You’re right! That bridge does look familiar. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Ryan Gosling might just have the best agent in all of Hollywood.
Since 2015, he has starred in a mix of critically acclaimed masterpieces like La La Land, Blade Runner 2049 and The Big Short while also being a brilliant comedic actor in The Nice Guys and the box office juggernaut Barbie.
In 2024, his comedic hot streak continues with The Fall Guy.
A modern-day adaptation of the 1980s TV show of the same name, The Fall Guy follows Colt, a stuntman for Hollywood’s biggest actor. Colt is the best at what he does, and after building a new relationship with Jody, an aspiring director played by Emily Blunt, he begins to believe he is untouchable.
However, after a routine stunt goes wrong, Colt realises he is human after all and the very thought terrifies him. Cut to a year later. Colt is ready to work again after the actor he doubles for goes missing from the set of Jody’s first-ever movie, which just so happens to be filmed in Australia.
Tasked with reprising his role as stunt double, Colt also starts investigating the actor’s disappearance, and what follows is two hours of pure comedic mayhem!
I’ve got to just come out and say it: I loved this movie! Is it perfect? No, but it is the reason I love going to the movies.
Sure, it’s based on an already existing IP, but that was about 40 years ago, and it’s a mere template for what is a fantastic solo experience. There is no franchise building, no spinoffs, no Oscar-baiting, just fun action with some of the most charismatic actors working today.
Personally, I think Ryan Gosling is one of the most underappreciated actors alive.
He has never been as big as Dwayne Johnson or as quirky as Robert Downey Jr. He never went down the superhero path yet still built a strange perception that he was just ‘the good-looking guy’ and nothing more. Yet, looking over his career, it’s clear that he stuck to roles that he believed were worth pursuing and only recently has it begun to feel like he’s getting his flowers for doing so.
Both Gosling and Blunt carry this film. That’s not to say the rest of it is bad, they’re just so freaking good. They have clear chemistry, and their care for each other, no matter how awkward it might get, drives this movie’s narrative.
Their pettiness, which is just a mask for how they feel, creates comedic gold. Their love for one another gives the movie heart and their motivations, which start in different corners and eventually come together, giving them both natural character development.
When explaining the film, you’d be excused for thinking it’s a romantic comedy with action. There are not many high-budget movies like this anymore, yet this one works, and I’m thankful Universal Studios backed director David Leitch to make it.
The Fall Guy‘s comedy isn’t for everyone. It’s aware that it’s a movie about people making a movie. Sure, there is some on-set jargon that may go over the viewer’s heads and not all the jokes land, but the ones that do stand out and help create a feeling that, as the viewer, you are part of a film set and as an avid movie watcher, I loved this.
The stunts are also fantastic.
There are four or five really great set pieces throughout the film, my favourite being a car chase across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. All the stunts feel real too, and in a movie about a stuntman, you’d hope it would.
If you’re a fan of how stunts are performed, be sure to stay for the credits for a peek behind the curtain.
I loved The Fall Guy, so much so that I’ve seen it twice before even writing this review.
Since the beginning of March, I’ve reviewed some great films. While Dune might be considered the best of the year, I think The Fall Guy has a case for being the Top Gun: Maverick of 2024. It was a surprise hit that had no right to be as good as it was, and while not perfect, it is loved by everyone who saw it.
The Fall Guy is showing at cinemas across the country.
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