Member Reviews
FAMILY MATTERS, but the story doesn't
Even though she's been in the business for nearly five years, Kayden Kross has rarely looked lovelier or sexier than in her appearances for Digital Playground. Beginning with THE SMITHS and continuing with FAMILY MATTERS, it has become an absolute treat to see her gorgeous visage and perfect body on the boxcover of any new Blu-ray release. Yet truth be told, Miss Kross isn't the nastiest girl ever to perform in adult movies; not even close. She sucks and fucks with passion, but she lacks the creativity of a truly superior talent like Alexis Texas or Jenna Haze. However, like Janine Lindemulder, Devinn Lane and other fan favorites over the years, her onscreen presence is more than enough to offset her current carnal limitations. Whether she achieves the level of craft demonstrated by her more adventurous peers remains to be seen in future Digital Playground releases.
In the meantime, her work in FAMILY MATTERS demonstrates her growth as an actress and performer, even though the main feature disappoints quite a bit. As the title suggests, it's all about the sexual issues involving Lisa Ann's adopted daughters, played by Kayden Kross and Angel Dark (based on Angel's thick accent, it seems that she might have been adopted within the last couple of weeks when she was 25 years old.) They are a rather promiscuous pair who seem to enjoy seducing whatever guy comes their way, including their mother's boyfriend played by Tommy Gunn who does it with Miss Dark once Lisa Ann leaves the movie.
Let me state right now that anyone who might reasonably expect a girl-girl scene between Kayden and Angel (the boxcover photo montage certainly suggests a matching), or among any of the three female talents, will be deeply frustrated by the events which cover the two hour running time. Miss Kross doesn't indulge in Miss Angel, and neither girl gets it on with Lisa Ann. IN fact, nothing truly controversial occurs in FAMILY MATTERS at all. I understand this isn't supposed to be TABOO: THE NEXT GENERATION, and I have no special interest in seeing fictional tales of in my porn entertainment. Indeed, the movie goes out of its way to avoid any particularly tasteless situation by establishing that the girls aren't related, that Lisa Ann is their adopted mother, and that the guy she's screwing is just a boyfriend and not her husband, and so on and so forth.
Yet the viewer is promised "something dark and dangerous" and FAMILY MATTERS simply doesn't deliver. (The crush Lorraine Bates has on Marty McFly in BACK TO THE FUTURE is far more risque.) Now, I suppose one might say that Angel getting it on with her mom's beau at the end of the movie might be a social no-no, but it's a common device in porn as well as in trashy mainstream soap operas. Also, the movie simply ends after their coupling, so we don't even get to see the dramatic consequences of their actions on this household.
So all those soft, gentle but non-explicit kisses between Lisa Ann and Kayden at the beginning of the movie create plenty of genuine sexual tension, but no payoff. Even more frustrating, we have truly arousing moments between Kayden and Angel, as they seductively rub against each other while spying on their mom having sex, and lounge around the couch with Kayden head on Angel's lap. Throughout the movie, it's abundantly clear that these two girls are in a perpetual state of horniness. And when it comes to dirty movies, it's only natural that any given pair of sexually charged women would turn to each other for release and satisfaction, no matter if their friends, enemies, next-door neighbors or even adopted siblings.
Eventually, Kayden and Angel do get together after downing a few shots of . They retreat to a bed when they strip down to their bra and panties and share a tender kiss. Up to this point, my expectations were sky high, and I was ready to enjoy the next fifteen minutes or so as pure heaven and bliss. Then Charles Dera and Tommy walk in on them and ruin everything. Words of surpise and shock are exchanged, then Kayden casually walks off with Mr. Dera, while Tommy sticks around for his shot at Angel. We don't even get to see both pairs doing it in the same room. I can appreciate Robby D.'s obviously successful efforts in teasing and luring audiences in what might have been a climactically titillating scene, but the final results are simply maddening.
Nevertheless, the sexual conduct which does occur throughout FAMILY MATTERS is strong enough to warrant your time and money. Lisa Ann's opening scene with Mr. Gunn is slow, sensual and ideal for couples viewing. This busty brunette is just as hot now as she was when she first appeared in porn over fifteen years ago, but for whatever reason, she doesn't get a cumshot to her face. Kayden's pairing with Mick Blue shows her to be more confident and playful than in her past videos for other studios. Decked out in a sexy pink bikini, she deepthroats him slowly and lovingly at first, and then takes in his manhood in a scene which easily matches her work from THE SMITHS.
Miss Dark not only looks sensational, but the way she goes after Scott Nails and Mr. Gunn made me envy and hate them at the same time. For any guy to be on the receiving end of Angel's bodily talents is an indulgence I can't possibly imagine. Terrific shots of Angel leaning over and giving Scott a hands-free hummer, as well as her riding Tommy anally were almost enough to make me forgive the numerous dramatic oversights.
One other complaint I have about this film is the frequent close-ups which tend to diminish the scope of the movie. Sure, porn demands gynecological shots galore, but there were too many instances where the camera focuses on say, Lisa Ann's midriff, when I would much rather see a full-length body shot. Other than that, the Blu-ray picture is simply marvelous, and suits Robby D.'s cinematic look. For the last couple of years, Digital Playground has become the standard for producing exceptional high definition discs, and FAMILY MATTERS continues to meet that tradition. As far as bonuses are concerned, an eleven minute Behind The Scenes featurette proves to be entertaining, and filled with humorous comments from Lisa Ann, along with a photo shoot where Kayden poses seductively with Angel. The remaining extras include your basic photo gallery and studio trailers.
Despite good direction and a talented cast, FAMILY MATTERS fails to achieve excellence because it refuses to meet basic audience expectations when it comes to both sex and story. Otherwise, it's still a pretty good fuck flick.