The Fall Guy Review

The Fall Guy is a big-screen adaptation of the 1980s TV show of the same name. A top-tier cast and action director have been hired to make an action-comedy that celebrates stunt performers and coordinators.

Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) works as the stunt double for the biggest star in Hollywood, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). After an accident on set Colt stays away from stunt work for 18 months. Colt receives an opportunity to return to a film set when the producer of a big sci-fi film, Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddington) offers him a chance to work in Australia. The lull is Colt gets to work with his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who’s making her directional debut. However, Gail has alternator motives: she wants Colt to find Tom who has gone missing in Sydney.

The discourse about the current blockbuster scene is that it has been too dependent on franchise names and CGI spectacle. The Fall Guy aimed to be a throwback to action-comedies from the ‘80s and ‘90s since it was a film that was built on star power and using practical effects. There was an air of Shane Black’s works since Black’s known for making comedy crime actioners, like Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It’s particularly fitting since Ryan Gosling did appear in one of Black’s films, The Nice Guys where he played a comical private detective who investigates the dark underbelly of 1970s Hollywood.

Going into The Fall Guy it did seem like it Ryan Gosling was combining his roles in The Nice Guys and Drive. In Drive Gosling played a stunt driver moonlighting as a getaway driver and his characters in both films used their stunt skills to great effect. Colt was able to fight, drive, and most importantly, have a willingness to get hurt. The Fall Guy does lean more towards The Nice Guys and Gosling’s other comedic roles than the neo-noir crime-thriller.

Gosling has been on a high because he arguably stole the show in Barbie, got himself an Oscar nomination, and got to perform “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars. The Fall Guy is his big follow-up and he got to show off his comedic crops and physical abilities. The marketing focused on Gosling and Blunt, adding to the classic feel since it was a film that highlighted its stars instead of a recognisable intelligential property. Gosling and Blunt are likeable actors, and they gave the film a rom-com energy due to their characters’ previous relationship. There was a fun dynamic between the pair, especially when Blunt’s character used the stunt sequences to take out her anger on her ex.

The Fall Guy was filled with acting talent. It featured the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddington (Ted Lasso), Winston Duke (Black Panther), and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once). Waddington was a standout as the stressed-out and dominating producer who drank more Diet Coke than Donald Trump. It was great to see Duke in an action role since he’s built like a tank and can be a hell of a bruiser.

David Leitch helmed the film and there must have been a personal connection to the material. Leitch started his career as a stuntman before becoming one of the biggest action directors currently working in Hollywood. He set out making The Fall Guy a love letter to stunt work. Colt uses his skills to fight various baddies and he’s willing to throw himself into danger. The film opened with Colt narrating about the importance of stunt performers and showed a montage of action scenes from Universal movies, and the end credits had behind-the-scenes of the action sequences being filmed.

As an action film, The Fall Guy was a solid entry. Leitch has shown he can craft action sequences and some noticeable highlights were a car chase through Sydney, and the final where all forms of stunt craft were on display. A fight sequence in a nightclub, when Colt was drugged, looked like it came out of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and had a bit of flair. Jean-Claude the stunt dog felt like he was a reference to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum since he took part in the action on Colt’s command.

The Fall Guy was a light offering in the action genre. It was a humorous celebration of Hollywood and stunts and shows a big action film can be carried by its stars instead of name recognition.