Movie Review: The Fall Guy

 

Like any artform, movies naturally are going to mean different things to different people. A crucial part of the love that I have for the medium derives from the wide range of emotions they're able to illicit from an audience. Depending on the mood and genre preferences of the viewer or viewers in question, there are a plethora of stories out there that will meet just about any criteria they're looking for. In the space of "entertaining summer blockbusters that make the viewer smile, laugh and just generally enjoy themselves for 2 hours", The Fall Guy is about as good as it gets.

Much has been made about The Fall Guy being a love letter to Hollywood's unsung heroes in the stunt community and rightfully so, as the movie goes to great lengths to celebrate the contributions of the people that are tasked with doing the most dangerous things on set without getting to share in any of the glory that the rest of the on-camera talent gets to bask in. As awesome as that tribute is to see, what really makes The Fall Guy special to me is how different it's from the other movies of this scale that Hollywood puts out right now. It doesn't require any familiarity with any preexisting IP (it's based on 80's television series but it's an in-name only adaptation a la the Jump Street movies or Miami Vice) nor does it have to spend the bulk of its running time checking fan service/easter egg boxes instead of just choosing to stand on its own merits. Without having to deal with the burden of those increasingly prominent constraints and obligations placed upon massive films, David Leitch is able to something that feels almost like a throwback to old school moviemaking in what it relies on to entertain audiences: Big stunts and movie stars doing movie star shit.

How long has it been since we've been treated to a movie of this scale that was driven by practical stunts and the charisma of its stars? Top Gun: Maverick filled that quota a couple years ago but that's really about it. This is a really unfortunate change in the world of moviemaking because when these movies are done right, they're singularly exhilarating to watch, and The Fall Guy can firmly be placed into that camp. 2 hours of incredible car flips, boat jumps, free falls and fist fights that features interludes of Ryan Gosling being an unfairly funny, magnetic unlikely action hero as well as a charming romantic lead who's perfectly matched with the similarly terrific Emily Blunt? That's the recipe for the perfect popcorn movie right there, especially since it's directed with such joyous passion by a former stunt performer/coordinator in Leitch and features a cast (the supporting cast headed up by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham and Winston Duke are nearly as great as Gosling and Blunt despite their considerably less screen time) that mirrors his enthusiasm in every frame.            

My message to the rest of the movies coming out this summer season is good luck topping the fun factor of The Fall Guy. It's just such a potent reminder of what blockbuster entertainment can be when it's made with love and favors real shit over soulless fan service or any other kind of sterile, pandering bullshit. This is the type of movie that reminds me of why I fell in love with the action genre, the theatrical experience and cinema as a whole and getting the opportunity to see something like be released in 2024 made me so fucking happy. Movies like this are going to be the first ones on the chopping block if they don't find financial success (spoiler alert: The Fall Guy is not off to a great start on that front) and if you want to see any sort of true diversity in the types of projects that Hollywood makes (especially ones with big budgets), please consider heading out to a theater to see this one ASAP so the studios won't continue to tighten their purse strings when it comes to everything except a new Jurassic Park or Spider-Man movie.       

Grade: A