After being part of the biggest summer blockbuster "rivalry" in recent memory in 2023 (Barbenheimer), Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have teamed up to help kick start the blockbuster movie season with their incredibly fun action comedy The Fall Guy. The two stars are a winning combination in this ode to the stunt community, which is able to cover up any of its shortcomings by being hilarious and showcasing grade-A action set pieces.
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An adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name starring Lee Majors, The Fall Guy follows stuntman, aka a "fall guy," Colt Seavers (Gosling), as he attempts to win back the woman of his dreams, Jody (Blunt), by finding the missing movie star on her debut directing job. The movie is directed by former stuntman turned action director David Leitch and also stars Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
The movie gets off to a bumpy start with some less than stellar narration, but any trepidation around that is quickly replaced by the chemistry that Gosling and Blunt have together. Though both have shown they are fully capable of dramatic turns, they perhaps are never better when they can use their comedic sensibilities to endear their characters to audiences. They do so perfectly with Colt and Jody. There's a chemistry between the two of them that makes their love story seem effortless and natural.
So much of the movie relies on this fact, because if you look past that there really isn't a whole lot going on plotwise. That's a plus and a minus — we certainly don't need a convoluted plot for the breezy affair The Fall Guy is, but at the same time any scene that does not feature Gosling and Blunt together or a big set piece is just filling space. To his credit, screenwriter Drew Pearce pays things off throughout and certainly should get credit for many of the movie's funniest bits, but overall The Fall Guy feels like it is just "sexy bacon;" translation, there's no real meaning/message behind the jokes and action.
The closets thing to an underlying purpose to The Fall Guy it is to honor the stunt community. Aside from Tom Cruise, who famously performs as many of his own stunts as he can, the rest of Hollywood relies on stunt performers and coordinators to create some of the most memorable moments from your favorite movies. The movie expresses that thought directly both at the beginning and at the end (and gets in a quick jab at the fact that the Oscars don't recognize stunt performers), but also by showing the work that goes into creating various stunts on a set. That makes us appreciate the awesome stunts that are performed in the movie even more.
Elsewhere, Duke and Waddingham are the standout supporting performers in the movie; Taylor-Johnson is fine, but we don't get a lot of him. However, the movie definitely feels like a waste of Stephanie Hsu, who gets little more than a glorified cameo. Speaking of cameos though, there are a couple of fun ones that we won't spoil here, but be sure to stick around to the end credits for them.
The Fall Guy is the perfect summer movie — a pair of movie stars at their most charming, big action that plays best on the big screen (the movie is going to be shown in IMAX) and a simple but functionable plot that doesn't overwhelm things. Grab your popcorn and enjoy it.
The Fall Guy releases exclusively in movie theaters on May 3.
