NEW YORK (OSV News) – A Valentine’s Day-themed martial arts movie? It seems an unlikely recipe.
Yet enjoyable humor and a touch of romance do increase the appeal of the otherwise frenetic actioner “Love Hurts” (Universal). A barrage of obscenities in the script, as well as fleeting forays into visual grisliness, are less welcome elements.
Much of the comedy derives from the contrasting lifestyles pursued by the film’s protagonist, Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan). When viewers first meet Marvin, he’s a mild-mannered Milwaukee real estate agent. But Marvin, it turns out, has a hidden past as a gangster and skilled assassin.
At the behest of his kingpin brother, Alvin, aka Knuckles (Daniel Wu), Marvin was long ago supposed to rub out another member of Knuckles’ gang, Rose (Ariana DeBose). But Marvin was secretly in love with Rose and so spared her life on the condition that she disappear for good.
Now, Rose suddenly resurfaces and embroils Marvin in a plan to vanquish Knuckles. As a result, Marvin has no choice but to revert to his former rock ’em sock ’em ways.
A subplot linking Marvin’s world-weary secretary, Ashley (Lio Tipton), with The Raven (Mustafa Shakir), a hulking killer whose avocation is writing introspective poetry, also serves to keep the mood light. But we’re soon back to the choreographed mayhem that takes up the bulk of the running time in director Jonathan Eusebio’s production.
Indeed, there are more hands being deployed than held in “Love Hurts,” and more hearts being stopped than exchanged. A few smiles aside, accordingly, this is a perfectly routine — and easily forgotten — exercise in chopsocky, knife-wielding and gunplay.
The film contains much stylized but often harsh violence with some gore, a few gruesome images, about a half-dozen profanities, a few softer oaths, pervasive rough language, as well as occasional crude and considerable crass talk. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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