Ryan Gosling is still riding high from the Barbie movie zeitgeist and his Oscar-nominated performance as Ken. Not to mention the Beavis and Butt-Head SNL sketch that’s becoming another cultural phenomenon. He’s bringing his Ken-ergy to his role as Colt Seavers, a down-and-out stuntman who suffers a career-ending injury we see early in the movie. Director David Leitch, who started out as a stuntman (working as the stunt double for Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, among others), is the perfect director for a film that’s largely a love letter to the stunt community.

The Fall Guy hits the ground running immediately, with Colt on set getting ready to do a dangerous stunt (dropped from the top floor of a skyscraper, natch) starring action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Colt has been Tom’s stunt double for years where he frequently gets blown up, shot, thrown through windows, set on fire, etc. Then a freak accident happens and he’s lucky to be alive, not that Colt would see himself as lucky now that he’s working as a valet and yearning for the girlfriend who got away, camera operator Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt).

Fast forward 18 months later, suddenly Colt is invited back by producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) to be part of the stunt team of Metalstorm, a big-budget sci-fi actioner starring Tom Ryder. It seems that Colt gets another shot at a stunt career, as well as a second chance with the love of his life, Jody, who’s now moved up to a director. But when Tom goes missing, Gail tasks Colt on a mission to find him and save the film from being shut down.

Now, the script by Drew Pearce and Glen A. Larson is pretty simple and predictable, it’s easy to figure out where each narrative beat goes, which is basically a setup for a big action sequence The title itself is a plot giveaway that takes a bit of the suspense out of it. I expected this movie to be heavy on action and light on story, but it’s got enough oomph to shine a light on the unsung heroes of action cinema, while also taking a whack against A.I. and the use of deepfake. The romance bit isn’t going to set hearts on fire, but Gosling and Blunt are so charming they still manage to sell it.

The movie works largely thanks to the perfect pairing of the two leads who genuinely appreciate the stunt community. Gosling is convincing as a bonafide stuntman who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s perfected that ‘pining for the woman of his dreams’ look after a career playing an incurable romantic (Lars and the Real Girl, The Notebook, Barbie, etc.). He should do more action comedies like this and The Nice Guys instead of more serious but soulless thrillers like The Gray Man.

Both Gosling and Blunt have solid comic chops and relish the chance of a comedic role. Blunt has always been a magnetic performer and this role plays on her strength as a formidable but warmhearted woman. The movie also gives a nod to female filmmakers and how much it means to get a big break in filmmaking.

Great to see Waddingham in a prominent film role though her character is decidedly over-the-top, and Winston Duke is pretty memorable as a stunt coordinator who ends up being Colt’s ally. Props to Taylor-Johnson who makes the most of his relatively brief screen time, that monologue he delivers while channeling Matthew McConaughey is hilarious.

The filmmakers’ love for movies and certain popular TV shows make for some of the most memorable moments. As an 80s kid, I had a big grin on my face that moment the Miami Vice theme came on during a boat action scene. The writers also pay homage to a few movies as the characters would spew out quotes from popular movies, notably The Last of the Mohicans. I found out after watching this that there is actually a movie by that name released in 1983 called Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, it even has the exact same tagline ‘It’s high noon at the edge of the universe.’

For a movie about stunt work though, none is as inventive or bonkers as those in the recent Mission: Impossible movies, i.e. the Burj Khalifa and hanging-out-of-a-plane scene where Tom Cruise apparently performed his own stunts. That said, there are plenty of intense fight scenes and car/boat chases to please action fans. Apparently, it breaks the Guinness World Record for the most car rolls in a movie.

Overall The Fall Guy is a fun popcorn flick to kick off the Summer movie season with a jolt of adrenaline. Even the end credits are a lot of fun, and be sure to stay for the post-credit scene featuring a couple of familiar faces.

Have you seen THE FALL GUY? I’d love to hear what you think!

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