The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have irresistible chemistry in David Leitch's crowd-pleasing action-comedy.

Ryan Gosling has always been an immensely talented actor. He’s done hard-hitting dramas, sweeping romances, award-winning musicals, and explosive action-movies. There’s an argument that can be made that comedy is where he shines the brightest, and you can look no further than his Oscar-nominated turn as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.”

That film propelled Gosling to even larger heights. He was already a recognizable face and name, but his performance as Ken reminded us once more, that he’s a true, blue movie star. 

Based on the 1980s ABC series of the same name starring Lee Majors, “The Fall Guy,” is everything you could want from a Ryan Gosling vehicle. It might not be a perfect movie, but it’s pretty easy to forgive its flaws when the leading man’s charisma levels are unspeakably high. Pairing him up with his “Barbenheimer” rival Emily Blunt is a nice touch too, even if this was filmed before those movies became the pop culture phenomena that they were last summer.

In “The Fall Guy,” Gosling plays veteran stuntman Colt Seavers, who proudly got his start in his profession by performing a stunt on the set of “Miami Vice.” For the past six years, however, Colt has mainly been working alongside A-List superstar and world-class asshole Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who is highly jealous of Colt’s dedication to his craft. There is a plus side, however, and that’s Colt’s romance with camera operator and aspiring director Jody Moreno (Blunt).

Colt’s profession comes crashing down literally after a stunt leaves him in critical condition, leading him to become a recluse for the next 18 months. Colt is called out of retirement by movie producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) to help out on Jody’s directorial debut, “Metal Storm.” Colt flies out to Sydney, Australia, and quickly learns that Jody is still upset with him over how their relationship ended and that her movie is at risk of being shut down due to Tom Ryder’s sudden disappearance. 

Gail sends Colt on a mission to find Tom, believing that he has gotten involved with a shady drug dealer. As Colt and Jody’s romance begins to find its spark once more, the two realize that Tom’s disappearance is part of a much larger conspiracy putting their lives in jeopardy. 

There’s a common phrase that has been thrown around the past couple of years, especially as the star-driven vehicle has become more prevalent: “They don’t make them like this anymore.” However, that once again applies to “The Fall Guy.” While the marketing seems to be selling this as the kind of movie that you’d typically see Ryan Reynolds leading, it's not that. In fact, the DNA of Leitch’s movie feels more akin to the 4-quadrant summer blockbusters of the 90s, like “The Mummy.” 

This film works because of Gosling and Blunt’s outstanding romantic chemistry. While romance can often feel secondary in a big action movie, it feels quite the opposite here. The romance between Gosling and Blunt’s characters is the beating heart of the movie, and because of their individual strengths as performers, you really do feel for their characters. Even if the movie does run a little too long, the romance never feels as if it becomes secondary, it always stays as the driving force, making “The Fall Guy” the ultimate summer date movie.

Leitch has a full understanding of how to properly create the scale of “The Fall Guy.” It’s not some big globe-trotting adventure, in fact, most of the story largely takes place in Sydney, Australia. Gosling’s Colt is constantly escaping death-defying stunts, but unlike in the “Fast and Furious” movies we aren’t questioning how the hell he’s survived certain events. 

Gosling is perfectly cast in the role of Colt, he has the charm down pat, but he’s also got that particular brand of snark and self-deprecation that he has always excelled at in movies like “Barbie,” “The Nice Guys,” and “La La Land.” This is another perfect showcase of just how great of a leading man Gosling is. Blunt also shines as Jody, playing off of Gosling beautifully. She makes a character that feels a tad underwritten still feel real and relatable.

The rest of the movie’s vast ensemble cast mainly takes a backseat to Gosling and Blunt. Waddingham and Taylor-Johnson get a handful of effective laughs, while Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu are memorable in their supporting roles, but their presence often feels overshadowed by Gosling and Blunt.

It may be predictable and it may run a little too long, but there’s such a crowd-pleasing feel-good energy to “The Fall Guy” that very few movies are able to deliver anymore. It’s one of those blockbusters where it's hard to see how anyone can walk out feeling disappointed.