Stunt workers have never quite gotten their time to shine. All too often relegated to an afterthought, their contributions to film as a whole are too commonly overlooked and underappreciated. “The Fall Guy”, directed by David Leitch (“Bullet Train”, “Deadpool 2”) and starring Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”, “La La Land”) and Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place”, “Oppenheimer”), attempts to finally shine a spotlight on these workers by centering an action-mystery movie around them, largely to successful results. As a whole, the film places fun on a pedestal, sometimes to its own detriment, not attempting to have any (if at all) grand social commentary, but rather just two hours of pure, albeit sometimes convoluted, escapism.
The film follows down-on-his luck stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling), who must return to the world of stunting he once left behind when the star of his crush Jodie (Blunt)’s film goes missing. Technically a reboot of the 1981 TV Series of the same name, the film strikes out on its own, establishing a relatively fresh story riddled with familiar beats. The script, written by screenwriter Drew Pearce (“Iron Man 3”), is largely fun-focused, staying light and airy until, in true David Leitch fashion, it needlessly overcomplicates itself only to end with a knockout final action sequence. The convoluted nature of the climax strains to keep up with the stunts; sometimes less plot is more. In the end, there are just too many moving pieces for Leitch to satisfyingly keep up with. But luckily, the main attraction of the stunts does not disappoint at all. The film has numerous over-the-top sequences of nonstop action; one scene even sets the world record for most car cannon rolls on camera. The action comes frequently enough to ease concerns over the story, as it’s just so much fun to watch. One standout sequence, in which Gosling is dragged behind a car through the streets of Sydney, intercut with Blunt in a karaoke bar, is the kind of energetic fun that I haven’t seen in movie theaters for a while.
Leitch’s directing is likely his career best. Starting out in the industry as Brad Pitt’s stuntman before scaling his way up the ladder to be a director on movies like John Wick (which he co-directed) and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Leitch has come into his own, establishing an energetic style that is engaging enough to keep his audience entertained. The movie is paced well, never really dragging and a testament to his direction.
Gosling is fun in the role, enjoying his post-Barbie boost with effortless charm, but it is anytime he and Blunt are on screen together when the film truly soars. The chemistry between the pair is electric from the first scene, and every time they are separated the film can’t help but feel it. Blunt gives a great performance, showing off her great comedic timing especially in one stand-out scene in which she attempts to publicly solve her and Gosling’s relationship troubles on-set. The supporting cast does an admirable job; Aaron Taylor Johnson (“Bullet Train”) is clearly having a lot of fun in his role as the missing movie star Gosling must search for. On the other hand, Winston Duke (“Black Panther”) and Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”), feel criminally under-utilized, especially Hsu, who is never quite given anything substantial to do.
Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”) plays a shadier character than in the show, chewing her scenery as much as she can. Her wig, likely there to differentiate her from her Lasso character, would not be missed if it disappeared, as it can end up being needlessly distracting from an otherwise good performance.
Ultimately, the movie accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: escapism. The jokes are funny, the stunts are great, and it’s not a bad way to spend two hours. As long as you don’t go in expecting the next best picture winner, you’ll have fun.
