The Fall Guy
UNIVERSAL
Director David Leitch returns to the big screen with The Fall Guy, an action comedy loosely based on the 1980’s TV series of the same name. Like the original, The Fall Guy is centred around stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) and his action-packed assignments both on and off the set.
After being forced to give up his career as stunt double for famed action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) due to a severe accident on set, Colt Seavers is drawn back to an Australian film set under false pretences for the directorial debut of his former girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Once on set, Colt realises that not only Jody does not want him anywhere near her film, but the film’s protagonist – and his old acquaintance – Tom Ryder has gone missing, endangering the production’s future. Enlisted by producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) to find Ryder and save Jody’s film, Colt embarks on a mission that will prove to be more than he bargained for.
Gosling and Blunt once again demonstrate their prowess in delivering engaging performances, their chemistry and comedic abilities being largely responsible for keeping the film afloat and rescuing a script littered with inconsistencies. Blunt especially deserves praise for the work she does on a character that is reduced to a bland love interest after being presented very differently. Supporting performances with great potential (such as Stephanie Hsu in the role of Tom Ryder’s assistant) are also mostly wasted due to poor character development, with female characters getting the short end of the stick as they are the primary victims of uninspired writing, predominantly one-dimensional and forgettable. Aside from a few well-delivered hits succeeding only thanks to the charisma of the leads, the comedic intent for the most part fails due to cheap and stale jokes that are, quite simply, not funny and often come across as grating.
Where The Fall Guy does better is in showing some love to - and shining the spotlight on – filmmaking itself, bringing to the fore the enormous number of people needed to create films and giving a glimpse of the often gruelling work and the level of skill required to safely operate on set while delivering good-quality projects. Sadly, this aspect is quickly side-lined itself to make space for the deeply predictable main plotline. What could, and arguably should, have been an ode to the unsung heroes of filmmaking ends up being at best an introductory hymn before serving audiences an unsurprising mystery leading to a series of completely foreseeable twists.
Still, the stunt work is admirable and delivers some jaw-dropping moments – such as the record-setting cannon rolls car scene – enhanced by the behind-the-scenes takes appearing as the final credits roll, even if some editing and directorial choices hinder the audience from fully appreciating them in the film’s context. The uneven pacing and a third act that is way too long for its own good also contribute to keeping this film from reaching its full potential, leaving the sense that the undoubtedly great professionalism of the crew working on this could have probably been put to better use.
Despite all its flaws, The Fall Guy succeeds in offering an entertaining viewing experience, provided one does not look too closely at the plot and its many contradictions, and some light-hearted fun whenever it fully embraces the silliness, thanks in no small part to the solid and charming performances of its leads. Ultimately, though, it is as lacklustre and forgettable as the films it attempts to poke fun at.