Rating: 6.5/10
**This review contains spoilers.**
87North Productions, the group behind action films like the “John Wick” franchise and “Nobody,” released its latest film, “Love Hurts,” a Valentine-themed action comedy starring Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose.
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The film revolves around Marvin Gable (Quan), a former criminal enforcer turned realtor trying to escape his old life of violence. However, when he receives a message from Rose (DeBose), a dangerous figure from his old life, he is pulled back into a world of danger populated with plenty of colorful characters.
The film promises an action-packed adventure filled with laughs, a clever story and characters you’ll enjoy spending time with. Unfortunately, too much of the film feels half-baked and not nearly smart or fun enough to make an impact.
Of all the film’s faults, Quan is not one of them. After his return to the big screen in 2022 with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and his subsequent Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor, he has proven he is here to stay. In this film, he brings emotional complexity and depth to Marvin, elevating the typical “tough-guy” action hero.
Quan was adamant about participating in the action, continuing to flex his action star muscles. In an interview with Salon, he shared his dedication to his role as an action hero.
“I trained with our action team — some weights, a lot of cardio and also constantly working after choreography and making sure I knew them,” Quan said.
The work he puts into “Love Hurts” shows, with the action scenes being a highlight of the film, standing out with dynamic shots, creative choreography and bloody intensity.
While its star and action shine, the film’s story and comedy fail to make an impact. The basic plot follows the trope of someone pulled back into a life of violence after trying to escape it, a classic action movie storyline that the film fails to breathe any new or creative life into.
Despite Quan’s acting chops, he can’t save Marvin’s journey from feeling like one we’ve seen time and time again — from struggling to leave his old life behind to confronting and accepting it by the end. It offers nothing new or clever for the audience to take with them once the credits run.
DeBose is also utterly wasted in her role as Rose. Despite being central to the forward momentum of the story, she has no defining personality other than her mystique and sexuality, serving as a love interest for Marvin.
The film also refuses to give her time to star in an action sequence, only allowing her a few moments to jump in alongside Quan. She works well enough, but one could easily see a better version of the film where she plays a more significant role as both a character and an action hero.
The film’s attempts at humor mostly fall flat, aside from a chuckle or two during some action sequences. It tries to introduce humorous side characters, such as André Eriksen and Marshawn Lynch, as a pair of goons that menace Marvin throughout the film, but these characters are never charming enough to bring any fun to the film.
The climax of the film comes with hardly any buildup and offers no surprises. Marvin arrives at the enemy hideout, battles an army of henchmen and defeats the final boss. Everything plays out exactly as expected, with no unique or stand-out elements.
Despite its best attempts, “Love Hurts” ultimately disappoints as an action and comedy movie. A solid cast and action scenes can’t save a generic and lifeless story or bring any extra fun to it. Audiences may want to find another date night movie or end up hurt by this film.
