DVD Review: Stan Lee Presents The Condor
POW! Entertainment, Starz Media, Film Roman's Hispanic Superhero
Jun 29, 2009 Dominic von Riedemann
Stan Lee is a bona fide legend in the comics industry . . . just ask him.
Kidding aside, Lee deserves respect as the guy who built Marvel Comics into the colossus it is today, and helped create the modern image of the superhero as flawed vigilante. That said, his latest creation, The Condor – co-written with Teen Titans scribe Marv Wolfman – suffers from many of the clichés Lee helped create.
Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment's The Condor Stars Wilmer Valderrama, Maria Conchita Alonso
Tony Valdez (Wilmer Valderrama AKA Fez from That 70's Show) is a pro skateboarder on the cusp of stardom. All that stands between him and fame is East Coast champion Z-Man, and a gang of thugs from the barrio. And his parents (John Novak and Maria Conchita Alonso) wish Tony would show some interest in their robotics business.
Tony's parents suspect their business partner Nigel Harrington (Michael Dobson) has been breaking laws while developing their nanobot technology. Unfortunately, Harrington knows his illegal activities are under suspicion, and he plots with costumed sidekick Taipan to eliminate the Valdez family and sell those nanobots to the highest bidder.
When Tony loses the use of his legs the same day his parents die in a mysterious car accident, his best friend/secret crush Sammi (Kathleen Barr) springs into action. By injecting Tony with those same nanobots – like so many other girls, Sammi's a computer genius with a hot bod – she not only accelerates Tony's recovery, but gives him superpowers as well.
Outfitted with a tricked-out skateboard and visage-concealing helmet (also courtesy of our girl Sammi), Tony becomes The Condor, costumed vigilante supreme.
The plot follows an all-too familiar track, and viewers should be able to predict the twists well in advance. Here are but a few:
- Murdered relatives inspiring a teen superhero? Check.
- Slimy corporate villain with a genuine British accent? Yarp.
- Best friend/girl next door with a crush on our hero, but only catches his attention when she dresses like a slut? Uh-huh.
- Femme fatale with a sinister secret? Akbar the Mystic says, "Where the **** have we seen this before?"
And let's not get into some unintentional hilarity, like the stilted dialogue, or a black supporting character who's a dead ringer for Rick James (cocaine's a hell of a drug).
On the other hand, Wilmer Valderrama earns his stripes as a voice actor: he does a great job of showing Tony's arc from a spoiled rich kid to costumed vigilante. It's a shame he didn't get a better script to work with, though.
The animation is nicely done for direct-to-DVD cartoons, but it won't give the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender any sleepless nights. The action sequences are well-handled too, although some characters occasionally wait around to get drilled in the head.
DVD Extras
Stan Lee introduces the movie, appears in "Stan Lee vs. Wilmer Valderrama" and "The Making of The Condor" featurette. It seems like over-promotion, but Lee has enough charm and self-deprecating wit to pull it off. A highlight is where he jokingly claims he should have been the voice of Tony Valdez/The Condor instead of Valderrama.
Unfortunately, there's some unintended comedy in the character gallery, when one individual is described as believing "the means justify the ends." Oops.
The Final Analysis
Yes, Stan Lee is responsible for creating the tropes of modern comic books. But sooner or later, you have to stop recycling the same tropes you've created.
The Condor gets a 4/10.
Fun Fact: Stan Lee claims that he chose The Condor because it was the one bird that no one had ever used before. However, The Condor was the nom de plumage of a minor villain who battled SHIELD and Fantastic Four in the 1970's.
Stan Lee Presents The Condor DVD Cover
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