Black Lotus

On the surface Black Lotus seems like the type of movie Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jean-Claude van Damme would've starred in when they were in their prime. Unfortunately even by those standards this movie falls short. I knew this would be rough to sit through when we get an opening sequence that seems like it's trying to rip off Christopher Nolan's Tenet although it's no where near as good. You know those foreign action movies on Netflix that look really bad from every perspective except for the action and some flashy visuals? Black Lotus is essentially the same quality as one of those Netflix foreign action movies. Maybe slightly worse.

The acting from everyone including Rico isn't good. (Although it was hard to tell if some actors were dubbed or not.) Frank Grillo is the only one here who actually felt like a professional. Speaking of Frank Grillo by this point I think he's above doing movies like this so I can only assume he had bills to pay or something. So bad writing, bad acting for the most part. Well at least Rico Verhoeven can sell you on being a badass action star right? Wrong. With better writing and a better director maybe. Also I thought Rona Lee Shimon who's the female lead here and best known for Netflix's Fauda came off more badass here than Rico did.

Black Lotus is a film that tries to capture the essence of a Hollywood action flick, but unfortunately falls short of the mark. The film begins with a Dutch cast speaking English, some with strong accents and others with none at all, making for an awkward and uneven start. The first half of the film sees Matteo's character, played by Rico Verhoeven, new to acting but unfortunately barely speaking and feeling like an afterthought or an intern who was given a bit part. However, the second half of the film sees a noticeable improvement in Rico's performance, showing more confidence and delivering a better portrayal of his character.

Production-wise, the film lacks the necessary polish, with many shots feeling basic and not cinematic enough. Low-end color grading is evident in some scenes, with clear transitions and masks showing up in post-production. The editing is passable, but at times can be jarring, with some action scenes that are choppy and hard to follow, leaving the viewer feeling lost and unable to fully engage with the plot.

The plot itself is decent, following the story of a friend of a deceased father returning to the lives of a Dutch family, only to find himself in trouble with the new stepfather. The film follows the story of Matteo, played by Rico Verhoeven, who finds himself in trouble after getting involved with the new stepfather in the Dutch family. He must rescue the young daughter of the family from a kidnapping, leading to a series of action-packed scenes. While the story has its moments, there are several awkward plot points and strange character decisions that leave the viewer feeling frustrated and disconnected from the film.

While Matteo, played by Rico Verhoeven, shows improvement in his performance throughout Black Lotus, he still has a long way to go if he wants to reach the level of legendary action stars like The Rock and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's clear that Verhoeven has potential, but he needs more training and experience to refine his skills and become a more compelling and convincing actor on screen. With the right guidance and dedication, Verhoeven may one day become a force to be reckoned with in the world of action films.

Further more on the positive side, the film does offer some entertaining action scenes that are exciting and have a level of intensity similar to that of a Hollywood blockbuster. However, these scenes can be overshadowed by the film's other shortcomings, such as the confusing editing and uneven acting performances.

In addition to the plot, the film also showcases some beautiful cinematography that captures the Dutch landscape and its unique architecture. However, the visual appeal is often undermined by the film's poor editing and lack of continuity, leaving the viewer feeling disoriented and confused.

The film's soundtrack also adds to the experience, with a mix of Dutch and international artists creating a high-energy and intense atmosphere. However, the sound mixing is inconsistent at times, with some scenes being too loud or too quiet.

Furthermore, Black Lotus attempts to incorporate themes of family, loyalty, and redemption, but these themes are not fully developed or explored, resulting in a shallow and superficial portrayal of these concepts.

Overall, while the film has its moments, it ultimately falls short due to its uneven acting, poor production quality, and lack of cohesive storytelling. If you are a fan of action movies, you may find some enjoyment in the film, but for those looking for a more polished and cohesive production, this film may not be worth the price of admission.

I didnt expect much from this movie, but I started watching it anyway because of the presence of Frank Grillo, who usually only stars in the better B-movies, but not this time around...

The bad: this is amateur night. It has got the look and feel of a cheaply produced television production and everything you can think of is below average.

Starting with a TON of terrible supporting actors. And the leading actors are void of any charisma. Frank Grillo only stars in this picture for a few minutes in a small supporting role.

Not any good then? I can say with 100% certainty that this movie aint any good whatsoever.

The movie doesn't make any sense in it's totality. Let me explain. The movie starts with a number of events that are totally not coherent to each other. I was thinking: what is this scene trying to say? Will it later come to a plottwist or something? I've got the feeling they had a script for 30 minutes and needed to fill another hour with pointless scenes.

Now the main actor, Rico Verhoeven. I think the guy should keep it to boxing. I heard he partly financed the movie with his own money. Well, determination I guess. But the guy isn't made for acting. Rico has a terrible accent that he even more tries to hide. I mean, if you're not a fluent English speaker, don't give him this roll. Speaking of accents, everybody in the movie had a weird accent. Also, a typical Dutch family that speaks English? That needed some explanation.

Back to Rico. He had the main roll because of the financing, I guess. The funny thing is that the director probably knew he wasn't a born actor, and kept his mouth shut all movie. I think I've never seen a main actor talk so less in a movie. Also, I'm wondering if Rico was able to pick some scenes for himself. Because around 3 times he was doing some stuff without a shirt on, while some sexy music was playing. Pretty hilarious in a way.

The movie sucks in every way possible. Maybe, if you want a laugh about a movie that's just really bad, you should go to the cinema and watch this movie. Otherwise, keep the money in your pockets!

Black Lotus is a new action thriller directed by Todor Chapkanov. Before this film, he has directed more TV movies. He has helped as an assistant director with other larger cinema films such as The Hitman's Bodyguard and London Has Fallen.

Matteo Donner (Rico Verhoeven) is an ex-special service agent. After the loss of a friend who died on a joint mission, he has developed a sense of guilt that he still carries with him.

Once back in Amsterdam, he learns that the daughter of his dead friend has been kidnapped. Matteo is now doing everything he can to save her from the hands of the criminals who kidnapped her.

With this film, Rico Verhoeven is now trying to break through more as a serious actor, but he does run into some problems. Other people from the martial arts world who also tried this, such as Arnold Schwarzengger or Dwayne Johnson, ran into the same problems, because not everyone can just act without real experience. The American martial artists who tried to break through as actors were only more fortunate to be able to work with a more experienced film crew, which further helped them improve their acting.

Rico Verhoeven has the misfortune to work with a more novice and somewhat inexperienced film crew, who have not been able to help him and his beginning acting work to come across as a serious actor. If Rico wants to play in a movie again, he'd better choose a movie with a better and more experienced film crew. Thanks to this same problem, the rest of the film cast does not provide any special acting. American actor Frank Grillo tries to portray a good villain, but unfortunately does not get much room for this.

The story of the film is also written by a writer, who is also still at the beginning. The story soon comes across as filled with clichés from other action films. The film is reminiscent of a lesser version of films such as Commando or Taken, only less comical or exciting. The action scenes are otherwise entertaining, but unfortunately do not remain that original or special.