The Condor (film)

The Condor is an animated superhero film based on a character created by Stan Lee. It features the voices of Wilmer Valderrama, María Conchita Alonso, Kathleen Barr, Michael Dobson, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, and Cusse Mankuma. Originally titled El Lobo, it was released under the Stan Lee Presents banner, which is a series of direct-to-DVD animated films distributed by POW Entertainment with Anchor Bay Entertainment. The story was by Stan Lee, with the script written by former The New Teen Titans writer Marv Wolfman. The film is set in the same world as Mosaic, a prior Stan Lee Presents film, with the film's events apparently occurring before the events of Mosaic. The Condor was released on DVD on March 20, 2007 and had its television premiere on Cartoon Network on March 24, 2007. Since then, the film has been poorly received.

Plot
In San Deigo, California an old man was robbing a store only to be under the control of a mysterious criminal name Taipan, but the old man dies when the device on his head gives him a heart attack. In the morning a College Dropout named Tony Valdez (Wilmer Valderrama) saves his cousin from a gang before he enters the competition. Entering Tony then gets help from Sammi and an old friend of the family who adds additions to his board to get ready. He wins the first round and encounters a woman named Valeria who flatters him to his liking. His parents then check upon him and his mother gives him the Condor amulet. That night Tony overhears his parents talking to Nigel Harrington about a mistake within the research and Tony believes that they are crooks. That morning trying to explain to an arrogant Tony about it, only for him to leave them. Before the Competition, a competitor name Z-Man tries to hit on Sammi but his attitude makes her leave, while she is gone a mysterious man sabotages Tony's board which then makes him lose the race.

As his parents were going to the police, only to be ambushed by mind-controlled skaters that caused them to crash and die. Tony hearing their death, guilt-ridden he finds them dead and wished he'd listen, only to be nearly beaten to death by the same skaters that killed them. Awake he finds his legs brutally damaged and still believed his parents were crooks. He is then sent to Therapy under a former surfer named Dogg who helps him understand that "the body heals only when the mind heals" and reveals that he too was cheated because a gang threatens him to lose. Meanwhile, Sammi starts getting to know Z-Man better and going out with him. After gaining enhanced boots Tony takes the title the condor to fight crime and uncover that he was wrong about his parents. When he went on a date with Valeria and then leaves when a call about his parents was unearthed, he notices that it was a trap, he faces Taipan who is revealed to have a serpent symbol on his back then reveals that his parents were trying to report the error.

That night Nigel was revealed to be the culprit and hired Taipan and the mind-controlled skaters to kill them when they were cutting him out. Meanwhile weak and hurt Tony goes to Sammi for help, admitting he was wrong and apologizing for the way he treated her and started realizing her feelings for him, the moment was interrupted by Reuban, Tony's cousin that he saved from the gang, only to reveal that it was him that sabotage his board showing he was ungrateful for everything. Tony then gets a call from Valeria about ditching her, he then leaves and Sammi makes a discovery on what was the error with Dogg watching over her. At the beach house, Tony visits Valeria only to realize she and Taipan are the same. Both brawled and realized that they are mortal enemies, Valeria left him to drown and starts using a selfish Reuban to destroy Sammi for unearthing Nigel's secret.

Tony survives but is aided by his rival Z-Man, which made them friends instead of being bitter enemies, they then save Sammi and Dogg from the fire at their house. Nigel then makes a deal with the highest bidders only to be betrayed by Valeria and murdered. Taipan takes control and was using Nigel to gein the moment only to realize she failed to kill Tony, who stops them from doing the deal. Tony and Valeria fight on the falling building, she then was caught and Tony tried to save her, but her lack of honor wanted to finish to job to kill him. She fell into the fire and leaving Tony to blame himself for being a fool with lust.

Tony visits his parents grave and has a new relationship with Sammi who he owed his life. Z-Man and Tony then are seen in another contest on a ramp with Sammi and Dogg at the bleachers. Meanwhile, a mysterious clan that Valeria came from sees a dying Valeria given the same device that the mind-controlled skaters were given, not realizing that it gave each on a heart-attack after, leaving a fate unknown.

Cast

 * Wilmer Valderrama as Tony Valdez/The Condor
 * María Conchita Alonso as Maria Valdez
 * Kathleen Barr as Sammi
 * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Valeria/Taipan
 * Michael Dobson as Nigel Harrington
 * Scott McNeil as Dogg
 * Cusse Mankuma as Z-Man
 * Sam Vincent as Reuben
 * Alessandro Juliani as Chato
 * John Novak as George Valdez
 * Matt Hill as Skragg
 * France Perras as Fragg
 * Stan Lee as Grandfather

Reception
The Condor has received generally negative reviews.