Photo © Universal Studios
Jason Momoa in 'FAST X'
Jason Momoa in 'FAST X'
Black Lotus
(Limited Theatrical Release & Streaming on VUDU, May 19)
As his kickboxing career wound down, Rico Verhoeven indicated he hoped to become an action movie star. He gets his wish in Black Lotus, though inferior direction by Todor Chapkanov, along with cliché dialog, make that transition problematic. Thankfully, the action scenes mainly deliver. Ex-special forces operative Matteo (Rico Verhoeven) is determined to rescue the daughter (Marie Dompnier) of his deceased friend after she is kidnapped by an Amsterdam crime syndicate. Led by Saban (Frank Grillo), the boss doesn’t know what’s hit him when Matteo follows the Taken protocol, waging a one-man war against Saban’s unsuspecting minions. Watch for the recreation of a well-known “Amsterdamned” (1988) scene. It features a tourist boat in the canals and is adorned by nuns. (Lisa Miller)
FAST X
(In Theaters May 19)
The 10th installment of the Fast and Furious franchise is part one of a two-part finale. The story revisits chapter five, when Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew’s actions resulted in the demise of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes. Jason Momoa appears as Dante, Reye’s vengeful son, determined to punish Dom by kidnapping Dom and Letty’s (Michelle Rodriguez) young son. This action sends Dom, his crew and his associates, on a globe-trotting rescue effort. Street racing once again takes center stage, with nearly every favorite character returning for the vehicle-centric mayhem. Helen Mirren reprises her matriarchal role as Queenie, while Rita Moreno appears as Dom and Mia’s (Jordana Brewster) grandmother. New characters are portrayed by Brie Larson and Alan Ritchson, leaving many of us in need of a playbill to keep them all straight. Louis Leterrier directs this two-hour-20-minute PG-13 chest-tightener, unearthing several in-CAR-nations of the franchise’s epic, four-wheeling stars. (Lisa Miller)
A Night at the Family Dog/Go Ride the Music/Westpole
(Mercury DVD)
The Grateful Dead have the reputation as the forerunner of all jam bands to come, but Quicksilver Messenger Service also deserves recognition. The evidence is on this DVD set, a collection of made-for-TV documentaries produced circa 1970 by Ralph J. Gleason, the San Francisco jazz critic hepcat who mentored Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner. Quicksilver is seen here at an outdoor festival performing on the grass, eye-level with the dancing audience, kicking out some Bo Diddley jams and delving into the deep hollows of Appalachia with their unique vocal-guitar harmonies.
The set also includes some surprisingly dynamic performances by Jefferson Airplane (already past their 1967 peak) as well as Santana and—yes—the Dead. The production crew waxed experimental on the Airplane with multiple split screens, diagonal screens and psychedelic fish-eye lenses. The set includes a Fillmore-style poster. (David Luhrssen)
