The Fall Guy (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A down-and-out stuntman must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s blockbuster film.

My Take – In a time when every other film is striving to be a part of a larger franchise or an “interconnected” universe with diminishing quality an returns, very few filmmakers in the Hollywood landscape have stayed determined to keep focusing on what’s actually important: to deliver pure unadulterated entertainment.

The kind of effortless fun that was once peddled so well. For his latest, in an effort to hearken back to the days when escapist cinema dominated the roster, director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train), aims to dazzle with the sheer magnetism of his leads, by thrusting us into a whirlwind of romance and adventure, by delivering a joyride that’s as heartwarming as it is thrilling.

A loose remake of the 1981 TV series of the same name, the resulting film is a fun action-packed romantic drama that keeps you engaged throughout.

Yes, the film lacks the promised humor, and has too thin a plot than it deserves, yet the script from writer Drew Pearce (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) shrewdly undercuts its failings by focusing on the dazzling chemistry between its leads, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

Together they create an onscreen couple who are alluring not only for their looks but also their awkwardness, making all the humor and fumbling flirtations endearing and entertaining as they explore the hardships behind the scenes. But most importantly, the film acts as a glorious ode to the art of stunt work.

Through breathtaking feats and daredevil escapades, it pays homage to unrecognized contributions of the risk-takers who’ve silently shaped cinematic history. It is comforting to know that behind every great action sequence in the films we watch, there will always be those brave people willing to risk everything in the name of delivering something visually stunning to cinema.

The story follows Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a Hollywood stunt performer, who works mainly as the stunt double for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a world famous action star. However, when he gets severely injured during a stunt gone wrong, Colt abandons his career and his relationship with Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a camerawoman.

Eighteen months later, having recovered from the near fatal accident on set, Colt, now a valet for a small Mexican restaurant, is contacted by Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), Tom’s film producer, requesting him to join them in Sydney, Australia as Jody is directing her first film, a science fiction epic called Metalstorm, and wants Colt to join the production.

However, when Colt arrives on the set, he not only finds out that Jody never asked for him, but is still angry about how he ended things with her, and to make matters worse, the star of her film, Tom Ryder, has simply disappeared.

With the threat of the production shutting down indefinitely looming over their head, Gail Meyer requests Colt to find Tom to save both Jody’s film and her reputation as an up-and-coming filmmaker. With his heart on his sleeve, this stuntman throws himself into the fray to make her dreams come true, all in hopes of scoring a second chance at romance.

Buzzing with a catchy soundtrack, the film central focus lies in its brilliantly executed stunts, but what truly enhances visual storytelling are the personal interactions between the characters. Providing a steady stream of humor and romantic chemistry. True to his reputation, director Leitch provides plenty of outrageous action scenes once again.

Some are for the film-within-the-film, including a car roll that broke a Guinness World Record. Some are part of Colt’s off-set misadventures, which include swordplay, fire fights, daring escapes, and a speedboat chase. Director Leitch, himself a former stuntman, makes good use of this film’s premise to poke fun at the world of stunt work in a respectful, tongue-in-cheek manner.

In particular, the film humorously calls out the similarity of its plot to that of 1993’s The Fugitive, with Colt realizing he has been relegated to a role mirroring Harrison Ford on the run despite his innocence. We also see during the filming of the “film-within-a-film” how tedious it must be to being forced to perform the same stunts over and over. Many of these stunts usually involve subjecting one to painful situations, like being set on fire or thrown out of a car window.

Beyond the adrenaline, there’s also poignant commentary on the digital age’s challenges to authenticity, particularly how with deep fake they can stick the actors over the bodies of the stuntmen, so that it really looks as if the actors are actually doing their stunts themselves. Making the film a vibrant counterpoint to the prevailing trends of faceless, CGI-dominated blockbusters.

Performance wise, Ryan Gosling once again proves his mettle as a jack-of-all-trades, winning hearts even in the most casual settings, his turn here further cementing his versatile appeal. Here, Gosling does a great job balancing out Colt’s tough, resilient image of a stunt performer with that of someone who genuinely cares about those who are likely to eclipse his success.

Emily Blunt‘s performance too is effortless, perfectly suiting her character’s charisma. After a couple of serious films, it’s a delight to see Blunt back in comedy. She’s got terrific comedic timing that pairs perfectly with her well-placed hard stare.

It helps that her chemistry with Gosling works quite well in the film’s favor, showcasing her secret longing to rekindle an old romance while still maintaining a level of professionalism. I also found it interesting to see how the film touched upon Jody’s insistence on having her story told exactly to her specifications, even if it caused her to lock horns with the film’s producers and cast members.

In supporting roles, Hannah Waddington, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Teresa Palmer and Stephanie Hsu are excellent. While Lee Majors and Heather Thomas, who starred in the original television series, have cameo appearances in the film. On the whole, ‘The Fall Guy’ is a madcap action-comedy reminiscent of old school Hollywood cinema.