, but also the lowest-rated adaptations of the source material ever. The poster and cover for the live-action Fist of the North Star film gives a hint to the low-budget schlock that’s the actual production.