The Fall Guy
There's not a lot going during this early blockbuster season, and the very few people I sat in the theater with to watch The Fall Guy doesn't promise big things coming. There were only a few of us, but at least some of the very many humorous moments got some laughs from me and a couple of other people. I went because I love Emily Blunt, have recently discovered Ryan Goslin isn't a taciturn snob, and I've always appreciated stunt performers.
The director, David Leitch(Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, John Wick, Dead Pool 2), began his career as a stunt worker. He throws in absolutely every kind of stunt and lets us see how it's done with a plot that centers around stunt work. Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place, Mary Poppins Returns) – who can do anything - is at her awesome best here, playing a romantic lead, the director of the movie within a movie, and has a couple of kick butt fight scenes. One of them features a signature John Wick and a Jason Bourne move that made me laugh. She also sings karaoke. Ryan Gosling (First Man, Barbie) is ripped enough to be a stunt worker (and does do the first big stunt of the film), portrays his signature woman friendly good guy and nails all the comedy. There are several excellent costars, like Winston Duke (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Us) and Stepanie Hsu (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Leo).
It was fun hearing and seeing the many, many references. TV shows, movies, nods to famous stunt people. SO many references, even to a famous stunt and many famous movie quotes ("You shall not pass!"). There are great cameos, like the name of the scene stealing dog Jean Claude Van-Damme, who follows any command given as long as it's in French. Even the title of the movie within a movie, Metalstorm, refers to a 1983 sf flop. You have to love giant roundy-round action sequences featuring loads of guys in rubber alien suits and good guys bashing the aliens with guitar shaped weapons. Each movie features one of those set pieces, but I think I was the only person who laughed when The Fall Guy's roundy-round started. There are sound effects and music references, and the stunt bag from one of the stunt men's father. Pioneering stunt performer Yakima Canutt is curiously absent here, unless there is a nod to his work that I missed. If you've ever seen an old western where someone is dragged along under an out of control team of stagecoach horses, you've seen his most famous stunt. I also didn't notice a Wilhelm Scream, which has been in more movies and tv than anything else, ever.
You will have no choice about staying for the end credit sequence that is so long I'm sure the theater workers tasked with cleaning between shows hate this movie already. Of course more humorous cameos make it worthwhile.
There's just a lot of everything in the movie that moves along for the most part at a pretty good clip. Even if you don't get or care to get the many, many references you will very likely enjoy the explosions and fight scenes and the stunt work galore. There's a lot of humor and a not at all cliffhanger of a romance. The one thing that I will say disappointed me a bit was the plot, which was very much on the light side. It does hang everything together, but is absolutely the weakest part of the movie.
This film has great actors from top to bottom, a director who has crafted a paeon to an underrated aspect of movie making, loads of great stunts and non-stop references and nods to many other films. There are even a couple of record breaking stunts. It's not rocket science but it is a lot of fun and I recommend seeing it on the big screen to get the full effect.
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CFR: In Addition:
The more I see Ryan Gosling the more I love him. No ego needs as in no need to be better than a woman because he does not need to power struggle. This gives women around him a chance to shine - and then shine the spotlight on him. Squee!
Emily Blunt = TALENTED.
So yes I do want to see this and I look forward to doing so. Thanks Cranky!
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