The Fall Guy masterfully explores the two contradictory aspects of being a stunt double: the extreme visibility of the life-threatening stunts they execute for audiences of millions, and the lack of recognition and invisibility of their labor.
The Fall Guy Entertaining ride through the world of action movies
The Fall Guy, a recreation of the 1981 TV series, is a tribute to movies and the unsung heroes who make it all happen. It was directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool 2), who is also an experienced stunt performer.
Ryan Gosling’s character Colt Seavers is the stunt double of actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a mega-celebrity who makes the best blockbuster films in the business. Additionally, he is casually involved with the attractive Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a camerawoman. They are brought together by their mutual love of doughnuts in cars, and they are as happy as anyone can be working in a profession that constantly throws its employees off balance, burns them, and pummels them.
That is, until Colt suffers a severed back, heart, and sense of self in an unexpected accident.
Colt is depressed and working drily as a valet at a Mexican restaurant until he receives an unexpected call from abrasive producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) with an alluring offer.
Tom is playing the lead in Jody’s first feature film, Metalstorm, a hilariously cheesy sci-fi romance. It seems that Jody wants her boyfriend, who she thwarted, to play the stunt double.
When Tom vanishes, the plot gets even more complicated as Colt is forced to continue on a pointless search for him in order to finish Jody’s film. Maybe he’ll get another shot at Jody if he finds Tom.
It’s true that this sounds overly complicated. Even so, The Fall Guy is a fun jaunt through the murky world of drugs, murder, and thugs. It is set in Sydney, Australia, and has the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as stunning backdrops for numerous scenes.
Exciting pursuit scenes, massive explosions, unbelievable helicopter jumps, and a French attack dog with a single trick (spoiler alert: it doesn’t like men) are all included.
The already star-studded lineup gets even more star power with appearances by Winston Duke (Black Panther) as Metalstorm’s stunt coordinator and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once) as Tom’s despondent assistant.
The Fall Guy has a slapstick and smart sense of humor. Barbie and The Nice Guys are two films where Ryan Gosling has previously shown his range as a humorous actor, so it’s satisfying to see one of the biggest movie stars of our day portray an underdog.
With his characteristic crooked smile and charming demeanor, he delivers witty and casual one-liners that deftly mix machismo and the sensitivity of always being the target of abuse. With her charming dorkiness, ingenuity (which keeps Colt out of many a scrape), and straight-faced comedic delivery, Blunt’s Jody is the ideal foil for him.
The Fall Guy, which mostly takes place on a set and fits within the framework of a film inside a film, fosters a greater respect for the craft of filmmaking.
The dialogue between the characters is replete with allusions to movies, including Memento, Notting Hill, The Fugitive, and The Last of the Mohicans.
Meta references to the rules governing film are present, such as when someone asks Jody if her Metalstorm personas should allude to the difficulties she’s having with the third act (which is eerily evocative of The Fall Guy’s languid denouement).
The energetic soundtrack of the movie, a nostalgia trip for those who were born before 1995, perfectly matches the action-packed scenes.
It’s natural that KISS’s I Was Made For Lovin’ You serves as the unofficial theme song, but what surprised me more was the brilliant decision to pair one of the pursuit scenes with Phil Collins’s powerful ballad Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now). This selection genuinely brought back memories of this iconic 1980s song. Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and The Darkness are also featured.
Colt, who derives a lot of his power from his striking resemblance to Tom, goes beyond his permanent role as the “fall guy” to seek revenge and exact justice, while Jody, who rose from camerawoman to director, takes the lead in directing her own creative vision rather than acting out someone else’s.
Yes, The Fall Guy is mostly an action-com comedy film, but it’s also a love story about two people who end up being the protagonists of their own stories.