With action and silly fun reminiscent of the 90s, Love Hurts shows off Ke Huy Quan‘s charm, fight skills, and why he deserves more leading man roles.
Love Hurts Review
I'm enjoying this new trend of tackling the Valentine's movie market with stories that take a far different approach to the holiday. Heart Eyes blended horror with a rom-com for a bloody, gory, and sweet film while Love Hurts spices up the rom-com genre with some fantastically choreographed fights. That should come as no surprise once you realize 87 North is the production company. From John Wick to The Fall Guy, they consistently deliver impressive action sequences. Love Hurts isn't just about beating the crap out of people, it has a surprising amount to say about love whether it is unexpected, a longtime crush, or just finding peace in your life, it attempts to explore them all. It doesn't always flow together as cohesively as it could. But thanks to its charming cast who lean all the way into the silly, outrageous, and sometimes corniness of it all, it still ends up being a lot of fun to watch.
Directed by veteran stunt leader Jonathan Eusebio from a screenplay by Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore, Love Hurts is reminiscent of the 90s and early 00s action flicks that were pure entertainment (think Rush Hour). It knows it's over-the-top, it knows it's a little silly, which allows Eusebio and the team to go all in and just have a good time with it. Quan is just as charming and sweet as ever while equally being able to deliver ruthless glares and ass-kickings on demand. He truly embodies the mild-mannered but also a killer trope better than almost everyone else out there.
Marvin Gable (Quan) is an award-winning realtor who spends his days baking cookies for open houses and helping his clients find the homes of their dreams. He is kind, quiet, and above all a peaceful man. What everyone doesn't know is that Marvin is also a former assassin, who is dragged back into the life when a surprise Valentine's card is delivered to his office. Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former colleague who was supposed to be “dead,” is back and wants to get revenge on Marvin's brother Alvin “Knuckles” Gable (Daniel Wu) and his cronies. Marvin must decide if he will remain on the sidelines or ditch the sweaters and fight to be free of his brother once and for all.
Quan's Marvin and 87 North's signature stunt work are the main reasons to see Love Hurts. Even when the dialogue treads into cheesy territory or the plot seems to be getting too serious, the action set pieces bring it all back to the zany chaos you came to the theater for. From the very first fight, taking place in the cramped arena of Marvin's office to the final showdown, each one is memorable with some inventive shots. My personal favorite is the brawl at Marvin's home where at one point the camera is inside the refrigerator. All the choreography is executed perfectly. The fights are quick-paced, impressive, and full of physical comedy, paying homage to Jackie Chan. Quan and Wu both have experience in stunt work which is on full display here with their lightning fast punches and kicks, and reflexes that make it look like they are anime characters rather than real humans. Gojo would be impressed.
As mentioned, Marvin is definitely a staple character in this genre but Quan is so suited for this role he never comes across flat or boring. Physically he can handle whatever is thrown his way be it a fist or a giant fork. But it's his innate charm and enthusiasm that make Marvin so likable. When he wins a regional realtor award, any other actor would have seemed phony in their joy over this moment, but Quan's sincerity shines. You really are happy for him and genuinely want to see him succeed in his chosen life. It's a testament to how great Quan is to be equally believable as an unassuming sweet man and a stone cold beast.
There are a lot of moving parts as Marvin goes from selling houses to breaking bones which gives the rest of the ensemble cast standout moments of their own. His depressed right-hand woman Ashley (Leo Tipton) meets the killer sent after Marvin, Raven (Mustafa Shakir), and the two bond over Raven's emo-laced poetry. Shakir's expression gives Raven both murderous intent and a melancholy that only someone who “sees” him will understand. He is also able to walk the line of believability like Quan, meaning those switch ups never come across corny.
The other duo that steals their scenes are Marshawn Lynch and André Eriksen, who play two lackeys in Knuckle's gang sent after Marvin and Rose. They fight like an old married couple, while stealing teddy bears, doling out relationship advice, and attempting to get the upper hand on their quarry. Lynch continues to show off his great comedic timing, this time while fighting with Home Goods oversized novelty silverware and tackling people through walls. DeBose goes all in on her femme fatale Rose, giving the most exaggerated performance of everyone. Sometimes it feels like the script doesn't know what to do with her or who she needs to be, but again it doesn't take long before someone hits someone else and you forget about it.
Verdict
Ultimately, Love Hurts is a breezy, action comedy with some romance thrown in for good measure. It's reminiscent of 90s films that delivered big fights and silly fun. Quan reminds us once again that we have been robbed of his talent for too long, while the ensemble brings their own flavor to the mix for just the right amount of camp. Sure there are some shortcomings, specifically with the uneven tone and some interesting editing choices, but Love Hurts' goal seems to be to entertain and it does just that.
Love Hurts is in theaters February 7. It is rated R for strong/bloody violence and language throughout with a runtime of 1 hour 23 minutes.
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