Love Hurts Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Love Hurts Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker April 8, 2025

From the producers of 'John Wick', "Nobody', and 'Bullet Train' comes the action-packed comedy 'Love Hurts' which arrives on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Universal. The film stars Ke Huy Quan ('Everything Everywhere All at Once') as Marvin Gable, a mild-mannered real estate agent with a past, alongside Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Sean Astin, and former NFL great Marshawn Lynch. The film marks the directorial debut of award- winning stunt designer Jonathan Eusebio. The release boasts a solid 1080p transfer and a lively Dolby Atmos track. Supplemental materials are limited, but entertaining. This edition also includes a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere, and an embossed slipcover.

Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is as relentlessly perky a realtor as one could ever hope to find. In much of his early dialogue, he spews overly cheery self-help platitudes to his assistant Ashley (Lio Tipton, Warm Bodies) who is as negative as he is positive, and all of his prospective buyers. No sooner does he arrive at his office on Valentine's Day than he finds himself in the clutches of The Raven (Mustafa Shakir, Luke Cage) a man whom he clearly knows but has no business being in the social orbit of a simple realtor in Milwaukee. Clearly, there is more to Marvin Gable than meets the eye. Revealed to be a former enforcer for his brother, the crime lord Knuckles (Daniel Wu, Ito the Badlands), Martin finds himself in hot water due to the fact that someone he is was supposed to have killed, Rose (Ariana DeBose, Kraven the Hunter), a member of Knuckles' crew, is still very much alive and is sending her former colleagues notes. Now, with his own life on the line as a result of his deception, his two worlds come crashing together as he fights off assassins, tries to gain the affection of the woman he loves, and still works to sell a home on Valentine's Day.

Action takes center stage in this endeavor, playing to the strengths of both Ke Huy Quan and the film's director, Jonathan Eusebio. Fights break out with great regularity, allowing for five to ten minutes to advance the plot in between punches, gunplay, and explosions. In the tradition of the best Hong Kong actioners, and following in a mold that Jackie Chan turned into an art form, Quan and Eusebio mix liberal doses of comedy and creative camera angles with the action. Among the more inventive and entertaining are the shots filmed from within the microwave and the refrigerator in Gable's pristine kitchen, prior to him being shut up in the refrigerator and thrown over the center island. By the end of the scene, the appliances in question, and a good deal more of his home are reduced to ruin. Also in the tradition of Chan's work, there is an item of great importance that Ke Huy Quan's Marvin Gable does his level best to protect from destruction in the midst of a massive fight with two of Knuckle's goons, one of whom is portrayed by Marshawn Lynch, formerly of the NFL, and late of a number of different television commercials. Here, however, rather than a priceless vase or some similar artifact, it's his recently received framed certificate proclaiming him to be the recipient of the Regional Realtor of the Year Award. While others may find it trite, to Gable it's tangible proof that he can have a normal life. Considering the film's consistent tendency to treat Gable rather harshly, it's a foregone conclusion that the award is doomed, it's merely a question of how long it will survive.

Redundancy is likely the script's major weakness with certain lines and phrases being repeated at various points throughout the film. While Gable repeatedly iterating his advertising catchphrase serves to demonstrate just how significantly he's committed to his new life and how hard he's working on living a "normal" life , the repetition of the "I have to face my past to be truly free" voiceover only serves to highlight the script's issues. Not unique to Gable, redundant voiceovers also frequently plague Rose as well, demonstrating that while the writers wanted to ensure that viewers understood where these characters stood and what was driving their actions, they didn't have a plan on how to have it occur doing conversations between the two characters (or others) so that their relationship had an opportunity to feel plausible and viable while simultaneously allowing for much-needed character development.

To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut an author should create a character readers can identify with and then do terrible things to him. Love Hurts takes this to extremes. Not only is Marvin Gable one of the most impossible-to-dislike characters in his positive and supportive realtor identity, the film revels in visiting upon him grievous bodily harm in virtually every fight scene. More than a few hits, kicks, and throws are, thanks to the accompanying sound effects, wince-inducing, and viewers will often be left wondering how he continues to get back up on his feet and also, surprisingly, somehow has the energy, mental clarity and physical ability to continue to be effective in the fights, pursuits, or, when need be, escapes. Considering the punishment he takes, simply being able to stand up seems superhuman. The brutality of some of these fight scenes and the injuries they should, and often do generate puts the entertaining and creative fight choreography at odds with Love Hurts' well-established comedic tone. One can't laugh at the ridiculous moments during Gable's initial fight with The Raven given how the scene between the two begins. And unfortunately, this issue doesn't end there. While the film intends obviously to capture the comedic chaos of the fight scenes that was so integral to Jackie Chan's films and their success, those films rarely confronted viewers with gruesome or malicious brutality. Here, it occurs in every fight, and though the fights still amaze, they are robbed of their intended comedic effect.

Likewise, the viewer can't truly chuckle at the absurdity of The Raven's poetry and Ashley's "love at first sight" reaction to him given his initial and ongoing brutality that comes part and parcel with his career choice. Ashley's gloomy and dour outlook may position her as diametrically opposed to Gable's limitless and infectious cheerfulness, but having an otherwise sensible character inexplicably and immediately fall for a professional killer and have the feeling so rapidly reciprocated rings hollow. For while the Gable we are initially introduced to seems an ordinary fellow, his precious position makes his affection for and attachment to Rose credible, even if the writing doesn't handle that necessary element of the plot as well as it should.

The uninspired locations used in the film do little to make the film memorable. The Jackie Chan films which Love Hurts works so hard to emulate typically provided viewers with at least one truly memorable location the likes of which most viewers probably hadn't seen before. Here, though, the bulk of the film's action takes place in relatively standard and nondescript homes, the one in which Gable lives and the nearly identical others with their bland and generic staging and decor making them instantly forgettable. The club where Rose works is a similarly unremarkable destination with its pithy name (Foxhole) and banal interiors. Pushing to give the viewers some set element to remember, Knuckles' hangout is a shop called LKP, an odd amalgamation of an arcade loaded with vintage video games, and a video store with racks of films on display either for rent or purchase and movie posters from films like Avenging Eagle and Gang Master lining the walls. As the store never seems to be open, the location that should be the film's most unique simply seems strange. And on a larger scale, the Canadian locations used in shooting are not effective or convincing in evoking the spirit and aesthetic of Love Hurts' professed Milwaukee setting.

Love Hurts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like Marvin Gable's carefully manicured realtor persona and the homes that he sells, everything in the 1080p presentation is neat, tidy, and perfectly in order. Fine detail is extremely high and is appreciable in the film's many interior and occasional exterior locations. Facial particulars are especially pleasing, with fine lines, wrinkles, and stubble all open for inspection, as are Marshawn Lynch's numerous tattoos. Costuming particulars also present with solid tactile realism, particularly, Martin's fuzzy sweater vests, The Raven's well-manicured beard, and the frayed and fibrous scarves which he wears. Interiors, such as Marvin's office, allow viewers to appreciate wood grains and the red glittery highlights of the Valentine's Day decorations on display. Exterior locations fare just as well, with wood grain again being visible in sections of fencing as well as pebbly details in pavement. Skin tones are typically healthy, save for when they fall victim to occasional intentional lighting choices, especially in Knuckles' "hideout". Blacks are deep and absorbing, though they can sometimes swallow detail. Colors are satisfyingly saturated with reds having the frequent opportunities to pop as far as primaries go. Depth and dimensionality are strong. I did not detect any defects or anomalies.

Love Hurts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Love Hurts is outfitted with an excellent Dolby Atmos audio track. Considering the film's action orientation it's suitably active and boisterous, providing perfect support to the frequent bouts of mayhem. Directionality is very strong, with voices and sound effects being effortlessly placed exactly where they belong and allowing them to move fluidly through the sound stage. Given the violent nature of the film, fans will be pleased to note that the bass is incredibly powerful, lending bone-crunching depth and realism to the never-ending parade of punches, kicks, crashes, and body slams. Gunfire is likewise punishing, with the impact of the bullets resulting in complete and realistic sound effects, from crunching wood to the delicate tinkling of shattering glass. Those hit by Rose's stun gun allow the audience to experience the crisp crackle of electricity before the palpable thud of unconscious bodies hitting the ground. Incredibly immersive for much of the runtime, bullets whiz through the stage, and music and ambient sounds routinely surround the viewer. When music is pushed to the forefront, it's observably well-rendered. Dialogue is clean and front and center focused.

Love Hurts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Love Hurts comes outfitted with the following on-disc supplemental material.

• Alternate Ending (1.54) - A different and largely inferior ending for the film is presented.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes
  • Lovers in the Park (0.24)
  • Dog Poop (0.36)
  • Last Client (0.18)
  • Dead Roses(0.43)
  • Extended Knuckles and Merlo (1.49)
  • Kippy's Teeth (0.27)
  • Extended Otis and King (1.27)
  • Extended Raven and Ash (113)

• The Ke to Gable (3.33) - Ke Huy Quan discusses how he became involved with fight choreography and working with the 87North stunt team o make the fights in the film look as convincing as possible.

• The Heart of 'Love Hurts' (7.34) - Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBoise, Director Jonathan Eusebio and others discuss the project and take viewers behind the scenes with clips from the film intermixed.

• Stunts Hurt (10.37) - Director Jonathan Eusebio, Second Unit Director/Stunt Designer & Coordinator Can Aydin, star Ke Huy Quan, and other cast members discuss the numerous fight scenes in the film.

Love Hurts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

That Ke Huy Quan deserves an opportunity to serve as the lead in feature films is evident, based not only on his work in Everything Everywhere All at Once but also on what he accomplishes here. That he can function convincingly as an action star in the vein of Jackie Chan is more than demonstrated in Love Hurts. One hopes, however, that his next opportunity comes in a project with a script that is equally on-point as the action scenes are here. The strength of this film is, without doubt, its action scenes, all of which are incredibly energetic and are carried out by a talented and unique group of actors. Though the tone is not as consistent as one would hope, on the strength of Ke Huy Quan's performance and that of the rest of the cast, Love Hurts comes recommended.