Our Review

                  Movie:  THE FALL GUY

  Rating: PG-13, action and violence, drug             content and some strong language`

                          Length: 2:06

             Release Date: May 3, 2024

Jeanne: In the world of filmmaking, there is, in fact, a stunt glossary --- and the definition of a ‘fall guy’ is “A stunt performer who specializes in high falls or falling stunts, often taking on the role of a character in a fall-related action sequence.” Inspired by the TV show which ran from 1981 to 1986, starring Lee Majors, THE FALL GUY is an homage to the dedicated stunt people who bring action pictures to life.

Directed by David Leitch, a former real-life stunt man himself, and working from a screenplay by Drew Pearce, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the character played by Majors on TV. Colt is the stunt double for the biggest action star on the planet, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), until an horrific fall sidelines him for a year.

Spending his nights as a valet at a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, Colt receives a call from producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham, looking almost unrecognizable in a brunette wig she lovingly nicknamed “The Badger”). She’s working on a huge new futuristic action movie directed by Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), Colt’s former love, starring Ryder. It’s Jody’s big break and Colt is needed to play Ryder’s double again.

When Colt shows up in Sydney, Australia, Jody has no idea he was coming --- and Ryder is missing. To save Jody’s film, Gail prevails upon Colt to find the star before the studio learns he’s missing. And Colt must accomplish this task while still performing stunts on Jody’s movie entitled METALSTORM. When Colt discovers a dead body on ice in a hotel room, things become very complicated as Colt is accused of murder and is being sought by the police and a nasty group of thugs.

THE FALL GUY is highly entertaining --- and, as one would expect, full of amazing stunts. Everything from getting blown up, shot, thrown through windows, set on fire and being dropped from extreme heights, this action film has it all. And in a first for the industry, Chris O’Hara, the stunt coordinator, received credit as ‘Stunt Designer’, a new moniker approved by the Screen Actors Guild, which better describes the multifaceted aspects of this often overlooked profession.

Gosling’s portrayal of Colt is totally believable --- and a hoot. He worked very hard to do some of his own stunts, but most of the heavy lifting went to his stunt doubles, Ben Jenkin and Justin Eaton, his driving stunt double, Logan Holladay, and his high fall stunt double, Troy Brown. Make no mistake, THE FALL GUY is ALL about fantastic stunts --- and honoring those who perform them.

But it isn’t just the remarkable feats that make Leitch’s film so much fun. The relationship --- and adorable chemistry --- between Gosling and Blunt is the highlight of THE FALL GUY. They exhibit such an easy, relaxed attraction, plus they are gorgeous together. It’s particularly effective that none of their time together on screen is overdone or pretentious. Blunt is marvelous --- as always --- she’s absolutely perfect in this role.

The supporting cast is equally up to the task. Waddingham is hilarious --- as well as Stephanie Hsu as Tom Ryder’s assistant, Alma Milan. The scene in the massive truck after she’s been kidnapped is hysterical --- Stephanie really packs a wallop. And of course, Taylor-Johnson is well cast. He plays the smarmy Ryder with aplomb.

And lastly, kudos go to the two female Aussie Kelpie dogs who play Jean Claude, a dog who responds only to French commands. They were totally awesome!

Opinion: See It Now!

David: The pairing of megastars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in a film directed by David Leitch instantly ensures its box office success. THE FALL GUY is immensely entertaining.

The film centers around the romance between stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling) and movie director Jody Moreno (Blunt). But equally significant is the film’s tribute to stunt people who take all the risks but get virtually no credit in the public eye.

The slick production with prior Leitch collaborators like Jonathan Sela (Director of Cinematography, and Leitch films like DEADPOOL 2, BULLET TRAIN, JOHN WICK) and Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir (Editing, and DEADPOOL 2, BULLET TRAIN, ATOMIC BLONDE) make it impossible to discern that Gosling did not perform his own stunts.

In reality, four real-life stuntmen made Gosling’s character look heroic, including being set on fire multiple times,  smashed into a boulder and falling from great heights, of which Gosling has admitted a deep fear.

Ryan did manage a couple of his own stunts including a 12-story fall. And the versatile actor gets to show off his chiseled body a la Ken, his character in BARBIE. Why not? You work that hard to get in super shape why not flaunt it for as long as you can?

Blunt is as appealing as ever, and the fact that her character cannot get over her love for Colt, and vice versa, is the crux of the story written by Drew Pearce (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE --- ROGUE NATION, IRON MAN 3). THE FALL GUY is based on the 1980s TV series “The Fall Guy” by the late --- and quite prolific --- writer/producer Glen A. Larson who had eight shows running simultaneously on network television.

Perhaps most significant is that Leitch has a history of being a stuntman himself for 20 years, including performing as Brad Pitt’s stunt double in the film FIGHT CLUB. Leitch’s previous action films have earned several billion dollars at the box office, so clearly the man knows how to engage an audience.

The rest of the primary cast includes Aaron Taylor- Johnson as the era’s biggest film star Tom Ryder, and Hannah Waddingham as Gail Meyer, the producer of Jody’s feature film debut entitled METALSTORM, a sci-fi thriller. Taylor-Johnson plays the narcissistic movie heartthrob perfectly, who also harbors a deep secret that threatens the career and indeed the life of Colt.

Waddingham is her usual delightful --- and somewhat wicked --- self (almost unrecognizable in a long, dark wig vs. her blonde persona in “Ted Lasso”). She describes her experience on the set of THE FALL GUY: “Watching the stunts on this film was one of the greatest privileges of my life”.

The rest of the cast includes Winston Duke as the stunt coordinator on Jody’s movie, Stephanie Hsu as Ryder’s primary assistant, and Teresa Palmer as Ryder’s girlfriend who wields a mean sword in one fight sequence.

As fascinating as the stunt sequences are to witness in THE FALL GUY, it is the on-again, off-again, on-again flirtations between Colt and Jody that are the most intriguing element. Gosling and Blunt make their characters completely affable and credible, so we can’t help but hope they end up together. One scene has the pair speaking on the telephone via a split screen conversation --- it’s terrific.

Filmed in Sydney, Australia, THE FALL GUY is a must for the big screen.

Opinion:  Strong See It Now!