Fist of the Condor review: John Wick 4’s Marko Zaror owns

John Wick: Chapter 4 Treated audiences to a bevy of action legends. Many American viewers likely already knew Donnie Yen and Hiroyuki Sanada, and those who were a bit entrenched in the world of action films probably knew at least Scott Adkins. The guest appearance that most excited me was Chilean martial artist Marco Zaror.

A former stuntman for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Zaror has since emerged as one of the most dynamic, under-the-radar action stars working today. it was done. Undisputed 3: Redemption, his first acting appearance in an American film. In Threequel, Zaror plays Adkins’ iconic Yuri Boyka antagonist and culminates. One of the most breathtaking and memorable battle scenes ever filmed.

Zaror has appeared in several other American films. machete killagain starring opposite Adkins ferocious dogand could easily be seen as one of the Motorball players Alita: Battle Angel.

but John Wick: Chapter 4 This is by far the biggest exposure American audiences have ever seen of Zaror, and the timing is fantastic. He has a new movie coming out. Fist of the Condorand it dominates.

Fist of the Condor An 85-minute classic martial arts drama.Director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza previously worked with Zaror Kiltoro, mandrilland a revenge movie Savior, is heavily influenced by Hong Kong films of the 1960s and 70s (rather than the 80s/90s era, which is often imitated these days). Zaror co-produced the film, played two roles, and was also responsible for choreographing the film’s breathtaking fight scenes.

In the film, Condor’s Fist is described as a powerful, gravity-defying, ancient martial art dating back to the Incas, used to fight Spanish conquistadors. The technique has been handed down as calligraphy by warriors with sincere hearts. The film’s main conflict is between the twin brothers (both played by Zaror) who get the book and the brother who is betrayed by the one who wants it.

Fist of the Condor It looks great, especially on a modest budget. Espinoza and cinematographers Nicolás Ibieta and Benjamín Luna Vaccarezza took full advantage of Chile’s gorgeous landscape, with beautiful shots of wide-open mountains and jaw-dropping battles on beaches and lush forests beside crashing waves. to shoot.

Image: Well Go USA Entertainment

But the beauty isn’t just in the terrain and combat sequences. such as Beats, the hero staring at himself in a broken mirror, and Ibieta, who tries to focus his attention on meaningful objects like an empty birdcage. Fist of the Condor Small and full of spectacular choices.

But action. action!

A stunning opening fight sequence on the beach conveys the film’s visual language and Zaror’s incredible athleticism all in one exhilarating five-minute sequence. Guerrero, one of his twin brothers, is challenged to battle. He hasn’t fought in his six years. Suddenly, his challenger sprints toward him, stretches his legs and flies into the air, setting what appears to be a brutal kick to his head.Guerrero almost decides his fate. Accept and wait for a kick that seems like an eternity. He then leaps up to meet his opponent in a split second, spinning in the air and blocking the kick with his left elbow before slamming into the opponent’s jaw with a spinning backfist and slamming him to the ground.

The fight all happens in a split second, but the fluid movement and camera placement make it all very easy to follow. There is a possibility that

Image: Well Go USA Entertainment

Between chapters that divide the drama into chapters with black-and-white intertitles, visual approaches, fluid action sequences, and relatively low-stakes central conflicts, Espinoza has old-school Hong Kong inspiration on its sleeves. Characters don’t wear sleeves to inflate their biceps).But in the DNA of every Bruce Lee movie Fist of the Condorthere are several first blood (one of the twin brothers is a wanderer and is bullied for being an outcast), a nod to the legendary Sergio Leone films of the West (Claudio Rocco’s driving, propulsive score is clearly inspired by the work of Ennio Morricone).

After all, Fist of the Condor It’s a Marco Zaror show. And boy, does he deliver. The movie is at its best when he has one amazing battle after another while relying on his incredible star power. As an actor, Zaror brings life and deep pain to his star-crossed brothers, and as a fighter and acrobat, he is unrivaled. It seems to be able to alternate between a simple ballet-like, gravity-defying spinning kick.

Few movie kickers today are as good as Marco Zaror. Fist of the Condor Know it.

of Fist of the Condor will hit select Alamo Drafthouse Theaters on April 4, then stream exclusively on Hi-Yah!. From April 7th.