Rating: Summary: Gary Daniels kicks ***. Review: I first saw this movie a couple of years ago at about midnight on HBO. I wasn't expecting much, but I was totally blown away by the whole post-apocalyptic world this movie creates. The fight scenes are absolutely entertaining from beginning to end. Gary Daniels does a fine job of portraying Ken, as well as his martial arts talents. He defenitly deserved to be on the big screen(watch Bloodmoon). Costas Mandylor is just plain Kuel! Okay, he isn't really a martial artist, but the final fight between him and Gary Daniels is still pretty good. Of course, Gary Daniels has to get throught about 100 of his goons to get to him, and there are a couple of good fights in there too. So if you're just into action movies for the fighting, you could do alot worse than this. At least rent it to compare it with the classic anime of the same name.
Rating: Summary: one of the best martial arts videos ever Review: I found this film to be one of the best martial arts movies ever made. The story is gripping and the fight scenes are second to none. Gary daniels is the most under-rated action stars around. a must see.
Rating: Summary: Not for everyone Review: I give it 5 stars because it is a great introduction to the series, and has some of the best episodes of the whole series. I really watch this disc often. Fist of the Northstar is a violent japanese animated series, which takes place in a postnuclear western setting where only the strongest, and usually most brutal survive. FOTNS starts with Kenshiro (the true fist of the northstar and main charactor) searching for his love Yulia, and old-friend (and kidnapper of Yulia) Shin. Kenshiro has seven scars making up the constelation of the big dipper on his chest which were given to him when Shin took Yulia away from him. On Kens journey he encounters and befriends two children who accompany him on his travels. They play a major role in the first 4 discs, and really help level out the story and violence with the humanity they bring. During their travels they run across people (usually struggling farmers)who get bullied, robbed and killed by ruthless bands of super-strong villains who have no mercy (lots of really innocent people get murdered with brutality by motorcycle thugs). Ken usually gets their a moment to late to save some mom, old man, or child, but he always makes the villain die an explosive death. Ken is a Good man and he knows that the only way to stop the violence is to destroy the villains. There are always ranks of bad guys who Kenshiro must punch his way through, so your always waiting for him to get to the next stronger badguy. On his way to get to Yulia and Shin (like 20 episodes), Ken uses his Hokoto shinken (misspelled) a special martial art passed on from father to son where by knowing how to press punch or kick certain power points on a body, you can manipulate the body to do what you want it to do. Kenshiro can heal but to his enemies he will probally explode their chest or face out, or cooler. Only one man on Earth can practice Hokto shinken at a time. If you like horror/scifi/fantasy/comedy/animation, dont mind the gritty feel, and low quality compared to anime gems like Samurai x, Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Rahxephon. You should buy FOTNS (for $18 a disc at Bestbuy, or circuitcity). If you like movies like Army of Darkness, Road Warrior, Conan the barbarian, The Streetfighter, From dusk til Dawn, etc. buy this. If your a fan of great hip hop artists like Mf Doom (listen to most of his albums after watching series especially the 2003 releases ) El-p cannabal ox aesop rock, old Wu tang, Necro, buy this series. Musical taste really has nothing to do with you liking FOTNS though, I'm just saying you can see the influence throughout popular culture. The only bad part about the whole FOTNS series is that around episode 22 or 23 on disc 4 another journey begins with a different new mission and mostly new charactors , it's still good after but the series could have ended there. Also at the end of the series on episode 35 on disc 5 the last episode of the series there is no conclusion, though disc 5 still follows the recipe found in disc 1 minus the humanity. If you don't mind recurring themes, some recycled content, and probally like 20-25 deaths a 20 minute episode average, and some of the funniest lines you've ever heard on a cartoon, coming from awful post-nuclear mohawked bad guys, buy disc one.
Rating: Summary: very poor get the animated version instead Review: i have not seen a worse movie yet, the anime version was excellent i wont tell anything about the plot but trust me some things are better left animated
Rating: Summary: Fist of the North Star (Live Action) DVD Review: I like the Fist of the North Star anime and comic book. If you are a fist of the North Star Fan get this movie. The movie is ok but could use some improvement. The Martial Arts are great in this film. If I would have made this movie I would have made the characters and setting similar to the Road Warrior and Mad Max. The only Charactors that acted like the Anime version was Shin, and Bart. The rest needed to change. Kenshiro looked like the anime version but his voice had a strong English Accent. Shin was probally most like the anime his voice sounds just like the the streamline charactor. Jula was even worse than Ken. She didnt even look like the anime and her acent was very strong. Kens father looked like he was mabe 10 years older than Ken in the movie. They needed to give him wrinkels and a beard. As for the evil goons I would have made them exactly like Mad Max and Road Warior movies. If you like Fist of the North Star get this movie, also Check out Road Warior, Its very similar setting and charactors as Fist of the North Star the Anime.
Rating: Summary: Possibly the most gory anime out there. Review: I thought Fist of the north star was just an okay movie. The good parts are the good acting and animation. The bad parts were the boring storyline.Minor cuts sprayed tons of blood.And boring dialouge . I would recommend this to blood & gore lovers.
Rating: Summary: BAD!!! Review: I'm sorry but like other movies that follow after an Anime (i.e. Guyver, and Street Fighter) this movie sucked. It took the name Fist of the North Star and tainted it so much I think a tear came to my eye. It took everything I held dear about the Anime (the story, the fight scenes, the coolness) and raped it. Bad action sequences and poor martial arts left me wondering where had all the choreographers gone? I think I've seen better fight choreography from my neighbor kids in the back yard with their sticks pretending they were in slow motion! If good action movies were a building, this movie would be the plane that crashed into it! I put this on par with Mortal Kombat: Total Annihilation! STUPID! You wanna see a bad ass action movie? Well watch the Anime. It'll put this live action movie to shame!
Rating: Summary: Not for everyone Review: It was a beautifully intricate blend of flavors that make this a classic. I laughed and cried at its beauty.......... The ecstacy is similar to the ecstacy felt that you would recive if you arrived in heaven, looked into god's face, and he said, "You, you are my most wonderous creation. Come, be with me." The most touching, heart felt, truly powerful piece that ever graced my vision. I would rather die than have not have seen it in its glory. The highest elation recived comes when watching this.........
Rating: Summary: Amazing Review: It was such an epic, that it made me shed a tear or two. The drama rivals that of 'Gone With the Wind'. A must buy.
Rating: Summary: Well it's not great, but still..... Review: Let's get the hard part over with. If you want breathtakingly beautiful animation,if you want a puzzling and stimulating story, if you want a life-changing experience, watch something else. That being said, if you liked the movie, and you have been into anime long enough to remember when it was all rudimentary, then you'll be fine with this. The TV series lacks the drive for revenge that the movie thrived on. Kenshiro, the Fist of the North Star, doesn't seem like he's on a mission of vengence anymore. He's wondering around and getting into fights, and heads explode. That's it. This series stretches out and fills in events from the movie. If you liked the movie, old Wu-Tang Clan (like the first GZA record), then get this series and have some light hearted fun. Otherwise, don't bother, because you'll be very disappointed. Fist of the North Star is definately an acquired taste!
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