The Fall Guy Review
If last year belonged to “Barbenheimer”, this year is all about “Ken and Kitty.” Fresh off their record-breaking Summer 2023, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt team up for David Leitch’s new film The Fall Guy.
Because it was one of the main headliners at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival, I saw this movie's red carpet World Premiere. This red carpet featured a thrilling motorcycle stunt show and, most importantly, the film’s stars. One of my proudest moments of being Cinema Personified was seeing Barbie’s Ryan Gosling and being five feet away from Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt, just two days after the Oscars. Because I couldn’t get into the movie, I had to wait two months to see the film, and the overwhelmingly positive reviews from the festival fueled my anticipation to see the release of The Fall Guy.
Synopsis
Loosely based on the 1980s TV show, this film follows Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a stuntman who was previously romantically involved with camera operator Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Eighteen months after their break up, Seavers is hired to perform stunts for Moreno’s directorial debut. We then follow Seavers’ attempt to rekindle his relationship with Moreno while simultaneously completing a mysterious side mission assigned to him by Moreno’s producer (Hannah Waddingham).
This movie is if Barbie and Top Gun: Maverick had a baby
This film seamlessly blends action and comedy through its executed action-sequences and hilarious jokes, making this movie feel like a love child between Barbie and Top Gun: Maverick.
This film feels very personal to Director David Leitch, a former stuntman, as he showcases the often-overlooked artistry of stunt performers and pyrotechnics. The action sequences are meticulously choreographed and go above and beyond. With the cinematography, these action moments feel visually appealing and very polished. Given that Moreno is a camera operator, this synergy with the stunt choreography is only fitting.
This relationship between the stunt choreography and cinematography extends into Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s performances as both actors elevate the movie. Gosling solidifies his status as the master of over-the-top comedy as his charisma and timing are just perfect. It is safe to say that Gosling has added another performance to his “Literally Me” collection because Colt Seavers is literally me. Blunt, with her seasoned acting experience, has very good comedic timing and commands every scene she is in. Together, Gosling and Blunt’s synergy make the movie as both have energy and aura that bring out the best in the rest of the cast.
The movie also excels on the comedic front as it does a good job at leaning into the self-referential, dumb humor that Leitch and Gosling are known for. The perfect follow up Ryan Gosling’s Barbie, The Fall Guy fills the void in silly comedies that seem to be growing in Hollywood. It never tries to take itself too seriously as this movie is just fun all-around. While we may never get The Nice Guys 2, we at least get this well-executed action-comedy that pays homage to the 80s.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Fall Guy is a fun watch that blends action and comedy very well as David Leitch creates a love letter to his careers as a stuntman and a filmmaker, with polished technicals, hilarious humor, and memorable performances from Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt bringing everything together.
It’s movies like these where you are happy to go to the theaters. The Fall Guy is the perfect post-Barbenheimer movie because this film was serving “Ken-tty.”
Rating
8.3 / 10 — Good
