Shadows on the Wall | Love Hurts

Love Hurts

dir Jonathan Eusebio
scr Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, Luke Passmore
prd David Leitch, Guy Danella, Kelly McCormick
with Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Cam Gigandet, Mustafa Shakir, Marshawn Lynch, Andre Eriksen, Sean Astin, Lio Tipton, Rhys Darby, Yoko Hamamura, Drew Scott
release US/UK 7.Feb.25
25/US Universal 1h23

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Stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio turns director for an action comedy that's packed with witty, eye-catching fight sequences. Not quite as much attention was paid to the script; the dialog is snappy, but the plot never quite grabs hold, largely because everything that happens feels naggingly pointless. Without resonant characters or situations, the movie is rather unmemorable. But as a bit of silly entertainment, it just about does the trick.

In Milwaukee, Marvin (Quan) is working as a top estate agent when presumed-dead bad girl Rose (DeBose) reappears. This reignites Marvin's violent past as a gangster alongside his brother Knuckles (Wu), whose goons will now stop at nothing to find Rose. But Marvin wants to protect Rose, because he has a crush on her. And he'll need to rediscover his fighting prowess to take on Knuckles' fast-talking thug Merlo (Gigandet), murderous poet Raven (Shakir) and deadly duo King and Otis (Lynch and Eriksen). All while trying to sell a dream house to a young couple.

Galloping along at a brisk pace, the film never slows down long enough for us to worry about the simplistic narrative or cliched characters. The action choreography is inventive and often very funny, gleefully indulging in grisly nastiness and wanton destruction. And the tone remains bouncy and energetic, with a few quiet moments along the way that add semblance of emotional connections.

Refreshingly, Quan underplays Marvin beautifully, remaining impressively offhanded even in the middle of some staggering battles. This helps bring out his internal yearnings and instinctive skills. Almost everyone else goes broad, most notably a scene-chomping DeBose as the take-no-prisoners Rose. But even she has nice moments of insecurity. And several ace performers in the ensemble have some fun adding quirky touches to their scenes.

These offbeat details make the film engaging, even if we never doubt where it's headed. Even the amusing, kinetic fights are fairly easy to predict, sticking close to the usual formula. Watching these characters attack each other in wildly original ways is enjoyable enough while it lasts. In the end, it's a bouncy, goofy, violent romp that keeps us smiling. And while nothing sticks with us, there's at least a sweet Valentine's Day message about going after your true love.

themes, language, violence 7.Feb.25

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