Fist of the Condor (2023)

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This week, Trevor conducts a solo review of Ernesto Diaz Espinoza's, Fist of the Condor (2023)!

A slick martial arts film from Chile, Fist of the Condor (2023) is the fifth collaboration between director Espinoza and star Marko Zaror.

Paying homage to both old school kung fu films, and shonen anime such as Fist of the North Star, Fist of the Condor delivers the expected thrills and feats of physicality that one would expect, however perhaps its most interesting aspect comes not in the form of action, but rather its structure and editing.

Presented as a series of chapters, Fist of the Condor's episodic style, frequent cutaways, use of inner monologue, and frequent use of slow motion and time distortion, feel evocative of anime to a degree that is seldom seen in live-action film.

Not the best collaboration between director Espinoza and star Zaror, nor the worst, Fist of the Condor is nevertheless, both stylish and compelling enough to warrant a watch, and will hopefully serve to draw more fans to Marko Zaror's body of work in the wake of his turn as Chidi in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).

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