Love Hurts - Liebe tut weh

They are certain things that work for em in the beginning of this movie- Marvin is likable, and the world feels bright and fun and poppy. The fight scenes are dynamic if not a bit ridiculous. But Deboise's Rose is, to me, the absolute failing lynchpin of an already fairly uncreative plot. She really feels like she's acting at every point. Her line delivery is unconvincing and hollow. Her character has nooo chemistry with Marvin and is also low on the general likeability scale, making the viewer wonder "what is it about this woman that Marvin is attracted to? Why is he willing to do so much to save her?" Most annoyingly, she doesn't seem to support or accept the attempts at positive change Marvin has made in his life. She uses him to achieve her revenge. It's a very strange relationship that feels nothing like a romance. Perhaps it was just miscasting, but Deboise has yet to impress me in any role.

I liked this film. It didn't blow me away, but it was entertaining -- fast-paced, humorous, and filled with great martial arts action sequences. The performances were all great too -- a lot of great supporting characters, and I am never going to say no to a Ke Huy Quan film. But even though Ariana DeBose did a fine job as Rose, I can't help feel that the studio should have gone with a more seasoned actress for this role. For someone who was supposed to be Quan's love interest, there was a noticeable difference between the two leads' ages. They're more than 20 years apart in real life, and it shows. It's not that this kind of May-December romance isn't possible, but it's distracting -- even a little creepy. Whoever cast this film would have done everyone a favor by bringing in someone who seemed a more natural love interest for Quan, rather than just being Hollywood's most recent "it girl."

What surprised me most about this movie is that it was released in cinemas instead of straight to a streaming service. The movie is the same as a thousand other action movies released in the last 15 years, the only difference is the actors on screen

One Man Army who no longer wants to fight - Check Hitman who is really a kind hearted person - Check Female major character who is both the love interest and looks good while kicking butt - Check Quirky side characters who talk nonsense that is supposed to sound cool - Check Main Bad Guy who is controlled with bouts of super violence - Check Highly Choreographed Action Scenes where everyone gets punched, stabbed, shot and smashed but are still able to fight with no signs of injury - Check

Ke Huy Quan is adorable as heck, but at no point does he seem like he could hurt anyone.

If you want a quick 90 minute action movie where you don't have to follow a fancy plot then you will probably enjoy this movie.

Ariana DeBose seems to forget she's in a movie at times and stops acting, and it looks horrible.

This film doesn't take itself too seriously, and nor should you. I was looking forward to seeing Ke Huy Quan in his own action film (gotta support a Goonie!) and this film def delivered on creatively choreographed action sequences. The lighting and framing throughout gave the film a bit of a comic book feel. The plot was simple but the writing was a let down. The main antagonist's story wasn't very clear and it relies on a lot of inner monologues to explain what's going on, which was distracting. It hopped around quite a bit and wasn't very cohesive. It felt like lazy writing just to get a Valentine's film out. This film is entirely supported by several key cast members (two of which have Oscar's). But if you go in expecting 1.5 hrs of a camp romp punctuated by impressively choreographed fight scenes, with a couple notable cameos, I think you'll still have fun with this silly, fun movie. I hope KHQ gets more action films as a main character because he's brilliant when he's allowed to shine.

Ever since Ke Huy Quan won the Academy Award, cementing his acting career comeback, I've been in full support of whatever he does. The new action romantic comedy LOVE HURTS is seriously testing that support. Marvin (Ke Huy Quan) is one of the best realtors in town. When his dark and violent past comes back and threatens the new life he's built, he's forced to face it head on. There is so much that doesn't work in this movie. First, the story sucks. Marvin thought that having his face plastered around town was a good way of laying low after betraying his crime boss boba- drinking brother Alvin "Knuckles" (Daniel Wu). Marvin's betrayal consisted of saving the life of his love interest Rose (Ariana DeBose), who comes back into his life like a wrecking ball because "Hiding ain't living". I have never seen two characters in a romance have less chemistry. I always try and use my big words, but not here: He feels like a "simp" and she feels like an a**hole who uses him like a tool. The side characters were a little more interesting and fun, which isn't a good sign. Quan reunites with his GOONIES co-star Sean Astin, who actually has a good scene. Drew Scott (from the Property Brothers) has a funny scene, as does football player Marshawn Lynch. The antagonist has zero character development, which should've been easy to add in, since he's Marvin's estranged brother. The action scenes were not bad, but it felt like they were playing it safe. Even though the movie is 83 minutes long, it still feels too long. LOVE HURTS is a Valentine's Day movie with commitment issues with half-baked subplots and a cookie-cutter ending. Just watch the trailer, that's basically the movie.