KE HUY QUAN AND ARANA DEBOSE IN ACTION -HRILLER

The poster for Love hurts Showing a threatening look Ke Huy Quan staring directly into the camera, wearing a sweet, heart-emblazoned sweater like Valentine’s Day candy swirling around him. It is a perfect encapsulation of the dichotomies in this new effort from 87north, the production company, which specializes in action films with such unlikely stars as Bob Odkirk (No) and David Harbor (plays a kickass Santa in Violent night).

Unfortunately, the company is not doing so well with the Oscar-winning actor from All everywhere at once. For all his impressive fighting skills, Quan simply doesn’t look very tough, even when equipped with slicked-back hair and a bart in flashbacks. Lovable, yes; A badass, no.

As if recognizing this fact, the film leans more heavily into comedy rather than action, although it contains more impressive fight scenes, including one in a kitchen where almost every tool is used for potentially deadly use. It would be fine if the comedy was actually funny, but the manuscript written by Matthew Murray, Josh Stådard and Luke Passmore appears far more moaning than entertaining.

As with NoThe central character first looks like a perfectly normal suburban guy, a successful real estate agent so lovely that he bakes cookies not only for his clients but also for everyone in the office. But like Odekirk’s family man turned out to have a secret past as a ruthless assassin, Quan’s Marvin Gable is soon revealed to be a former hitman who worked for his older brother crime manager, Knuckles (Daniel Wu).

Marvin’s past comes back to haunt him when he receives mysterious valentines from Rose (colleague Oscar winner Ariana Debose, who makes up more than acting), a former partner-in-crime. And it really bites him in the form of Raven (Mustafa Shakir), a deadly assassin specializing in knives and blades that show up in his office looking for Rose, who was assumed dead.

Cue Ultra-Violent Mayhem, with Rose soon reappears, and she and Marvin are trying to dodge the murderous effort from Knuckles’ Hemchmen, including King (former NFL player Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch) and Otis (others Eriksen), whose cartoon Feels Tarantino “-lite and Renny (Cam Gigandet) who have his own motives. Eventually Knuckles joins the crisis and has a meeting with Marvin’s friendly boss (Sean Astin, who is reunited with Quan four decades after GOONES), where he demonstrates his deadly skills with a boba straw.

Despite the many action scenes, Goofiness Supreme prevails, especially with the silly romance that suddenly develops between Raven, showing a surprisingly sensitive, artistic side and Ashley (Lio Tipton), Marvin’s eccentric assistant. Eventually, romantic sparks also fly between Marvin and Rose, and the less said about it, the better. At different points in the film, we hear voiceovers from different characters that reveal their inner reflections as if they were in a Hallmark advertising.

None of it turns out to be effective except for these fighting scenes, well orchestrated by first-time director and veteran stunt and combat coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and his talented team. They certainly allow for Quan, who has extensive stunt and battle choreography that even experiences, to demonstrate his significant skills.

The 53-year-old actor rises to the apartment, although none of the action seems completely realistic. The feeling of overly too fast and concentrated against humorous effect, the fighting lacks the visceral effect of them in John Wick movie or No. It is not surprising that the climatic fight is accompanied by Barry White Crooning a Love Song.

It does not help that Quan is so sweet and adorable that he never fully convinces as a past or current hard guy. The movie is trying to skirt this by having most of his matches being defensive, and by getting him to take more of a Christmas than any human being could reasonably endure, but it still comes out as if Woody Allen suddenly went the Middle Ages On someone’s ass while working Annie Hall.

Sil for its wicked combination of action, romance and silly comedy, Love hurts do not succeed fully in any department. But it gives the guilty joy of seeing one of the real estate brothers being shot through the head.