Ever since I saw the first trailers, I knew I wanted to see “The Fall Guy”. Not only did I watch the original tv series with Lee Majors but from the trailers, it looked like Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt were going to be comedy gold together. When I finally got the chance to see the movie, it was everything I’d hoped for, honoring the original series and creating a beautiful homage to the stunt teams but also giving the audience thumbs up action and fun in every scene.
“The Fall Guy” is an action comedy film directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce loosely based on the 1980’s series of the same name. In the film, Hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) works primarily as the stunt double for actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) but he’s badly hurt during a stunt that goes wrong. Blaming himself, Colt abandons his career and his girlfriend camera operator Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). A year and a half later, Colt is contacted by Tom’s film producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham). She tells Colt that Jody is directing her first film and needs him on set in Sydney. Once there, Colt quickly finds out Jody didn’t want him there and is still upset over their breakup. Gail ropes him into a search for Tom Ryder, who has disappeared, before the film gets canceled. Colt begins investigating while also trying to re-ignite his relationship with Jody. With the help of his friend, Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), he searches out answers but only gets deeper in danger and implicated for murder. Colt must find a way to clear his name and bring the true culprits to justice all while keeping Jody’s movie alive. The film also stars Stephanie Hsu as Alma, Tom’s assistant.
This film is truly a love letter to the stunt team and the movie making. One of the best aspects of the film is being shown how the stunts take place and how the character of Colt makes use of his stunt skills to fight and investigate. The action is well planned, well executed and brilliantly uses a mix of familiar stunts and skills to show off just how important the stuntman is on set, despite not getting much credit for the film’s success. Not only is the action thrilling but it is also infused with comedic elements such as Colt being set on fire repeatedly or having to fight with a prop gun. All of the action and narrative tie together perfectly to create a hilarious film.
It’s not just the action that works well in this movie, it’s also the dialogue and narrative. There are some fantastic lines, like when Colt confronts Gail about Jody not inviting him. Gail talks about nihilism being the sexy bacon in a second chance sandwich. Colt’s interactions with Jody drip with humor as she lets him know exactly how she feels about him leaving in front of the entire crew using movie references. At one point Colt is drugged and his reactions are priceless, especially the effects as he fights thugs in a club. The film just bursts with funny scenes that keep the audience laughing.
The narrative is brilliant as well. In the movie, there are tons of movie references and meta scenes where film making and directing are discussed, including how to solve the third act and brainstorming ideas. Not only is the discussion perfect given the story, but the meta aspects actually enhance the comedy, creating an hilarious effect each time it takes place in the movie.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are comedy gold in this film. Not only are both of them fantastic separately but the chemistry between them is off the charts. They manage to balance the comedy and heartwarming moments between their characters perfectly. Ryan Gosling infuses his character with real warmth and vulnerability while handling action scenes and comedic timing with brilliance. Ryan Gosling has found his perfect genre. Emily Blunt is hilarious as Jody, handling her dialogue with fabulous charm. She even gets to show off her action chops in fight scenes, executed with skill. The cast surrounding the pair are equally talented. Winston Duke is fantastic as Dan, even stealing a few scenes when he and Colt have to fight a group of thugs. Hannah Waddingham is fantastically funny as Gail Meyer. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is hilarious as Tom Ryder, the actor with a huge ego. Stephanie Hsu is equally funny as the rest of the cast when she haggles with Colt over information.
I’m sure others might find flaws or imperfections in this movie but I just cannot. Not only does it brilliantly show off the skills of the stunt team, the unsung heroes of the film industry, men and women who get blown up, beaten up and take the fall for the actors, it also is fantastically funny, a huge thumbs up action and fun in every scene. I also love the little touches of references to the original eighties tv show that are sprinkled throughout the movie. For those who are familiar, these only make the movie even better. This love letter to the stunt crew is brilliant action and comedy.
If you like action and comedy, if you’re a fan of the original tv show, I highly recommend you check out “The Fall Guy ”. Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and the entire crew are hilarious, the narrative is brilliantly funny but also extraordinarily skilled in showing how the stunt team work and how directing works. It is both meta and beautifully realistic while still being fun to watch. I loved every second of this movie, it was an absolute blast from start to finish.
Rating: 5 out of 5 mouth guards
