The Fall Guy review

THE FALL GUY: 

RYAN GOSLING, EMILY BLUNT, AND THE STUNT TEAM LIGHT UP THE SCREEN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy

 

            Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Nice Guys, Barbie) returns to the world of stuntmen (This time without being a getaway driver at night) and this time he brings Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow, A Quiet Place: Parts 1 and 2, Oppenheimer) along with him in The Fall Guy, the new action-comedy from David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) and loosely based on a 1980s TV series of the same name (Which I didn’t realize until I saw it in the opening credits). The movie looked fun when I first saw the trailer and while Bullet Train wasn’t Leitch’s strongest work, it was still well-directed in terms of the action choreography and the actors’ comedic timing. 

            I was instantly sold by Gosling and Blunt’s involvement in this movie alone and the premise about a stuntman on a movie set who discovers a conspiracy surrounding the actor he’s doubling for and has to become a real action hero. The trailers gave exactly what it promised and I had a blast with this film. 

            The film follows Colt Seavers (Gosling), a Hollywood stunt performer working on a film that’s the directorial debut of his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Blunt). But when the movie’s lead actor, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson-Kick-Ass 1 and 2, Godzilla (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron) suddenly goes missing, Colt is called by the film’s producer to go and rescue him while also trying to piece together what’s going on. 

            The film also stars Winston Duke (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Us) as Colt’s best friend and stunt coordinator Dan Tucker, Hannah Waddingham (Krypton, Sex Education, The Garfield Movie) as the film’s producer Gail Meyer, Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four, Warm Bodies, Lights Out) as Iggy Starr, and Stephanie Hsu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Joy Ride) as Alma Milan. 

            Overall, The Fall Guy is a lighthearted romantic action-comedy romp with incredible stunt work, lovable onscreen chemistry by Gosling and Blunt, and a surprisingly engaging story that’s also a love letter to stunt performers in movies. The stunts are amazing and the people who went out of their way to make them happen deserve all the attention and praise they can get. 

            Given that this is a David Leitch production and he himself was a stuntman before becoming a director, the action scenes and stunts are well-choreographed and retain this kinetic energy throughout and since this film is about stuntmen in the movie industry, it’s very explosive and overblown stunts being performed. 

            The movie also teaches the audience about how stunts in films are done and what goes down on-set as they’re being performed. To the point where because of all the work that goes into them and how stunt people risk their lives to bring these jaw-dropping moments to the screen, you’ll be begging the Academy to create a new Oscars category for Best Stunts because these are the people that truly make the film come to life. 

            Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have very likable chemistry in the film which should come as no surprise to anyone given their statuses as beloved actors and I also appreciate them being an ex-couple that doesn’t spend the entire movie arguing and fighting with each other when you know they’re just going to get back together by the end. With the banter, bickering, and even a few somber moments they have, I genuinely bought them not just romantically, but also as friends and workplace collaborators.

            I also found myself getting invested in the film’s story and mystery surrounding the missing actor despite seeing a couple of twists coming as it went on. There were times during the film where I didn’t know where it was going and I was having fun piecing everything together.

            If you see movies in theaters and especially big blockbusters with a lot of special effects and stunts then The Fall Guy should be a mandatory watch in theaters. Even if you’re not big on overblown spectacle movies, I still recommend it because the two leads are extremely lovable and the film works as a romantic comedy so in a way this is a perfect win for a date night movie that leaves everyone happy. 

            While I may prefer Tropic Thunder in terms of my outrageous action-comedies about movie making and Driveis easily the better Ryan Gosling movie about stunts in the film industry, I still had a great time with The Fall Guy and strongly encourage film enthusiasts everywhere and moviegoers in general to seek it out. It doesn’t try to be pretentious or be filled with deep themes and messages, it’s just a lighthearted romp with crazy stunts, laughs, large-scale action, and endearing romantic leads, a fun time at the movies is guaranteed.