"The Fall Guy": review

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt as Colt and Jody

What the hell did I just watch? The online criticism of David Leitch's 2024 "The Fall Guy" was mixed but more positive than negative, so I went in with high hopes but soon realized I should have braced for impact. There may have been an "enthusiasm gap," though, because despite positive reviews from many major critics, the film didn't attract much business from regular audiences and ended up losing around $50 million. "The Fall Guy" is an action-comedy based on the old, 80s-era TV series that had starred Lee Majors. The new movie stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, and Stephanie Hsu (from "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once").

The story focuses on stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling), who is dating Jody (Blunt), a camerawoman who aspires to be a director. For years, Colt has been the stunt double for pampered-asshole movie star Tom Ryder (Taylor-Johnson, who gets to do two American accents), and he breaks his back when one stunt goes severely wrong. Feeling like a failure, Colt leaves the business and disappears from Jody's life. Eighteen months pass, and annoying film producer Gail (Waddingham) calls Colt and claims Jody is now directing a movie—her dream project—in which Tom is starring, and she needs a stuntman. Tempted, Colt goes to Australia, where the movie—a science-fiction action picture called "Metalstorm"—is being filmed. It turns out that Gail has manipulated Colt into coming to Oz, not because the crew needs a stuntman, but because she and Tom need a fall guy to take the blame for a fellow stuntman's death (Tom had accidentally killed him during a drunken party). Once Colt realizes the situation he's in, he'll need the help of people like his close friend, stunt coordinator Dan Tucker, to figure out what's really going on.

The main problem with "The Fall Guy," which was billed as a love letter to the stunt community, is that it can't decide which major plot line is the A story. Is it Colt's attempt to mend fences with Jody, who is still furious about Colt's sudden disappearance eighteen months previously? Or is it solving the mystery of who really killed the fellow stunt guy and taking down the guilty parties? I suppose an optimistic interpretation of how the film proceeds is that it takes a "balanced" approach to both plots. I, however, say the movie means well and has some funny moments, but it's a confused, indecisive muddle. The John Wick tetralogy of films, despite its flaws, is a far superior tribute to stuntpeople, and director Leitch (who also directed "Deadpool 2") should have demanded a clearer, more coherent story from writer Drew Pearce. Along with being a mess, the film misses a lot of opportunities to be funnier, smarter, and more heartfelt.

Does "The Fall Guy" do anything right? I think it gets the tone and feel of the original series more or less down pat: in the movie, as with the TV show, it's often hard to tell whether we're supposed to be looking at self-aware stunt work or just plain old action. The film could've leaned a lot harder into the What is real? aspect of the original show. Also, the easy chemistry between Gosling and Blunt keeps their scenes from turning into bland mush, and the friendship between Colt and Dan—who is always challenging Colt to remember certain movie references—is a nice touch. Hannah Waddingham is also easy to hate as the movie's ultimate baddie. But none of this is enough to pull the movie out of the mire.

So in the end, I can't really recommend "The Fall Guy." It's not the worst thing you can watch, and it does feature an uncredited appearance by Jason Momoa, as well as mid-credits cameos by original-show stars Lee Majors and Heather Thomas, both of whom are looking over-surgeried, as is apparently the fate of most American actors who get sucked into the malign Hollywood vortex. I guess we can't all be natty (bodybuilding slang for "natural") like Emma Thompson or Ian McKellen. At the same time, "The Fall Guy" might be fine if you're bored and have a yen for a throwback attempt at the "zany" comedies of yesteryear. I just wasn't in the mood for zany. Haven't been for decades.