High expectations can be unforgivable in a movie. This is where, as the summer movie season begins in earnest, we arrive at the release of The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling’s star has been on a fairly meteoric rise over the last few years and after the goodness of “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie stans the world over are hotly anticipating his next action comedy, The Fall Guy. Will the love letter to stunt performers stick the landing? Or will its parachute fail to open? Read on.
The Fall Guy follows the story of Colt Seavers (Gosling). Once a stuntman coasting at the top of his industry, he loses everything after what he believes to be a career-ending injury. With few choices, he reluctantly jumps at the opportunity to once again step in and double for the star he used to work with (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Luckily, he’s also working with the love of his life (Emily Blunt) as his director.
Things change though as he reluctantly stumbles into a scandal that can only happen in Hollywood. Hannah Waddingham and Winston Duke co-star. Keep your eyes open for Stephanie Hsu, Lee Majors, and Heather Thomas in cameo roles. David Leitch directs The Fall Guy from a script by Drew Pearce.
Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers in THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch
The Fall Guy is, first and foremost, a love letter to the “Unknown Stuntman.” This message is certainly important as this is a corner of the industry that is embarrassingly delayed in earning the respect stuntpersons deserve. Stunt performers risk their lives daily and still aren’t recognized in the Academy Awards. This needs to be fixed.
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On the surface, this film feels like a perfect undertaking for David Leitch, who alongside John Wick director Chad Stahelski, is making some of the most bone-jarring, visually impressive action cinema in Hollywood. Movies like Deadpool, Bullet Train and John Wick are love letters to stunt performers too… and unfortunately, those films look a heck of a lot better.
The Fall Guy’s stunts pale in comparison to a lot of the work being done in these other films. There are multiple fight sequences and one particularly interesting practical car stunt. That’s about it. This film needs to be a showcase for all the wackiness Leitch has at his disposal as a former stuntman. However, other action set pieces are hindered by mediocre CGI, dulling the impact of these sequences. In a film where stunts SHOULD be the centerpiece, audiences shouldn’t be left thinking about how much cooler John Wick is.
L to R: Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt is Judy Moreno in THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch
The Fall Guy is too busy trying to do too darn much. This movie is desperate to be not only an action thriller but also a romance, a comedy and a mystery. It’s just unfortunate that Drew Pearce’s script is unable to nail any of these elements particularly well.
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A lot of weight rests on the shoulders of the actors to carry the poorly paced, meta, and overly self-aware script. This movie is desperate for you to know how smart it is. The problem is, it’s forced to work really hard. In many moments, performers are practically winking at the camera. Scenes drag on for far too long. In one case, the same stunt is repeated five times for the purpose of landing a joke… if a joke takes that many repetitions, maybe it isn’t that funny.
Ryan Gosling is of course a treasure. He reminded many how funny he really is in The Nice Guys and he’s returning to that territory here. He and Blunt are doing their darndest, but they are forced to coast on their charisma because the script is doing neither any favors. Gosling is at his best when he is acting off Winston Duke while Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Hannah Waddingham struggle to elevate characters who are barely caricatures.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson in THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch
When all is said and done, The Fall Guy struggles under the weight of Thor: Love and Thunder syndrome. It sags under the weight of high expectations. This action comedy opens the summer at a period when Ryan Gosling couldn’t be riding much higher. As such, it’s unfortunate that the movie stumbles so badly. The Fall Guy is certainly a “turn-your-brain-off” action film, but unfortunately little beyond that.
The Fall Guy is now playing in theaters around the country.
Check out our other movie reviews, here.
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- Movie Review: THE IDEA OF YOU - May 7, 2024
- Movie Review: THE FALL GUY - May 5, 2024
