Review: The Fall Guy
Fall Hard
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film The Fall Guy. Keep in mind this is but one of the many movies I watch every year, and that whatever initial grade I come up for this film could change for better or worse with time. To better keep up to date with both my thoughts on other movies and if my feelings on this film changed, follow me on Letterboxd.
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THE PLOT
Via Letterboxd: Fresh off an almost career-ending accident, stuntman Colt Seavers has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy, and try to win back the love of his life - while still doing his day job.
QUICK REVIEW
Ryan Gosling almost seems to finally be climbing the tiers of acting fame into super stardom. After stealing the show in Barbie to the point Barbie (Margot Robbie) herself was passed over for an acting nomination in favor of his Ken. Now with Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt as his leading lady, he stars in The Fall Guy ready to see if he can continue his current hot streak with movie go-ers. And alongside the “Barbenheimer” duo comes a stellar ensemble that features the likes of Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, and Stephanie Hsu.
This is a fun movie that is tailor-made to be seen with a big audience. It pokes fun at the movie industry, fame, action cliches, and even itself even while maintaining a reverence for the art of stunt coordination and keeping us engaged in the central plot and romance. What helps the film achieve all this is the fact its ensemble is clearly having as much fun playing these characters as we are watching them do so - plus the chemistry between Gosling and Blunt being so good I wouldn’t mind seeing them work together again ala a “Fred and Ginger” or “Powell and Loy” sort of dynamic.
For all the comedy and fun audience moments the movie offers, it still keeps things quite thrilling with its action scenes; and as any movie with a stunt man as its protagonist should do, it relies heavy on showcasing stunts through its entire runtime and even into its credits. There’s even some Easter eggs in the dialogue where the writing is clearly nudging at the Academy to finally recognize and award stunts with their own Oscars.
If I had to strain myself to explain why this doesn’t make it into the A-tier range for me though, I’d have to point to the movie’s biggest weakness - it overstays its welcome by a good twenty or so minutes. There’s literally two or three times that it feels like the movie is about to wrap things up - only for it to linger on looking for a new climax to showcase.
Overall though I would definitely say The Fall Guy is a great time at the movies. Its the definition of what a fun, popcorn flick should be. The kind of movie you experience together with the crowd you see it with at your local theatre. I give it a solid initial B+ grade. Definitely worth a trip to the movies.
INTIAL GRADING
