An explosive and entertaining love letter to stunt people and the films we wouldn't have without them, The Fall Guy delivers the perfect kick-off to Summer blockbuster season.
The Fall Guy Review
Action, comedy, romance… The Fall Guy blends those together for a crowd-pleasing good time. Bolstered by a cast that exudes charisma and charm, this film is an explosive and entertaining love letter to stunt people and the films we wouldn't have without them. David Leitch, a man who boasts a storied stuntman career, was the perfect choice to direct this reboot of the 1980s Lee Majors TV show. Leitch packs it with big stunt action, presented in a way that could only be accomplished by someone who intimately knows that life. Now this is how you kick-off the Summer blockbuster season.
Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), the once full-time stunt double for megastar and mega-jerk Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), has been missing in action after he suffered a serious back injury following a stunt gone wrong. He is content to live off-grid, parking cars the rest of his days until an old friend, producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham), calls him up begging for him to return to help find Ryder. Not only that, she needs him to step in as Ryder's double on Metal Storm, a sci-fi epic filming in Sydney, that just so happens to be directed by his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Anxious to see Jody again, Colt agrees. But it's not going to be easy to find Ryder, save the movie, and get the girl. The plot is pretty straightforward and yet does take time with its characters to give them space to shine.
Drew Pearce's script marries together various genres which on paper sounds a bit crazy. Is it an action-comedy or a romantic-comedy? Is it a tongue-in-cheek approach to the film industry and the genres themselves or is it a love-letter to the stunt community? The answer is all of the above. And it does so in a clever, tremendously funny, and entertaining way. Let's talk about the action first. Ever since the Bon Jovi infused first trailer dropped the promise was made that The Fall Guy would deliver action-packed moments for even the biggest adrenaline junkie. Well, buckle up and engage your core because Leitch pushes boundaries and ups the ante every chance he gets. Each fight is unique and memorable, borrowing from classic “action scenes” but also taking them up a notch or five. It's as if every scene they thought “how can we go bigger?”
Plus, (this is a movie about making a movie), the way Leitch shows how stunts come together for “Metal Storm” allows the audience to sit in awe, more so than usual, when these big choreographed fight scenes happen. That glimpse behind the curtain so to speak takes viewers' appreciation for stunt work to a whole new level. One of my favorite sequences sees Stephanie Hsu's character fighting for her life while Gosling hangs onto the back of the speeding truck, dodging fists and a shovel. (Why is there a shovel? Don't know, don't care but it looks cool.) And if that's not insane enough, Colt is attempting to rescue her with the help of Ryder's abandoned stunt dog named Jean Claude. Who by the way only listens to commands in French like “Attaquez,” which signals him to chomp down on bad guy's unmentionables. The amount of moving pieces and living beings in this is mind-boggling when you think about it. Knowing just a bit about what it takes to bring them to life makes it that much more exhilarating to watch.
Though The Fall Guy is elevated by massive, highly thrilling action set pieces, the heart of the film is Colt's relationship with Jody. The film leans all the way into the rom-com tropes as much as it does the action-comedy ones. There is the remorseful reflection to the tune of Taylor Swift's “All Too Well,” the slow mo first look, the will-they-won't-they, and the playful banter between to ex-lovers each trying to move forward in their own way. These elements help to raise the stakes and keep things interesting as they are deftly intermixed with the more action heavy moments. Blunt and Gosling's chemistry is red hot with the former playing the straight man to the latter's goofball.
Gosling plays Colt cool but vulnerable, seemingly unaffected by things but actually wounded. Watch his eyes when Jody shrugs him and tell me you don't see a sad puppy dog. His pitch-perfect comedic timing is on full display no matter if he is kicking ass in a nightclub or muttering to himself while breaking into a fancy loft. Blunt meanwhile is a confident, determined woman with just enough petty to say make her ex-boyfriend repeat a stunt that sees him on fire and slammed into a wall. She just wants to get it right, that's all. She is no damsel in distress and gets her own moment to show off what she learned from having a stunt man for a boyfriend. True the leads are fabulous but the supporting cast all threatened to steal the show.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Ryder as dim-witted and cruel, but overall a wannabe sleazier version of Matthew McConaughey. His take on McConaughey's signature drawl for his space cowboy role is hilarious. I won't mention it here but when I realized at least one of the actors Ryder is made to be a mockery of I laughed out loud. “I do my own stunts.” Mmhmm sure you do. Hannah Waddingham chews the scenery, commanding the scene and those in it like her own personal chess pieces. Another highlight is Winston Duke who plays Metal Storm’s stunt coordinator and Colt's best friend Dan. The two trade movie quotes, barbs, and laughs. When push comes to shove, Dan and the rest of his amazing stunt team have Colt's back. Anyone familiar with his character of M'Baku in Black Panther knows Duke can thrown down in a fight. It was awesome to see him back in action, drop-kicking, and clotheslining fools left and right.
As this is a film that has been crafted to honor the unsung heroes of the film-making industry, Leitch makes it happen and one of those ways is to not hide them. The stunt crew are visible throughout and get an awesome moment towards the end where they get to pull out all the stops. Honestly, it was so joyful to watch these incredible humans get the love they have so deserved. I have always been fascinated with the movie making process and I never miss the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney World. So The Fall Guy is right up my alley. But even if you have never thought about what it takes to get “those” shots in a film, this movie is enough to give you a new appreciation for the hard work happening behind the scenes. I can't end this without giving special mention to Gosling and Taylor-Johnson's doubles Logan Holladay, Ben Jenkin, Justin Eaton, and Troy Lindsay Brown.
Verdict
Ultimately, The Fall Guy is one explosively entertaining, hilarious, and charming blend of everything fans love about action films. It also serves as a spotlight for the many brave souls who make those jaw-dropping moments happen and who never receive credit for it. Between the sizzling chemistry of its leads, the scene-stealing antics of the supporting cast, and some great comedic moments, this is the kind of film that delivers a good time. This is how we start Summer blockbuster season with a high-octane action-romantic-comedy flick. Leitch and everyone involved have created something that will hopefully move The Academy into rightfully recognizing and awarding those who dare to get bruised, battered, burned, and more for the sake of the story. Oh and stay through the credits for not only a look at what it took to make the film but also for a mid-credit scene.
The Fall Guy releases May 3 in theaters. It is rated PG-13 for action and violence, drug content and some strong language with a runtime of 2 hours and 6 minutes.
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