A warrior goes in search of his duplicitous twin brother in the latest collaboration between martial arts action star Marko Zaror and director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza.

A few years ago, a man now known as the Renegade was in line to become the successor to a manual known as “The Fist of the Condor”. However, in a jealous rage, his twin brother has not only stolen the manual, but killed the Condor Woman, the latest generation of masters to teach the ancient methods to those with honest hearts. Since then, the Renegade has begun on his quest to find his twin brother and retrieve the manual at all costs.

However, along the way, the Renegade is challenged by many fighters. They include a student of his old teacher, Master Wook, who told him about the Fist of the Condor; a biker gang, and a mysterious fighter who threatens to shoot him down. However, with his hard training, the Renegade uses his amazing skills to defeat his opponents because they think he is the twin who has the manual. Lurking from the shadows though is Kalari, the twin brother’s prized student, who will go to great lengths to appease his master and kill the Renegade once and for all.

When Marko Zaror and Ernesto Díaz Espinoza burst onto the screens in 2006 with Kiltro, a new action dream team emerged, and fans were impressed by the amazing physical skills of Zaror mixed in with Espinoza’s direction. Since then, the duo has collaborated in 2007’s Mirageman, 2009’s Mandrill, and 2014’s Redeemer. In the time since then, both Zaror and Espinoza went on to forge their owns paths. Their first team-up in nearly a decade is a throwback to 1970s kung fu films mixed in with a little bit of the over-the-top martial arts output of the 1990s, but it’s a damn good one.

In an interesting twist, Zaror plays twin brothers on opposite sides of the spectrum. One, the Renegade, is a bald-headed warrior who goes in search of a sacred martial arts manual that bears the title of the film. It has a rich history that is now passed from generation to generation. In a series of flashbacks to go along with the present-day action, we meet the Renegade’s first teacher, Master Wook. Played by Korean master Man Soo Yoon, he is the one who informs the Renegade of his possible chance to have become a master of the Fist of the Condor, only to have lost to a woman, played by Gina Aguad.

Espinoza and Zaror have done something ingenious with the film. They break the film down into chapters and present both a present-day scene with a flashback to help elevate the level of emotions we feel towards the Renegade. We even learn at one point, after the betrayal, the twin brother poses as the Renegade to comfort the latter’s own family. The wife is played by The Black Demon’s Fernanda Urrejola, who makes the most of her limited role. In Aguad’s Condor Woman, she serves more than a mentor, but in a way, a motherly figure for our hero.

The fight scenes are really great in the film. Zaror once again shows his physical skills as he also serves as the film’s fight choreographer. Man Soo Yoon gets a sparring fight scene that is quite impressive. The opening fight pits Zaror against Puerto Rican martial arts ace Jose Manual, best known for the island’s 1^st martial arts film The Witness and The Man from Nepal. However, if there is a breakout of the film, props goes to Eyal Meyer, who is a master at the Indian martial art of Kalaripayattu. Meyer shines in the villain role of “Kalari”, the twin brother’s student. He gets to showcase his skills before the final fight against Zaror, which looks as impressive. Get this guy his own martial arts feature.

Fist of the Condor is a great martial arts movie that meshes conventional 70s kung fu film tropes with some of the over-the-top production values of the 1990s era. It is a fun and wild adventure that taps into the psyche of our hero, and he punishes those who stand in his way. Definitely a must see for fans!

WFG RATING: A

Well Go USA and Hi-Yah! Presents a Zaror Entertainment production. Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza. Producers: Marko Zaror, Diego Moral, and Nicolás Ibieta. Writer: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza; story by Marko Zaror. Cinematography: Nicolás Ibieta and Benjamin Luna Vaccarezza. Editing: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza.

Cast: Marko Zaror, Gina Aguad, Eyal Meyer, Man Soo Yoon, Jose Manuel, Francisco Castro, Fernanda Urrejola.