Fist of the Condor seems like it is going to be a modern take on old school kung fu movies. Mark Zaror (John Wick: Chapter 4) stars as a martial artist who is seeking revenge. Along the way, he fights other masters as he remembers his past.
Convoluted plots are common in kung fu films, but this one still manages to stand out in how confusing things can be. It has a nonlinear story that is not edited very well. This makes it difficult to follow the story since it is hard to tell when events are taking place. This makes the basic revenge tale harder to follow than it needs to be.
Conversely, Fist of the Condor brings good suspense. One of the overriding storylines is what has caused the rift between the siblings. The flashbacks provide the backstory while adding depth to the anger and acceptance the two feel towards each other. While some potentially interesting subplots are quickly disposed of (early on, the film teases whether one brother truly exists or is just a convenient excuse then quickly reveals the answer), it does make the film more than just a series of training montages.
The brisk pacing (nine chapters in a movie that runs less than an hour and a half!) prevents things from getting stale. This is especially important since around half of the segments involve the main character learning. It all leads to a climactic battle that is easily the best of the film and includes one of the most satisfactory killing blows ever seen in the genre.
Fist of the Condor opens in Alamo Drafthouse Theaters April 4 and begins streaming on Hi-YAH! April 7
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