Love Hurts
review by Bobby Blakey
Ke Huy Quan made a name for himself in iconic films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, but most forget a martial flick he did with Bolo Yeung called Breathing Fire as well as a few others. Getting to see him return once again to his martial arts roots with his new film Love Hurts as well as headlining brings joy to my heart. The film costars Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Sean Astin, Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Rhys Darby, Marshawn Lynch, and André Eriksen from veteran stunt coordinator and fight coordinator JoJo Eusebio making his feature directing debut. Could this film bring the fun and fights it promises, or will it fail to spread the violent love?
Love Hurts follows Marvin Gable, a realtor working in the Milwaukee suburbs, where ‘For Sale’ signs bloom. Gable receives a crimson envelope from Rose, a former partner-in-crime that he had left for dead. She’s not happy. Now, Marvin is thrust back into a world of ruthless hitmen, filled with double-crosses and open houses turned into deadly warzones. With his brother Knuckles, a volatile crime lord, hunting him, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried.
I have been really looking forward to this film for numerous reasons. First and foremost is for Ke Huy Quan to get the chance to kick some ass and get to take leading man status. Add to the mix just how fun it looked, and I was all in. Now that I have finally got to see the love and fights unleashed, I can tell you that this film is a ton of fun. This isn’t a film that is breaking down any barriers in the action genre, but it for sure is slapping its own name into the genre.
The story is simple and streamlined with the entire film really focusing more on each action piece more than trying to give us anything deep to deal with and I am fine with that. I wasn’t looking for anything other than what I got and that was a
great time. The vibe of the film reminded me of the underappreciated film The Big Hit. It brings laughs, heart and tons of over-the-top action from start to finish.
Some of the story is all over the place and the characters aren’t given a lot of depth, but they didn’t need to for this story. Its entire vibe just works and honestly felt like it would have been something to come out in the 90s and I am here for it. Quen kicks some major ass and showcases his ability to carry the film which I hope will get him more chances to do this kind of thing. His likeable everyman persona makes for a great unexpected badass.
The rest of the cast are fine with Mashawn Lynch probably the most entertaining outside of Quan, but this is Quan’s show all the way. He transitions his persona from nerdy real estate agent to total badass and you can easily buy it all. To further add to the fun nostalgia seeing Quan and Astin on screen together again brought a smile to my face.
Decide for yourself and check out Love Hurts in theaters now from Universal.