REVIEW: The Fall Guy – Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Another TV series turned into a film lands in cinemas so let’s do The Fall Guy review and see whether it’s worth watching or not. The film is directed by David Leitch and stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Winston Duke just to name a few.
The Fall Guy follows the life of stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling) who gets roped back into the world of stunts and films and he’s dragged into this conspiracy that involves him, his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), the manic film producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham) and action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Throughout the film, Colt needs to put his body on the line to get from one clue to another and ultimately unravel the web that caused him so much trouble.
Visually speaking it lives and breathes John Wick’s world minus the whole secret society. The colors, the style, the movement everything seems to have its roots in the Keanu Reeves epic action series. And I totally love that. One thing I am constantly reminded of Mr. Wick is how Ryan Gosling blocks punches. Go watch it and come back to me. I’ll wait.
I don’t even have to comment on how well the fights are in this movie and how well done the stunts are too because director David Leitch knows his stuff and you can see it all over the place. Even the way Gosling’s Colt blocks a punch is very polished.
In terms of plot “The Fall Guy” doesn’t have much to go around. In fact that’s the film’s major weakness if you ask me. It has a long run time with a wafer-thin plot. Sure there’s a plot twist here and there but it will start to feel like a long-winded and action-packed fetch quest. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I leave that for you to decide.
Gosling and Blunt have a little chemistry between them that’s barely enough to sell the idea that they were former lovers. They look great together most of the time but other times its bland. One endearing thing about The Fall Guy is that the emo stuntman is adorable thanks to Ryan Gosling’s performance.
There was also a ton of nice cinematography in this film like that segment where the two protagonists are having a split-screen conversation over the phone that’s refreshing to see in an action movie. Plus the overall camera work was top notch and while you may not notice it on other films, you’ll definitely understand this for “The Fall Guy”.
Also have to tip my hat to the tracks that appear in the film led by the KISS song “I Was Made for Loving You”. We also get a fun cover of Phil Collins’s “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) set to a finely choreographed car chase / fight which is also the visual representation of the film if you sum it all up.
Lastly, look out for special cameos and audio easter eggs in the film, which oldies would surely like, including those who know that the film was based on. Let’s leave it at that.
Verdict: 8/10