Love Hurts: An Action-Packed Romp Lacking in Its Story & Characters (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Ever since Ke Huy Quan's massive success with his unforgettable role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which saw him garner a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and an Oscar, his fans have been keeping their eyes peeled for what he was going to follow it up with. Next up were supporting parts in the TV shows "Loki" and "American Born Chinese," as well as a voice in "Kung Fu Panda 4," but with his latest, "Love Hurts," he finally gets to take the lead in an action-heavy part not too dissimilar from his recently-lauded character. Will it be everything his fans are hoping for, and will he be able to take the pressure that comes with the lead role?

As the film opens, we meet Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan), a successful real estate agent who loves his job. Everything seems to be going great in his life, that is until he receives a note from someone he didn't expect, a woman from his past named Rose (Ariana DeBose). We quickly learn that Marvin is actually a former killer for his brother Alvin (aka Knuckles) (Daniel Wu) and that Rose was someone he was supposed to have taken care of for stealing money from his brother. However, he let her go back then because he was in love with her. It's not long before assassins and thugs from Knuckles come calling in an attempt to locate Rose, pulling Marvin back into a past he thought he'd left behind.

"Love Hurts" is an attempt to tell a rather brief (less than 80 minutes without credits) romantic tale packed with tons of action, and as far as that goal goes, it's at least partially successful. There is certainly plenty of action interspersed throughout the short duration in the form of a multitude of fights between the various parties involved, action that's well-choreographed and rather exciting, but where it ends up being less successful is in the accompanying story it wants to tell.

Taking the film as a whole, it feels as though there wasn't quite enough thought put into the narrative, and it would probably be fair to say that this was done entirely on purpose, because in all likelihood the writers (Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore) merely wanted to use it as a foundation for the plethora of action scenes that are crammed into its brief runtime. As a result, you get a film that may provide some entertainment now and again with its wild battles, but which falls a little short when it comes to its story & characters, which are by far the more important elements that need tending to.

As far as its other positives, you still get the pleasure of watching two recent Oscar winners, Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose, let loose in a rather goofy film. They may not have much to work with in terms of characterization, but they still appear to be having fun with the material. On top of that, you even get a mini "Goonies" reunion with the brief appearance of Oscar nominee Sean Astin as Marvin's boss. It's just a shame that the writers couldn't put as much effort into the screenplay as the stunt coordinators put into the film's action sequences. It's hardly a bad effort, certainly not as awful as some would have you believe, but by the time the credits roll, it's hard to deny that it was lacking just a little too much where it truly counts.

Video/Audio:

"Love Hurts" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.00:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of pretty good quality. The image seems a little dark/muted throughout the brief 80-minute duration, but otherwise is still mostly sharp. The DVS Dolby Atmos audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, while there could've been some improvement of the picture, Universal has done a decent job on the film's physical release.

Special Features:

The Ke to Gable (4 Minutes): A featurette that takes a quick look at the action scenes.

The Heart of Love Hurts (8 Minutes): A featurette that goes behind the scenes of the making of the film.

Stunts Hurt (11 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on the fights.

Deleted and Extended Scenes (8 Sequences, 7 Minutes)

Alternate Ending (2 Minutes)

Conclusion:

"Love Hurts" features a multitude of wild & entertaining fights throughout its brief 80-minute runtime, as well as a pair of Oscar-winning leads who appear to be having fun with this goofy romantic-action romp, but unfortunately the film comes up a little short when it comes to its story & characters, which were only developed far enough to act as a foundation for the various action scenes, ultimately leaving it lacking a little too much in its most vital elements.

Score: 3/5

Now available on Blu-ray.

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