REVIEW — “Love Hurts”

In the lightweight action/comedy Love Hurts, Ke Huy Quan finally steps into the spotlight and assumes the mantle of a long-absent style of action star: The nice guy who packs a punch.

Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a seemingly mild-mannered Milwaukee-suburb realtor with a dark and violent past that he is desperate to leave behind. While at work, he receives a mysterious Valentine from Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former partner-in-crime that he, long ago, left for dead. On the orders of his vicious crime lord brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu), a series of ruthless hitmen begin hunting Marvin down, forcing him to fight back to stay alive.

From 87North, the team behind action films Nobody, Violent Night, Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde and The Fall Guy, Love Hurts features dynamic camera work to capture its intense and well-choreographed stunts and fight scenes, many set in unassuming settings. From an office brawl behind frosted glass and a back-bruising kitchen island beat-down to an open house turned into a warzone, the film chooses clever locations and appliances for its most epic battles.

However, the film is little more than a stunt showcase for Quan’s martial arts abilities that he famously showcased in Everything Everywhere All at Once. While the action packs a punch, Love Hurts suffers from a lightweight and flimsy plot that is full of oddly paired misfits, underdeveloped characters, and unconvincing relationships.

While Quan‘s Marvin and DeBose’s Rose are supposed to share a romantic past that has been fractured by betrayal, their on-screen chemistry never fully ignites and I failed to feel the love between the two leads. I blame the film’s weak script by Matthew Murray & Josh Stoddard and Luke Passmore, which features hollow dialogue that results in stilted, awkward delivery from its lead actors, which is a shame for a pair of Oscar® winners.

Ultimately, the most emotional and impactful parts of the film involved Quan and fellow Goonies co-star Sean Astin. The pair share a single sweet scene that serves as a mini-Goonies reunion, or “Regoonion”( as marketed by the film). Their moment together is all-too-brief but includes emotionally loaded dialogue, with lines carrying the weight of a decades-long friendship. Their real emotions, tears, and embrace ring true, so when Aston‘s character delivers his powerful final monologue, it really resonates.

While Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch proves his comedic timing as one half of a pair of bumbling hitmen hot on Marvin’s trail, the most hilarious part of the film is a brief role by Property Brother Drew Scott as Marvin’s karate-chopping real estate agent rival. The film also stars Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Rhys Darby, and André Eriksen.

However, Love Hurts is Quan’s movie and he delivers enough heart and humor to give the film a pass. The talented and beloved actor is having a moment, still riding high on a wave of Goonies and Short Round-era nostalgia that led him to an Oscar win for his dramatic and endearing turn as Waymond in EEAAO and a recent hand printing ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

Directed by JoJo Eusebio, the bloody-knuckled, big-hearted and absolutely bonkers Love Hurts is a great showcase for Ke Huy Quan to become the next Jackie Chan. While Love Hurts is a nice start for him as a leading man, I hope he gets another chance to shine because he truly is a welcome on-screen presence and is more than ready to fill the void once dominated by the Rush Hour star. Similarly, Quan is a nice guy that audiences want to root for. He just needs a better script. If cast in the right vehicle alongside a strong comedic partner who can shoulder a majority of the film’s dialogue, like a Kevin Hart, Quan can kick his career up to the next level. Get on it, Hollywood. 2.5/5

Rated R with a running time of 1 hours 23 minutes, Love Hurts opens in theaters on February 7, 2025.