Fist of the Condor (2023)

An ancient text contains all of the secrets necessary to become the perfect fighter, to extend your body beyond human limits. Naturally a group of martial artists from around the world want to find it, to become the person who can claim the book as their own. El Guerrero (Marko Zaror) remains at the heart of Fist of the Condor throughout, being the catalyst for all that transpires. Can he fend off the world’s greatest assassins, or will he fall to them, becoming just another casualty on their quest for power?

The story itself is a tad boring, never really materializing into something that sparked my interest. It’s reminiscent of those Chinese martial arts films, and that’s a good thing to a degree. However, one of the things that has always puzzled me regarding those films are the storylines. Fist of the Condor will certainly remind viewers of those films in a lot of ways, including the storyline–and it wasn’t enough to entertain me from beginning to end. That’s not to say that the film as a whole is boring, as there are so many other good qualities that drive the film forward, sure to entertain viewers throughout its entirety.

The choreography is solid, crisp, and seamless–truly beautiful throughout. This creates a juxtaposition as the characters strewn throughout the film are fighting; it shows viewers a different side of things and allows them to appreciate all that is being done. Fist of the Condor is deliberate in all that it does, specifically during the action sequences. These moments are fun, vibrant, and full of life–and that comes, in huge part, as a result of the choreography. Not only is that choreography scripted well, the actors bring it to life with vibrancy and in a way that makes Fist of the Condor a lot of fun. Their control is so impressive (maybe the most impressive aspect of the entire film), and their ability to bring these sequences to life is simply stunning.

Fist of the Condor is broken up into chapters–and the chapters are short. This works in the film’s favor, as it allows the film to move at an appropriate rate, enticing viewers, and constantly giving them something to look forward to. As they prepare for the next chapter in Fist of the Condor they remain hyper focused, knowing that it will only be a matter of time before the next step in the film presents itself. With the story being a tad less than desirable, it’s a smart move developing the film in a way that forces viewers to remain focused. Having the film broken up into smaller, more accessible chapters, makes the burden of a long, challenging film much less harrowing–and the film as a whole is easier to appreciate as a result. The format of Fist of the Condor alleviates a lot of the pressure that the story puts on the film–making this choice the most important of the entire film.

While Fist of the Condor isn’t an American film, it feels very much like an Americanized version of those classic martial arts films. It certainly pays homage to those films, exploring the ins and outs of the style and all of its intricacies–but it’s different for sure. It’s far more modern (obviously) and it seems to want to play with the more cheesy aspects of the genre. Fist of the Condor doesn’t quite reach the heights of those aforementioned martial arts films–but that doesn’t make it a failure. It’s simply a new approach, one that manages to work in a lot of ways–and it seems that the individuals tasked with bringing this film to life and bridging the gap between it and the martial arts films of the past do an adequate job. Fist of the Condor will, without a doubt, appeal to fans of the genre, but it also has the potential to reach new, younger viewers as well. Fist of the Condor is a lot of fun, and it finds success in a series of ways throughout.

Written & Directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza.

Starring Marko Zaror, Eyal Meyer, Gina Aguad, Fernanda Urrejola, Man Soo Yoon, Jose Manuel, etc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10