★ ★ ★ ½
Here’s a film that pays homage to the unsung heroes of the cinematic profession. The stunt professionals are the ones who put their bodies in harms way to get the shot and make the dangerous aspects of filmmaking work.
Directed by veteran action filmmaker, David Leitch, the film does a nice job of tipping its hat to the profession, which makes even more sense when you realize Leitch started his career in the movies as a stuntman himself.
From the playful opening credits, animated and set in the style of standard screenplay format, we are thrust into the world of a Hollywood blockbuster film production.
Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers, a stunt man turned action hero. Universal Pictures
The story revolves around Colt (Ryan Gosling), a highly regarded stuntman, and Jody (Emily Blunt), a camera operator with directorial aspirations. Colt is in love with Jody, and when we are introduced to them, Colt thinks they’re the “real thing.” They try to keep things professional on set but meet in Jody’s trailer for “stunt chats.”
Everything is going great until a stunt goes terribly wrong in a back-breaking way. We pick up 18 months later where Colt has cut virtually everything – and everyone – out of his life, including stunt work and Jody. Broken and depressed, he’s been working as a restaurant valet.
Thankfully, the film doesn’t dwell here too long, as his producer, Gail (Hannah Waddingham), tracks Colt down to get him back on set. Colt adamantly refuses until he learns it’s for Jody’s film, her directorial debut, and it’s in serious jeopardy of being her last.
After 18 months of ghosting, the reunion doesn’t go well. Jody only allows Colt to continue because there is literally no one else to do the level of stunt work a film like The Metalstorm demands.
Jody punishes him by setting him on fire and slamming him into a prop boulder. Again and again, take after take, in a fun sequence that eventually gives a little hope that Colt and Jody might have another chance.
When the film’s mega-star, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), goes missing, it’s up to Colt to track him down and save Jody’s already overbudget movie.
The rest of the film follows Colt’s journey to track down Tom with action sequences that are really a lot of fun. By themselves, they’re standard fare – a nightclub fight scene, a chase scene, a penthouse fight scene. But the nightclub fight scene involves some impressive martial arts choreography mixed with hallucinogens that produce cartoon-like effects. The chase scene involves a dumpster hauler with a dog that only responds to commands in French. The penthouse fight scene involves prop weapons against heavy duty mercenary weaponry.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt get real with the stunts. Universal Pictures
Gosling makes Colt an incredibly likeable character, Blunt makes Jody a complex love interest and both have the on-screen chemistry that makes us root for them.
The Fall Guy has several nods to the industry. Do Hollywood professionals quote other movies on set? They likely do in real life, and they definitely do on the set of The Metalstorm.
If there is anything that bogs down the film it was the climactic finale. While most of it works well, it tends to be an overload to the senses and loses focus on the story a little. It can be argued that it was intended to mirror the gigantic feat The Metalstorm production would present.
This film was a great deal of fun to watch and sets the summer movie season on really solid footing.
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 114 min.
Directed by: David Leitch
Written by: Drew Pearce, Glen A. Larson
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer
Action, Comedy, Drama
