The Fall Guy was released May 3, with a run time of 126 minutes. Directed by David Leitch, The Fall Guy follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) on his journey to find the missing movie star of his ex-girlfriend’s blockbuster film. Blending heart-stopping action, heartfelt romance, and witty humor, The Fall Guy offers a fresh take on action movies. Leitch’s expertise as a former stuntman himself and Gosling’s captivating acting power the movie.
At the beginning of The Fall Guy, stuntman Seavers leaves Hollywood after a career-threatening fall on set, leaving behind both his career and his girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). However, when Jody’s directing debut faces trouble due to the disappearance of lead actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Seavers is called back into action. Determined to save the film and rekindle a lost love, Seavers reluctantly sets off to find Tom. As he takes on a series of adventures and challenges to uncover Tom’s location, Seavers discovers dangerous situations, shady people, and unexpected twists.
In The Fall Guy, Gosling uses his iconic charm and wit to play Seavers. Gosling expertly captures Seaver’s struggles in his adventures and with Jody, giving the character complexity. He performs some of Seavers stunts including a fall backwards from a 12-story building. Additionally, he uses subtle comedic timing to add moments of lightheartedness to the film’s action-packed storyline.
Blunt portrays Jody as a resilient and passionate filmmaker. Gosling and Blunt’s on-screen chemistry, witty banter, and heartfelt moments make viewers root for the couple for the entire movie.
Though the entertaining storyline and acting add to The Fall Guy’s quality, the astonishing stunts stand out as the highlight of the film. Leitch, a former stuntman and director of Atomic Blonde and John Wick, prioritized practical stunts performed by real actors over CGI or AI. This created an authentic and thrilling experience for viewers, leaving them at the edge of their seats.
From free falls out of high-flying helicopters to fiery explosions and intense fight scenes, every stunt in the film is expertly choreographed and executed. The jaw-dropping stunts include a 150-foot fall out of a helicopter, jumping a truck over a 225-foot-wide canyon, and a Jeep doing a cannon roll.
“We did high falls out of helicopters. We lit people on fire multiple times – cars flipping, crashing – fight scenes – bottles broken – lot of stunts. We really put everything – I mean, honestly, we knew we had to make sure we did right by the stunt community,” Leitch said in an interview with NPR.
The Fall Guy’s soundtrack features a mix of rock-and-roll classics, love ballads, and pop hits, which add emotion and excitement to the movie. Kiss’s iconic “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” plays during the intro scene, as well as the final dramatic action scene where Seavers jumps out of a helicopter. In contrast, Seavers plays Taylor Swift’s heartfelt “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” after his first day on set while he recalls his happy memories with Jody. The majority of the songs play over action scenes, however, a scene in which Jody sings karaoke expands the film’s music.
Despite The Fall Guy’s exciting mix of action, romance, and humor, it has its imperfections. The pacing is slow at times, especially at the beginning. Additionally, while there are plenty of jaw-dropping stunts and thrilling action scenes, there could have been more screen time spent on character development. However, these issues are minor and the movie still delivers a thrilling experience with magnetic acting.
The Fall Guy flawlessly blends action, comedy, and romance. Although the movie’s pacing feels slow at times and lacks some character development, it is still highly enjoyable. With its exciting plot and charismatic cast, “The Fall Guy” earns four out of five feathers.
