fist of the north star start with a lengthy and and boring and narration by a guy name ryuken ( malcolm mcdowell ) . the opening shot be of a desolate post apocalyptic world with what be once our city but be now crumble ruin and a lawless world where acid rain fall from the sky and the strong prey on the weak . ryuken talk of a school of martial art name the southern cross and the flag of the southern cross be now the fearful symbol of a new order . the north star be the last opposing school and basically the southern cross be evil and the north star be good . the southern cross master and lord shin ( costas mandylor ) execute the master of the north star and ryuken . lord shin also tire to kill ryuken son and kenshiro ( gary daniel ) . lord shin leave kenshiro for dead in the wasteland and take his lover julia ( isako washio ) a his own to southern cross city which he rule . however and kenshiro be not dead and set about find lord shin and put a end to his evil plan to liberate the wasteland by any mean necessary . about 200 mile north of southern cross city be a small town call paradise valley where they protect their most precious commodity and water . lord shin want this water and send his deformed henchman and their gang out to destroy paradise valley and take the water lead by head bad guy know a the jackal ( chris penn ) . kenshiro run into a teenager name bat ( dante basco ) and a young blind girl name lynn ( nalona herron ) who he magically cure . since they both have a common problem in the shape of lord shin and his men they sort of join force to defeat him and after some silly plot device keep throw them together . i guess that just about it and kenshiro eventually meet up with lord shin and after some personal angst over shin kidnapping julia and murder his father they have a fight and that about that . co write and direct by by tony randel base on the japanese comic and anime hokuto no ken by buronson and tetsuo hara i think this live action version of fist of the north star have a lot potential which it ultimately do not deliver . the script by randel and peter atkins ditch the over the top violence and comic book feel . the film seem to take itself a little too seriously and a a result end up be a bit dull . there be a couple of scene which try to recreate the comic book feel like when kenshiro kick someone face and dislocate his jaw to an amazing extent or in the same sequence where he punch someone in the back and a big bulge appear on their chest from the force . unfortunately these be about the only scene worth mention in this regard a the rest of the fight be short and dull and unimaginative and few and far between . towards the end kenshiro have to fight lot of lord shin guard and he literally punch or kick them once and theyre defeat and kenshiro climactic fight with lord shin be also a let down . fist of the north star really need lot more blood and gore and violence and energy in it disappointing fight scene . have say that the fight be reasonably well choreograph and aren not any bad than any other low budget martial art film . the story be simple to say the least and large chunk of it be annoyingly tell in monologue and flashback by various character . the character be annoy thinly sketch bland stereotype . it also could have do with lose a few minute worth of run time a it drag a little in place . the cast feature some familiar face and malcolm mcdowell be in it for about three minute maximum even though he get near top billing in the credit and chris penn make for a sleazy bad guy and be criminally waste throughout and costa mandylor do not convince me a the most evil man on earth and clint howard make an appearance a stalin one of lord shin henchman and melvin van peebles be here somewhere but i do not know who he play and a for lead man gary daniel he be about a wooden and unconvincing a i expect . the music by christopher l. stone be totally inappropriate a it very quiet and orchestral and this film need an upbeat fast score to compliment the action scene and at least try to get the blood pump a little . the one thing where fist of the north star gain a few point be it production value and design and it actually rather impressive . the wasteland and paradise valley and southern cross city all look very convincing consider the budget a do the costume and the overall look of fist of the north star . there isn not much blood or gore and disappointingly not a single on screen explode head even though chris penn head almost explodes but unfortunately the scene cut away just at the vital moment and there be a cool look zombie though who in it for a couple of minute and a few blood spray wound . overall fist of the nortrh star be a reasonable film and there nothing greatly wrong with it a it generally well make and tell it story competently enough but i can not help but feel disappointed at what it could have be have it be make by a strong director who have the gut to go with what make the original japanese comic so good . average at best and worth watch if you have get nothing well to do .