The Fall Guy
review by Bobby Blakey
One of my favorite shows as a kid was the hit 80s series The Fall Guy starring Lee Majors. For years I have heard rumblings of them trying to make a film but was never overly excited for it until I heard that stuntman turned director David Letich was at the helm. Joining the John Wick, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde and Bullet Train director is Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Winston Duke. Could this film do justice to the series while still bringing its own fun and excitement or will it miss the mark?
The Fall Guy follows Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie—being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno, goes missing. While the film’s ruthless producer, maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film’s most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody’s good graces. But as the mystery around the missing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.
As someone that was a massive fan of the original TV series, I was hesitant about them making this film, but with this cast and the fun trailer I had high hopes. This film is not exactly the story it promotes in the trailer, but in the best way possible. It wastes no time getting into the meat of it all and setting the tone of the rest of the film and I am here for it. From the moment it began I was invested in fun and action, but to my surprise also plays up as a romantic comedy to perfection.
The love story is the primary focus of everything going on which lets both Gosling and Blunt energize the screen with their full range of relationship ups and downs. They are so great together and have some great banter on both sides of their relationship. Beyond them is one of the most annoying, but my
favorite character in Producer/agent Gail played to perfection by Hannah Waddingham. Every time she steps onto the screen she is over the top and annoying in a way that shines and screams to her character. While all the cast are great this movie is offering a whole other love story here as well and that is to the world of stunts and the people that do them.
There is no shortage of amazing practical stunts in this film with one bigger than the other. I know there are times where having so many of these excellent things on display that some might get fatigued or unimpressed, but I for one loved every minute of it. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the insane stunts brought together but was impressed that they found a way to make them flow with the story of the film without feeling forced. Some of it is over the top by design and works perfectly in the context of this film. There is even one scene focused on a beach car roll that got them a real life Guiness World Record.
The film is filled with laughs, action and heart that will hopefully connect with audiences. I want to see more of Colt Seavers doing stunts and solving crimes in his unique way in the future. There are some fun twists and turns as well as nods to the TV series complete with a shot of the famed truck jump you can see in the credits of the original series. If I had one complaint it would be the Blake Shelton remake of the song “Unknown Stuntman” originally performed by star Lee Majors. It is fine but wish they had just used the original. Stay through the credits, which are awesome on their own showcasing the stunt work, for a fun final scene that will have fans excited.
Check the gate and jump into The Fall Guy when it crashes into theaters on May 4th from Universal.