The Fall Guy, 2024.
Directed by David Leitch.
Starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, and Stephanie Hsu.
SYNOPSIS:
A down-and-out stuntman must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s blockbuster film.
Barbie and Oppenheimer collectively dominated the 2023 movie landscape both in terms of box office and awards, coincidentally two of the stars of the those behemoths are now starring together in the action-comedy The Fall Guy. The movie sees Colt Seavers (Gosling), jaded action stuntman, called in to help on the set of his old flame Jody’s (Blunt) directorial debut. It just so happens the pair haven’t spoken in over a year and there is clearly no love lost between the pair with Colt seemingly keen to rekindle their romance. On top of this there is the disappearance of lead star, action icon Tom Ryder for the pair to contend with.
It would be remiss not to address that the film is from veteran stunt performer and co-ordinator David Leitch who has worked on the John Wick films and directed the likes of Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Bullet Train. This is clearly intended as a love letter to stuntpeople who often go unsung, the film joking about this lack of recognition and how there isn’t an Oscar for stuntpeople. It is a far cry from the last time Gosling played a stuntman in 2011’s moody Drive.
Leitch here finds a better balance tonally than on Bullet Train which sacrificed a lot of its narrative thrust and drama for cheap, repetitive laughs. Much of the success of the humour here is down to Gosling and Blunt’s natural charisma and chemistry, the film is better when they are together giving some stakes to the action. The action itself feels more like it belongs in a hard-edged action movie than the comedic film we are watching.
The first hour is a very enjoyable romp with Gosling excelling at capturing a burnt-out Colt desperate for another shot (and in desperate need of a coffee), it is easy to be swept up by his natural screen presence and easy brand of humour and there is a sense of intrigue surrounding the mystery at the heart of things. At just over two hours it is perhaps 20 minutes too long and sags considerably in its middle act, picking it up with some over-the-top bombastic action in its finale. Despite some of its faults, it’s hard not to have a good time with a film like The Fall Guy, a perfect vessel for its two megastars, who are clearly having a great time and it will achieve its aim of giving the audience a good time.
It is self-referential and sends up action tropes we all know but there is much to like about The Fall Guy. Jody’s film, Metalstorm a love-child of Dune and Mad Max, poking considerable fun at both is an enjoyable in-joke and the film certainly knows its target audience.
The Fall Guy is a hugely enjoyable romp anchored by the pairing of its two electric leads, Gosling here closer to The Nice Guys than Barbie is a delight with Blunt a fine foil and there are enough laughs and bone-crunching action to pass the two hours and make this a success. It may not be perfect but this is a love letter to stuntpeople everywhere, showing their worth and everyone involved is clearly having an absolute blast, which is sure to rub off on audiences.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
