As a happily married couple in “Guns Up,” Kevin James and Christina Ricci are like many long marrieds: worried about the bills, raising two kids, dreaming about a better future.

That dream is complicated by a mob rivalry with many reprisals and corpses by the dozen.

“Guns Up,” Ricci, 45, explained in a joint interview, “is a movie with a lot of heart. An action comedy that’s really about an underdog and his family. And it’s really fun.”

“The thing I love the most,” James, 60, added, “is that it does walk the line like a badass action film and a fun family movie. It teases back and forth between the two and just feels effortless in that way.”

James’ ex-cop has long worked as a murderous mob henchman whose home life couldn’t be more mundane. That changes when their lives are threatened.

“The heart of it,” James believes, “is really just a loving family. A mother and father that want to provide for their kids. Maybe it’s not the best way, the way they go about it is a little bit unique. But that love is always there and you feel that love.”

“It’s one of those situations,” Ricci acknowledged, “where Alice, my character, is aware of what he does. We’re just hiding it from the kids.

“What makes this a very relevant story is that these two people are stuck financially. They want the best for their children. People can relate to that. Alice wants to open a diner so they can invest in their future and Kevin’s character is having to do the dirty work. And they get in a little bit of trouble along the way.”

Both actors have thrived in a business where longevity is never guaranteed. What’s their secret? The ability to pick the right scripts?

“Definitely not,” James answered. “Because I’ve definitely picked the wrong material at times. It’s really learning, adapting.

“Working with great people to me has become more of the focus. That is the key. This business, it’s so hard to pick what’s going to be popular next year. So I’ve focused less on that and more on who I work with — and make sure it aligns with what I want to do.”

“For myself,” Ricci said, “I just feel I’ve gotten really lucky. Because I certainly have done really terrible things. Quite a few things.

“But that’s just something that is the life of an actor — or anybody who’s in something as volatile as an industry as we’re in.”

“Guns Up” is available on streaming platforms