Ke Huy Quan’s action/comedy Love Hurts has received a poor reception from critics, who were unimpressed by the film’s action and plot.
Quan’s first lead role since winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once has him playing a former hit-man brought back into his former profession when his brother tries to hunt him down. The film currently has a 21 per cent critics’ score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 70 reviews.
Many critics felt the action scenes were unbelievable. Variety’s Peter Debruge wrote: “Most audiences want action to feel like action, whereas (director Jonathan Eusebio) makes it look too much like choreography: No matter how dynamic, every fight scene seems rehearsed to within an inch of its life.”
The Hollywood Reporter went further, with Frank Scheck writing: “Straining for its ungainly combination of action, romance and silly comedy, Love Hurts doesn’t fully succeed in any department.” Rolling Stone’s David Fear was more damning, writing simply: “Love may hurt, sure. But it’s not nearly as painful as being forced to watch a great actor stuck in a bad movie”.
In the UK, Daily Telegraph’s Robbie Collin criticised the needless complication of the plot. “Love Hurts’s handling of this fairly straightforward narrative template makes Mulholland Drive look an episode of Paw Patrol,” he wrote. “On numerous occasions while watching I found myself wondering if I’d just woken up, or was possibly having a stroke.”
The Guardian’s Ryan Gilbey didn’t recommend the film’s timing as a Valentine’s date movie, writing: “As Valentine’s Day treats go, however, Love Hurts is the cinematic equivalent of a wilted bouquet from a petrol station forecourt”.
Recently, the cast of The Goonies reunited to honour star Quan, who said he would be very keen to appear in a sequel to the ‘80s classic.
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