After being a stunt director on many films, including Bryan Singer’s first “X-Men” film, Oscar winning actor Ke Huy Quan enters the leading man category as an action star with “Love Hurts” from the team behind the hit low budget action film “Nobody.”
Let’s have a look at the trailer and dive in…
Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) functions as a prosperous real estate agent who has recently collected the highest accolade from his boss, ally, and mentor Cliff Cussick (Sean Astin). He regularly collaborates with his pessimistically despondent assistant Ashley (Lio Tipton), who continuously threatens to desert her position, despite Marvin’s encouraging conversations.
In reality, Marvin operated as a former assassin for “The Company,” governed by his estranged brother Alvin “Knuckles” (Daniel Wu). He was assigned to eliminate a young lawyer, Rose (Ariana DeBose), who embezzled from the Company, but owing to his affection for her, he urged her to escape before deciding to forsake his previous existence.
In the present day, around Valentine’s Day, Marvin receives correspondence from Rose. He is later confronted by knife-wielding assassin and poetry-fixated Raven (Mustafa Shakir), who has been employed to demand Rose’s whereabouts. Marvin subdues Raven and leaves him in his office. He rushes back to his residence to gather his possessions before two additional agents King (Marshawn Lynch) and Otis (Otis André Eriksen) accost him.
Marvin battles against the pair before he is captured by Rose, who transports him to her sanctuary at a strip club. Meanwhile, Ashley discovers Raven along with his poetry and becomes infatuated with him, whereupon he appreciates her admiration for his artistic expressions.
Cliff journeys to Marvin’s dwelling where he encounters Knuckles who exposes Marvin’s former profession. Despite this revelation, Cliff honors Marvin’s attempts to transform and Knuckles executes him when he declares that they are “brothers.”
Rose informs Marvin she has gathered an overwhelming quantity of data regarding Knuckles’ persistent money laundering, exposing that he has been deceiving numerous partners, and has even detained his accountant Kippy Betts. She had also been manipulating Knuckles’ lieutenant Renny Merlow (Cam Gigandet), who intended to betray her from fear that Knuckles would uncover their arrangement. Rose schemes to employ Kippy’s intelligence to finally topple Knuckles, and desires Marvin to revert to his previous methods to assist her.
Having concealed himself in one of the properties Marvin is marketing, a couple that Marvin previously conversed with arrive, compelling him to finalize his transaction with them. He contacts Ashley and requests that she deliver the documentation, unaware that Raven accompanies her. Kippy manages to escape and alerts Renny, who subsequently directs King and Otis to arrive as well.
As Rose departs to confront Knuckles; Raven, Ashley, Otis, and King materialize and a conflict erupts, culminating in the demise of Marvin’s overeager rival Jeff Zaks. Marvin and Raven collaborate and neutralize Otis and King, but Ashley insists that Marvin and Raven cease their confrontation as she harbors feelings for the latter. Inspired by this, Marvin pursues Rose to Knuckles’ hideout and they battle through his henchmen, with Merlow perishing.
After comprehending that his brother murdered Cliff, Marvin engages in a final showdown with Knuckles, culminating in his triumph. Rose discloses that she notified the Russian mobsters that Knuckles had defrauded, resulting in their arrival and abduction of him. Marvin finally articulates his devotion to Rose, proudly embracing his history and destiny.
Despite Quan’s clear talent for stunts and choreography, the flight scenes are poorly captured on camera and the script overall fails to deliver any punch or ingenuity to this genre. Director Jonathan Eusebio also has a background as fight coordinator, but he falls very short in this assignment.
In addition, the necessary chemistry between Quan and DeBose is dead on arrival, with DeBose failing to convey presence needed for such a pivotal character. Ultimately, the eighty-three-minute runtime still drags for audiences.
Letter Grade: D