Movie: The Fall Guy
Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Entertainment 260, 87North Productions, 87North
Director: David Leitch
Producers: David Leitch, Ryan Gosling, Drew Pierce
Scriptwriters: Drew Pearce
Main Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor – Johnson, Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham
Release Date: 2nd May 2024
Running Time: 125 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Introduction: This ferociously enjoyable remake of the 80’s TV show is the perfect homage to stunt work in Hollywood – something we should appreciate far more than we do.
Synopsis: Ryan Gosling is ‘Colt Seavers’, a scarred and battle worn stuntman who comes back to the business to track down the missing actor ‘Tom Ryder’ (Aaron Taylor Johnson) who he doubles for. Ryder also just so happens to be the main star of his ex-girlfriend ‘Jody’s (Emily Blunt) new blockbuster film.
Analysis: Stunt teams have always been in the background of cinema, we’ve just never acknowledged them. Do you remember that one awesome explosion? That one bone breaking fight scene? That one exhilarating car chase? A group of highly trained professionals risked their lives to make that possible to give you the entertainment you love so much. ‘The Fall Guy’ is the long awaited and long overdue behind the scenes look at how all of that is achievable and the resulting bruises, scars and life threatening injuries that make it a reality. All for our pleasure. Ryan Gosling had four doubles so it goes to show.
For film enthusiasts out there, the film begins with a catalogue of great Hollywood stunts we’ve seen over the years. I spotted ‘Atomic Blonde’, ‘Fast Five’, ‘Hobbs and Shaw’, and ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’, but I am sure many more were there. The team behind this were also behind those too. Director David Leitch is one of the most well – known stuntmen in Hollywood. He is one of the names behind ‘John Wick’. His stunt company ’87 North’ are one of the most successful and renowned in the industry (they were also involved in ‘John Wick’) and are involved here (the studio logo even has a cameo).
His direction brings the death – defying authenticity that you would expect from his experience and from such a film about this topic (it would have been rather ironic had it not been able to do that). All of the fight sequences contain very well – orchestrated and choreographed physicality that was very convincing. The physicality in general is executed to perfection and you can tell everything was carefully thought through. As someone who loves watching convincing action cinema, I was so pleased to see this. The plot stays together for the most part but does lose its way towards the end when a very obvious revelation is revealed. Like anyone is here for the writing though. Putting their ‘Barbenheimer’ rivalry to one side, Gosling and Blunt bounce off one another well and have good chemistry.
The two are very likeable screen presences. As I alluded to with the beginning of the film, ‘The Fall Guy’ is filled with self referential and cine-literate gags. I laughed all the way through this and had a big smile on my face from start to finish. I won’t give away what it is, but there is a joke/dig about the Oscars and stunts which was the funniest bit. In the end, the film has an underlying message about just how important stunts are within cinema and the dedicated team who bring them to life for us, however dangerous they are. Speaking not only as a diehard action fan but a diehard fan of all cinema, I thank them for doing so. Stick around until the lights come on because they are various things to see. My second favorite film of the year. I had an absolute blast. Let’s hope the Academy are watching.
In cinemas now.
Overall Rating: 8/10 – Very Good
Target Audience: 12+
Content Warning: moderate violence, infrequent strong language, drug references
Recommendation: Yes
