User reviews

I went to the premiere om wednesday. Dutch studio's should really stop making action movies. This movie belongs on Netflix...or even better, just make it a free gift on the next Glory PPV.

The only reason I gave this movie a chance was because I'm a fan of fightsports, so Verhoeven and Grillo caught my attention. But the dialogues and the accents really ruined the movie. You really need subtitles to understand Marie Dompnier her English. The action and 'flashback' scenes are full of B-movies cliches and not in a fun way as you would expect from like a Van Damme or Stallone movies these days.

I'm really sorry for Frank Grillo. He didin't deserve this review, he's a good actor in my opinion.

I really couldn't stand it anymore after the first half...so I walked out. I have never done this before in my whole life.

The only thing worse then this movie....was the fact that I forgot my keys and had to go back.

There's some nice scenery and decent cinematography, and an adequate score for a B film, but the rest is all underwhelming. Maybe casting a stronger lead may have made this film more watchable, because Rico Verhoeven can't act. I'm sure part blame goes to poor cast directing, but it seems the rest of the cast held their own, so I can't say for sure. Verhoeven was just too bland, expressionless and carried himself like a big doofus. He was ok I guess in the action scenes, although hard to tell from the poor fight choreography. The female Interpol agent had a better fight scene at the end and looked more like an action star than Verhoeven. The only person who carried most of the film was Grillo, who wasn't on screen much, and he deserves much better than this mess. The writing was just a bunch of variations and cliches from much better movies in this genre. Even at a mere 90 min runtime, the pacing was slow and the story lacked urgency and was underwhelming, and just dragged onto the next predictable scene after scene.

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 understand Rico Verhoeven has a dream to make it as an actor! But is there no one who can tell him he simply has no screen presence nor charisma on the big screen. Even if the the script, dialogue, direction and other elements were on point this still would've been a bust! Frank Grillo is a solid actor with some good work under his belt. Rico has the same but not in acting! It is remarkable that no one slammed the breaks on this train wreck. Rico seems to be a stand up guy with qualities but this is not it. Action stars are seldomly great actors but they often have a presence that compensates! I would think twice at taking another run at this. I would rather not do it than do it (this) badly! There have been very few actors of Dutch origin who were able to carve out a decent career in the US / english language movies and they could actually act. I doubt this will be even remotely successful in the Netherlands let alone internationally!

Luckily the movie looks really cheap so they might make a euro when all is said and done. A sequel seems completely out of the question and who would want one? I do hope Rico wins his next match in the ring though, that's were he stands out!

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!

I went in knowing or at least suspecting this was not going to a blockbuster. Being Dutch I of course wanted to see Rico's first feature performance.

What I find most off putting is the accents of the actors. If one has to protray an American or other native Englsh speaking national, they should at least have the ability to speak the languange in the correct accent. Or just let them speak their own languange in certain scenes and not pretend to let them be American.

The action editing here and there was incoherant. In the fist action scene it was hard to follow who was who. The cinematography was ok though but I don't understand the blue darkening filter in the end scene. It was clearly day time.. Pacing was slow and in the slow moments I was checking my instagram feed more than the movie. I didn't mind the score too much.

The plot is failrly standard, nothing special. Rico's acting was actually not as bad as I feared but obviously not A-list level yet. The dialogues were pretty crappy however.

Not sure what Frank Grillo was doing in this movie but he has had his hits and misses to be honest. His acting is fine and what you would expect from him. The rest of the acting on point for... B-movies.

All in all it's one of these straight to DVD movies.

It's difficult to find the words to describe just how bad this movie is. The acting of everyone is abismal but I guess it's hard to act when the script is done by a beta version of ChatGPT that was trained on the worst B-movies of the 80s. There's even a shameless ripoff scene of the classic movie Amsterdamned (watch that one instead!) where a corpse is dragged over a sightseeing canalboat.

The cinematography is crap and it looks like they could afford 1 drone but were not allowed to fly it so they took quick illegals shots on 4 locations that you keep seeing.

And the action.... WHERE IS THE ACTION?!

There's I think 5 minutes worth of scenes that could be called 'action scenes'.

I turned it off after 40 minutes. I know Rico is a fighter and not an actor but someone should have told him how to. A huge waste of money and time.

His behavior towards girls, in the ring and media have become hard to watch, not even mentioning this movie. Thinking of the fight that was delayed for this crap made me feel sorry for Glory and kickboxing fans.

Never expected an A- or B class movie but i really thought the alfabet stopped at Z. It reminded me a of a chinese karateMovie with stefan seagal from the 60's. We turned it of and decided to watch some commercials for good acting and excitement.

Before diving into the review, I would like to acknowledge a couple of disclaimers. As I am from Belgium, I have a personal connection to the movie. Additionally, I am an enthusiastic supporter of both Frank Grillo (Gabriel Saban) and Rico Verhoeven (Matteo), who impresses with his transition from professional kickboxer to the world of acting. It's an exciting thought to imagine being cast alongside Frank Grillo as an arch-nemesis. Frank Grillo, in my biased opinion, consistently delivers strong performances, yet he remains an underappreciated actor in the industry. With that said, let's delve into the review. The film showcases Rico Verhoeven's acting abilities, demonstrating his versatility beyond the realm of kickboxing. It's commendable to witness his successful foray into the acting world, especially considering his status as the reigning Glory Heavyweight Champion. Frank Grillo, known for his conviction in portraying characters, brings his usual dedication to his role as Gabriel Saban. His presence undoubtedly adds depth and intensity to the film, further piquing my interest as a fan. Having expressed my personal affinity for Frank Grillo, it's important to note that my perception may be influenced by this bias, thus impacting my judgment. However, I firmly believe that Frank Grillo deserves more recognition as an actor due to his consistently compelling performances. In conclusion, considering my admiration for both Frank Grillo and Rico Verhoeven, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Rico's transition from the world of kickboxing to acting is commendable, while Frank Grillo's powerful portrayal adds another layer of intrigue. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize my subjective bias towards Frank Grillo. It manages to deliver engaging scenes and showcases notable locations in Amsterdam. Considering these factors, the movie deserves a solid 7 out of 10.

Everyone involved in.cinema productions should stop granting main characters roles to famous persons (nationally) especially grunts like Rico, who lack charisma , and acting skills in general are a complete waste of time, energy and effort. (Next time I would. Invite the investors to help the poor instead of throwing away money in this fashio \I have seen Rico 'act' several times now and every time i Truly wonder if he is completely detached from reality in believing he could ever be taken seriously as an actor let alone his dreams. Of acting in Hollywood blockbusters (as a corps perhaps 100% chance he as to remember zero lines , either he likes to make a fool of himself or he has a wager to become the most decorated rotten tomatoes winner in all history on a global scale! If he would have auditioned for this role an he wasn't - famous in NL than e would never ever been awarded a lead role let alone any role.

Rico is a one dimensional Z-actor and need to be preached by a good friend to stop before he will become the laughing stock of real actors and Rico acting capabilities will be - stock footage - used in stand up comedy. Even the trailer indicates that Rico has a - paper lead role otherwise his footage in the trailer would be more than showed to the audiiece hopefully if - video land - Dutch streaming service will buy - or get it for free perhaps - as part of their new collection , they should add a full hour of blooper reel filled with Rico forgetting the 6 words he had to remember in the 5 to 7 scenes he had to do more than - looking into the distance and being silent (those are actually his best scenes ). Avoid this movie unless you like wasting your time and money.

The action in this movie is way way over the top. A giant of a soldier (Rico Verhoeven) comes back from a long break after his best friend is killed by a group of terrorists at a concert to visit his late friends wife and daughter and the new step dad (Peter Franzen) who has been secretly stealing from a very bad group of criminals. Frank Grillo plays the lead henchman and he as usual does a great job. Frank (Saban) finds out that this step dad has embezzled several millions of euros from him and he wants it back immediately or certain things will happen to this man's new family and he decides to kidnap their little girl for starters. Our giant soldier ( who is very impressive in his well toned physique) systematically takes on all of them as he takes a LOT of damage himself in the process which makes this very believable and not like other action flicks where the good guy never gets a scratch, our guy gets stabbed a few times, beat pretty badly among other damage and still keeps moving on, reminds me of that Eveready battery rabbit. A fun watch. Nothing questionable, no full nudity. The girl cop Shira is a knockout (Rona Lee Shimon) also and has enough of her own moves that make her a force to be reckoned with. Some foul language in key spots that isn't over the top. A lot of violence and some gore. But not enough to make one squeamish. The fight scenes are excellent. Enjoy!

If you like action movies with Steven Seagal, you'll probably enjoy this one. If you're expecting a slick Jason Stathem production, you might be disappointed.

Rico Verhoeve did a pretty good job at acting and the fight scenes were good. Of course, we know the man has moves!

Rona-Lee Shim'on was pretty good, too.

The little girl was cute.

The story was predictable with little plot.

What I didn't like the decision to have Dutch people talking English (even when talking with other Dutch people) some of those dialogues were cringe worthy.

I really enjoyed the shots of Amsterdam and the familiar sights.

I loved the references to Amsterdamed!

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.

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.

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.

Not so much one action film but, rather a compilation of 100 different action films and cliches rolled into one.

The checklist:

• exclusively white cast
• rich villain
• who also has a fancy house that serves as his lair
• and has henchmen (one big and the other a wild card)
• a musclebound "hero"
• who served in special ops
• with no past
• but a dead partner who died because he messed up
• who also has a widow and child to serve as his makeshift family
• child gets kidnapped
• cue shoot-out and car chase through city
• end with fight sequences and combo of guns, hands and feet

and with the exception of Frank Grillo, coming a long way from the MCU, what is up with the excruciating dialogue being delivered by people with East European accents trying to sound American? Or that one actor whose idea of an American "accent" is to physically pull his chin into his throat and GROWL all his lines?

As an action film? Pretty much sub-par

as a parody of the genre done under "eastern block" filmmaking? Genius.

Can't believe how bad this is. Acting is all around atrocious, except for the bad guy. I laughed out loud, a few times. Special effects are terrible. In one scene, someone throws a punch, and the victim is knocked over, but the fist is about a foot away from connecting. Verified by switching to slow motion. An embarressment. The female cop is ridiculous, the hero has only a few lines, and the director and writer, wisely only gave him a few. He is also expressionless, and only has one look.

I don't agree that the special effects are very good. They are not. THey are formulaic, and don't measure up.

I was lucky enough to catch the world première of Black Lotus last Monday and I really enjoyed it. Though the story offers little new to the genre, the film delivers in terms of pace and action sequences. It's an entertaining popcorn spectacle without pretences, meaning you get exactly what you'd expect. Kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven clearly took a good look at Stallone for his role as the brooding and silent Matteo. He punches and shoots his way through Amsterdam, leaving much of the dialogue to the strong and experienced supporting cast. Only time will tell if Verhoeven goes all the way in Hollywood, but I'm definitely rooting for him!

I went into this movie without expecting too much out of it. I was surprised how much it was a solid fun, action film. Sure it's not an Oscar-worthy performance or writing but it knows what it is and leans into it. The film's focus on delivering fun and excitement rather than aiming for critical acclaim made it a perfect choice for a casual movie night. Its straightforward approach and entertaining sequences kept me engaged and entertained throughout. The movie exceeded my expectations and provided a solid, enjoyable experience that catered to its genre and delivered on its promise of thrilling action.

Black Lotus (2023) is a Dutch action thriller film directed by Todor Chapkanov and starring Rico Verhoeven, Frank Grillo, and Marie Dompnier. The film follows a former special forces operative who is forced to return to action when his daughter is kidnapped by a criminal organization.

The film is well-made with impressive action sequences and cinematography. The acting is also good, with Verhoeven and Grillo giving standout performances. However, the film's plot is a bit predictable and the film's overall tone is a bit too dark for some viewers.

Overall, Black Lotus is a solid action thriller with some impressive technical merits. However, the film's plot is a bit predictable and the film's overall tone is a bit too dark for some viewers.

Pros: Well-made action sequences Good cinematography Standout performances by Rico Verhoeven and Frank Grillo Cons: Predictable plot Too dark for some viewers.

It looked like a movie where little kids are trying to figure out what game they are going to play in the backyard. The movie is not organized and lacks a lot of flow. It normalizes bad things such as stripping, drinking alcohol and smoking. It does not make any sense at all.

I T I S S W A S T E O F T I M E

LIKE L I T E R A L L Y D O N T W A T C H I T I F Y O U W A N T T O N O T T O W A S T E Y O U R 1 TO 2 H O U R S

IT WAS SO BORING, SO UNENTERTAINING AND IT WAS JUST WACK .

I am pretty sure the director can do better than this. This movie was a flop. It was not even funny and it was just plain old junk.

This movie is one of the worst things I have watched in years. The story isn't connecting one bit and the unemotional/broken persona from Rico Verhoeven is very hard to watch, it's so idiotically bad. Acting sucks from almost all the actors, only Frank Grillo is watchable.

Scenes are bad and the camera work is so bad. Music is so bad at some scenes that it is actually funny to watch. Like I said: the story line doesn't make any sense, and it only gets worse the longer the movie goes on. Random fights without any reason and bad fight scenes.

Wouldn't recommend watching it, but if you do don't expect anything.