The Fall Guy - Review: An Explosion of Charm and Stunt-tastic Action

 

If ever there was a profession tailored made for the Hollywood cliche of brushing yourself off and getting back up, it is that of the stunt man, the profession made of people willing to throw themselves into/at hell to make a much more famous person look that much cooler. Lifelong stunt-man-turned-director David Leitch (“John Wick,” “Atomic Blonde”) has crafted what could easily be called the greatest tribute to the profession one could ever make with the bonkers and breezy “The Fall Guy.”

Starring Ryan Gosling (“The Nice Guy,” “La La Land”) as retired stunt man Colt Seavers who’s called back into the fray to work on the directorial debut of his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno, played by Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place,” “Edge of Tomorrow”). However, there’s more sinister things afoot, as he’s recruited by the film’s producer Gail Meyer, played by Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso,” “Krypton”), to track down its missing lead, action star Tom Ryder, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass,” “Bullet Train”), with Winston Duke (“Black Panther,” “Us”), Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Joy Ride”), and Teresa Palmer (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “A Discovery of Witches”) rounding out the cast.

It’s a very silly and breezy flick, with the film constantly breaking the fourth wall without becoming obnoxious. The moments range from larger ones, such as messing with repeated takes and split screens, to smaller ones simply commenting on the nature of the film at large. They’re all executed fantastically, with a zip and whimsy that’s been missing in virtually any blockbuster action movie for the last five or so years.

Part of that is due to the script from Drew Pearce (“Iron Man 3,” “Hotel Artemis”), which is just complicated enough to be interesting, without becoming a parody of itself, and the rest is due to the phenomenal comedic abilities of Gosling as well as his chemistry with Blunt. The pair light the screen up and they have such natural banter that falling for their story isn’t a question of if, rather it’s a question of when.

The film’s supporting cast also excels, with everyone committing to the wavelength of the film’s somewhat silly, somewhat serious tone. Duke and Gosling are instant best friends, and a fight scene featuring the two of them about two-thirds of the way through the film is a bolt of pure charisma. Waddingham and Johnson make for a perfectly hammy pair at every turn, but Hsu and Palmer, while still a lot of fun, feel underutilized considering how they easily match the rest of the cast’s charms.

Throughout “The Fall Guy” there are so many fingerprints of 90s and early 2000s blockbusters that make the film feel like something of a throwback to a bygone era. In this age of overly franchised CGI heavy shlock (ironic since this film is a reboot/remake of an 80s television series), it’s refreshing to see a film so action heavy and still features real people, stunts, locations, and effects. It’s obviously a film made to pay tribute to those stunt workers, but it manages to do so and still provide a metric ton of fun and entertainment.

Leitch and Pearce are never afraid to let their actors be their charismatic selves either. There are so many moments of charming banter the helps to flesh out and sell this cast as a group of real people easy to fall for. At times it is so charismatic, even at its slightly over two hours runtime, its easy to see a world where the film itself is longer with no issues.

Even without the impressive stunts and action, charismatic cast, and witty script, the biggest thing working in the film’s favor is its genuine love of the “below the line” workers on a film set. While there are jokes about getting coffee and other menial tasks, it's also a movie about the people who don’t get top billing and celebrating them. While it might be focused on stunt performers, it's easy to see a love of every single person who bands together to help get a movie made.

“The Fall Guy” may not be a masterpiece, but it’s a fantastic work of action blockbuster filmmaking packed with plenty of great stunts and sequences. Beyond that though, it has a big beating heart at its center, carried by Gosling, Blunt, and the rest of the cast across the finish line with swagger, charm, and a big goofy grin. It’s the kind of movie that makes you love the movies because it also loves the movies. 4/5