Love Hurts: A Fun Action Flick
by Harrison J. Bahe
Marvin is a Milwaukee realtor who receives a crimson envelope from Rose, a former partner-in-crime whom he left for dead. He now finds himself thrust back into a world of ruthless hit men and double-crosses that turn his open houses into deadly war zones. Hunted by his brother, a volatile crime lord, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried.
To understand the love I have for this movie you must first understand the love I have for actor Ke Huy Quan. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s okay. Quan began his film career in the 80s with such roles are Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies. However, after realizing that he couldn’t get any serious roles after that, Quan reeled back from acting roles and instead became a stuntman for many movies in the 90s. Then, he altogether disappeared from the spotlight having accepted than he, as an Asian man in Hollywood, would never get a leading role in a picture. Then, the seminal film of Asian representation Crazy Rich Asians released and sparked a renewal in his interest to return to acting. Flashforward a few years later and the Academy Award winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once releases and slingshots Quan back into the spotlight. Now, Quan is receiving the attention he deserves not only as a leading man but as both a dramatic actor and an action man. In comes Love Hurts and it’s a delightful little sucker punch of a film that’ll entertain you for a hundred minutes.
The things I liked about Love Hurts is that you can tell it’s a film made by filmmakers who love action. The action within the film is a major standout due in part by director Jonathan Eusebio whose background is in stunts. If there’s one thing this film delivers on, it’s the action set pieces. Many times, throughout the film, I found myself exclaiming multiple expletives at the screen as our lead character Marvin gets his rump handed to him. However, Marvin dishes out as much as he is served. Quan and the stunt team clearly summoned their love of Jackie Chan films as Marvin uses everyday household items as weapons against his enemies and even incorporates physical comedy into many of his fight scenes. Another thing I loved about the film is that this movie is a lowkey reunion between actors Ke Huy Quan and Sean Astin who played Mikey in The Goonies. If there is a heart to the film, it is the brief interactions between these two characters.
Which is ironic because the only aspect of the film I disliked was the romance between Quan and Ariana Debose. Which is a shame because both Debose and Quan are Academy Award winners. That’s totally fine though. Not every film of theirs are going to be winners and in this case, the romance between the two wasn’t built up enough for us to truly buy but in an action film, I suppose the romance isn’t the most important thing. Had the love story been developed just a bit more, audiences and critics may have enjoyed this a bit more.
Love Hurts has received the bad end of the stick and has been panned by both critics and audiences alike. This critic however saw the film for what it was: an action comedy from filmmakers who wanted to showcase some fun, gnarly action set pieces that brings together two actor friends who got their start in the 80s: Ke Huy Quan and Sean Astin. With that in mind, this film becomes a fun experience for those seeking a decent action flick that’ll burn 100 minutes of their time in mid-February, which is why I give Love Hurts:
4 Cookie Cutters out of 5
Love Hurts has been Rated R by the MPAA for strong/bloody violence and language throughout.