DVD Review: Fist of the North Star Movie

[Chris Beveridge]

Review by Chris Beveridge

Mania Grade: B+
* Audio Rating: B+
* Video Rating: A-
* Packaging Rating: B
* Menus Rating: B
* Extras Rating: B-
* Age Rating: 13 and Up
* Region: 1 - North America
* Released By: Discotek
* MSRP: 29.95
* Running time: 100
* Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
* Disc Resolution: 480i/p
* Disc Encoding: MPEG-2
* Series: Fist of the North Star

In Summary:
After having a severe disliking for this franchise for years, it’s interesting to go back to my first exposure to it with a new view on it and see it this way. As much as I enjoyed the manga, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to get into the movie. While it’s not a masterpiece, I found myself very engaged with it and enjoying just about every minute of it as it played out. With this great looking presentation and a fun layered storyline with lots of characters running about brutally killing each other, it appeals to very base instincts but does it with a certain kind of style. I honestly wish that they’d try to do something serious again when it comes to a live action adaptation where it has a budget and honors the source material itself by playing it largely straight. It’d be something with potential, but I doubt it’ll ever happen since it’d be another Drgaonball: Evolution experience. That said, I cannot recommend this movie enough as a piece of classic anime history done right and for a story that’s fun, violent and well structured as it explores a post-apocalyptic world.

[WTK]

I will admit that I know very little about this franchise. Regardless I think I will give this movie a try to support Discotek. It seems like something that I will enjoy to watch. I will probably pick this movie up later this year.

[Martinman]

I've had this movie recommended to me by people who are not even anime fans. I really need to check it out.

[kakugo]

Excellent A/V quality, very nice packaging and menu. A shame that we didn't get all of the extras, but what can I say... that's Toei for you.

The subtitles are a little bit off, though. When Shin bests Ken early on in the film he says "Nanto Gokusatsu Ken": He's literally saying the name of his attack, something Manga translated as (I believe) Hell's Death Fist of the South Star, ages ago. Discotek has something like 'Nanto can't be harmed', which really isn't even close. It's also weird that they have Jagi calling Raoh "master" when he's using the word for 'brother'. That one's just... I, don't even know what's up with that.

Don't get me wrong, awkward subtitles are better than no subtitles, or even dubtitles, and the old Image DVD was dub-only at that. This is by far the best English friendly DVD release the film has ever had, and evidently Chris (and at least one other online reviewer) didn't notice anything was horribly off. Odds are people who aren't already familiar with the film won't notice anything awry, but it's still worth mentioning.

[Mazinkaizer]

Being a Hokuto No Ken (First of the North Star) diehard fan, i liked this alternative retelling movie very much. Buti still prefer the TV series, but then again it's easier license or even watch a movie especially for those are new to the show than to go for 152 Eps.

My hope is that this release will do well to inspire Discotek or others to license more of the franchise. Meanwhile, for those who are new to the movie (both dub & sub fans) make sure to watch & enjoy the great Akira Kamiya's epic performance as Kenshiro ! becasue it's the last time he played the character no thanks to Tetsu Hara

[kakugo]

I agree that Akira Kamiya's performance is the best Kenshiro we've ever had, but the movie came out in 1986, and Hokuto no Ken 2 (episode 110+) didn't finish until 1987. Kamiya reprised the role in the non-canon Dreamcast game in the mid 1990s, and the Playstation game a few years later. He even dubbed Gary Daniels in the goofy live action Fist of the North Star direct-to-video movie!

Kenshiro didn't get a new seiyuu until Shin Hokuto no Ken in 2003, giving Kamiya nearly 20 years off and on with the role exclusively. The whole project reeks of stunt casting, with professional wrestlers and rock stars filling the ranks. It's the only time I'd consider the English dub in the Hokuto no Ken franchise ever so slightly less awful to sit through... nothing against Takehito Koyasu, but talk about poor casting.

[Damius]

I<m curious about this movie, I<ll probaly get it sometimes.

[ooga]

Originally Posted by Damius

I<m curious about this movie, I<ll probaly get it sometimes.

You got something against apostrophes?

[Mazinkaizer]

Originally Posted by kakugo

... nothing against Takehito Koyasu, but talk about poor casting.

i like him very much as a seiyuu but not for the role of Kenshiro, i guess it's no wonder they kept him away from the New Savior Movies/OVAs. On a sider note, Hiroshi Abe's perfornace in them was ok in overall but no one can fill Akira Kamiya's place for that role IMHO.

Back to this release, can anyone compare it with the JP R2 release in terms of video/audio quality ?

[kakugo]

Originally Posted by Mazinkaizer

Back to this release, can anyone compare it with the JP R2 release in terms of video/audio quality ?

100% identical transfer. Not "they made a similar encode from the same master", Discotek literally copied the R2 DVD transfer from the Toei R2 and added subtitles to it.