Love Hurts, directed by Jonathan Eusebio and written by Luke Passmore, Matthew Murray and Josh Stoddard follows the story of a realtor trying to put his dark past behind him until he receives a message from his former partner in crime who he thought was dead. Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan plays his first leading man, Marvin Gable, a real estate agent who lives a quiet life in the suburbs of Milwaukee. He tries his best to move on from the cruel mistakes he made in the past. He is forced to confront them when he receives a mysterious note from Rose (Ariana DeBose), his former partner in crime, whom he left for dead years ago. Now Marvin will once again have to embark on a mission involving the most dangerous killers and the ghosts of his past. After his historic Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the anticipation for Quan’s return to the spotlight was immense.
What he delivers in Love Hurts is a funny and great performance that validates all the hype surrounding his return to the big screen. In Love Hurts, Ke Huy Quan seems to be enjoying himself immensely on screen, which is a real pleasure for the audience. His performance, as well as being captivating, conveys a sense of genuine pleasure in revisiting elements that have marked his career in the past, especially when it comes to action scenes and physical comedy. Although the film focuses on themes of redemption and mystery, there are moments of action that hark back to his time in films such as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In these moments, we can see an energy and enthusiasm that reminds us of the style of Jackie Chan – famous for his acrobatics, physical humor and action rhythm. Ke Huy Quan, with his unique ability to mix comedy with fight scenes, brings a lightness to the movie, even in the most intense sequences. He executes fighting moves with impressive dexterity, but what really stands out are the moments of physical humor, where his expression and timing are reminiscent of the master Jackie Chan. He doesn’t limit himself to being a simple “action hero”, but manages to infuse each scene with a sense of fun, as if he were enjoying himself as much as the audience. His charisma is in his every move, whether it’s in the fight scenes, where he dances to the sound of the action with his acrobatic skill, or in the quick exchanges of dialogue filled with humor. It’s clear that Ke Huy Quan is totally comfortable with the mix of comedy and action, which brings a unique vibe to the movie. He’s not afraid to indulge in light-hearted moments, balancing the intensity of the plot with more uncomplicated and hilarious scenes. This creates a perfect balance where, even in the most tense situations, the audience feels that he is having fun, as if he were paying homage to his own legacy in action films. These action moments, which flirt with Jackie Chan’s style, are not just nostalgia, but a new layer to Marvin Gable’s character, making him a complex hero who is both accessible and comical. This mix of action and comedy is one of the movie’s great assets, and Ke Huy Quan, with his charisma and ability to have fun with his performance, is one of the reasons why Love Hurts is so captivating. He may have been away from the screen for a while, but his return is a celebration of all that he has done best and, more importantly, a demonstration of how he still knows how to shine in both action and physical comedy scenes, all with the unmistakable charm of his personality.
Although Ke Huy Quan shines exceptionally brightly in Love Hurts, Ariana DeBose’s performance unfortunately can’t keep up with the pace of the movie, which ends up damaging the experience considerably. Even with Quan’s charisma and energy, DeBose’s character, Rose, ends up getting lost in a weak script that puts her in situations that don’t do justice to her talent. DeBose, who is a talented and award-winning actress, seems to be limited by bad jokes and forced dialogues that seem more like a desperate attempt to appeal to cheap humor. Many of her character’s lines are so exaggerated and out of tune with the tone of the movie that they make the audience feel uncomfortable. The comedy, which should be comic relief or a feature to give Rose’s character more dimension, ends up sounding forced, with horrible jokes that fail miserably. This problem is not the fault of the actress, but of a script that doesn’t seem to know how to use her properly. DeBose, with her natural ability for emotional delivery and charisma, is a talent that should shine, but the script pushes her into situations that don’t favor her performance, making her presence in the film uncomfortable and even a little embarrassing. This makes the movie lose some of its quality, because DeBose’s performance, which should be a complementary force to Ke Huy Quan’s, ends up being a negative distraction, taking the focus away from the central plot. Another negative point in Love Hurts is the underutilization of the character Knuckles, played by Daniel Wu. Knuckles, who is not only a menacing villain but also the brother of protagonist Marvin (Ke Huy Quan), had everything to be one of the movie’s great strengths.
The premise of having this villain with such a personal connection to the protagonist creates immense dramatic potential and tension, but the script fails to properly exploit this dynamic. The central problem lies in the way the movie tries to introduce too many characters and subplots for a story that only lasts 83 minutes. With so little screen time, the script is forced to rush through the arcs of all the characters, which ends up sacrificing the development and depth that figures like Knuckles could have. Daniel Wu himself, who has an imposing presence and the ability to create memorable villains, is largely wasted. The character of Knuckles is not sufficiently developed, and his relationship with Marvin, which should be one of the emotional pillars of the movie, is barely explored. The villain becomes more of a passing figure, without achieving the impact that his role required. In addition, the film tries to balance so many elements – action, mystery, redemption and even humor – that the figure of Knuckles ends up being just a prop in the middle of an overcrowded plot. In a longer or better structured movie, the villain could have been a more complex antagonist, with clearer motivations and a richer interaction with Marvin. However, the story doesn’t allow enough time for this to happen, and Knuckles becomes almost irrelevant, leaving the audience with the feeling that a great deal of potential has been lost. This waste of characters is one of Love Hurts’ greatest weaknesses. Knuckles, his relationship with Marvin and even the potential for conflict between the two are left behind in favor of a plot that, with such a large cast and such a short running time, fails to explore these aspects as it should. The result is that, instead of having a memorable villain, the movie ends up leaving Knuckles aside, making him a figure without the depth and impact that his role as brother and antagonist would require. Despite the problems with the script and the underuse of characters, Love Hurts stands out when it comes to the action scenes. The director, who has extensive experience as a stuntman, brings this background to the screen with well-choreographed scenes that capture the energy and pace of the action in an engaging and entertaining way.
Even though this is his first job as a director, he manages to create moments of action that are not only exciting, but also have a touch of comedy, something that sets the movie apart. The ability to integrate humor into combat sequences is reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s style, as I mentioned earlier, and this makes the scenes even more dynamic and light-hearted, without losing their intensity. The fights are fluid, fast and creative, with well thought-out choreography that takes advantage of the actors’ timing and expressions to create moments of both tension and laughter. The director knows exactly how to balance action and comedy, creating scenes that are entertaining but also well executed, without seeming forced. The fights are unpredictable and creative, often incorporating comic elements without detracting from the action itself. The chemistry between Ke Huy Quan and the rest of the cast in the fight scenes is remarkable, with the actor’s energy being one of his greatest assets, as he moves easily between the seriousness of the action and the light tone of the physical comedy. The director’s touch, coming from his experience as a stuntman, is what really elevates the action scenes in Love Hurts. Even with a slightly flawed script, the director’s work on the action sequences is one of the film’s best qualities, showing that, even in his directorial debut, he is capable of creating memorable scenes that keep the audience entertained, and often even laughing, throughout the movie.
The ability to choreograph these scenes, maintaining the perfect balance between action and comedy, is what saves many of the script’s flaws, making the fight sequences one of the highlights of Love Hurts. Love Hurts is a movie that, despite having great potential, ends up disappointing in several respects. Ke Huy Quan, who stars as the protagonist Marvin Gable, gives an energetic performance full of emotion, enjoying action scenes and physical comedy reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s best moments. His return to film, after winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once, is marked by a charismatic performance that makes the movie worthwhile for anyone who is a fan of the actor. However, the movie falters in other aspects, especially in the performance of Ariana DeBose, whose character, Rose, is diluted by a script full of forced jokes and uncomfortable situations that don’t do justice to the actress’s talent. The villain Knuckles, played by Daniel Wu, is also wasted in a script that tries to encompass too many characters and plots, without enough time to develop them, leaving this antagonist without the depth he could have had. Love Hurts’ greatest asset is undoubtedly its action scenes. The director, with his experience as a stuntman, manages to create masterfully choreographed sequences, incorporating comedy and action in a fun and creative way. Even with a tight story and a script that fails at many points, the fight scenes provide entertainment and show the director’s talent for balancing action and humor.
All in all, Love Hurts is a movie that has its moments of brilliance, especially due to Ke Huy Quan’s performance and the excellent direction of the action scenes. However, the lack of a solid script and the underutilization of important characters end up compromising the experience. And the only thing that really hurts about the movie is that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected to, especially with so much potential at stake.
Love Hurts releases in theaters on February 7.
