The Fall Guy

Stuntman Ryan Gosling must find a lost movie star in order to save the film of his beloved Emily Blunt. And for her, he'll go through hell. David Leitch delivers an entertaining tribute to the stunt craft and all those who practice it. He combines great action with surprisingly even better romance, a nice bit of wit and humor, and the obvious joy of goofing around on set with the friends he's spent his entire career with. And it's great to watch. (29/04/2024)

A tribute to a difficult profession, which it's a shame doesn't have its own category at the Oscars. Fall Guy is certainly not popcorn for everyone, which is why it will have a difficult time with high box office and general acceptance. For the average viewer, it's far too loaded with references, innuendo and props that not everyone will register. But for film buffs, it's great fanservice. Ryan Gosling confirms that he's great at the role of likable muscular cool good guys, and it suits him much more than the roles of tough agents in crap like The Gray Man. The only thing I found downright annoying is the weird "just to make something happen" style storyline, which pretty much spoils the overall look and dynamic of the film. The heart, on the other hand, pulses as hard as it can and the central couple is cute. (31/05/2024)

A love letter to the stunt profession, written in genuine script and sealed in an envelope adorned with cute stickers of Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and a dog that bites on command. It's a pity that the romance, humor, and attempt to build a meaningful story were nothing more than kitschy postcards that deserved to be shredded. The soundtrack, featuring Kiss and The Darkness, works well. The final '80s hellscape about the strength of the stunt community, with its unwelcome excessiveness, somewhat drags through David Leitch's love letter. Guy Gosling's performance felt a bit out of place; perhaps an unknown stunt performer could have taken the role, maintaining authenticity and saving 12 million dollars plus a little extra for the stunt doubles. (14/06/2024)

David Leitch pays homage to the stunt craft and filmmaking, and it's enjoyable entertainment that won't offend anyone in the cinema, but it just doesn't live up to his previous effort Bullet Train - that was far more substantial in terms of action and humour, and more importantly it was R-rated, so I liked it better. It's quite ironic that the film's strengths don't include the action, which is more creative and interesting than excellent, and the humour is only mildly amusing rather than a loaded comedy ride, but the film gets plus points elsewhere. Like the great chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, it had emotion and this whole romance thing works great, but what I liked most was the behind the scenes of the filmmaking, where Leitch shows a lot of things from the other side and I enjoyed that. There are also a lot of movie references, I really liked the action scene on LSD at the disco (probably the most original fight ever) and then the finale, which is decently spectacular and fun. The icing on the cake is the trailer for the final film which is reminiscent of Honest Trailers (the same guy speaks by the way), I was very pleased with that. Fun, playful and heartfelt. 8/10 (09/05/2024)

The Fall Guy is pure cinematic entertainment. The concept is based on the eponymous 80s series, so today's film nostalgically nods to the aesthetics of that time. The film within the film that the crew is shooting seems straight out of the era's sci-fi Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn. Nonetheless, today's experience richly benefits from the entire mixture, offering a kind backstage glimpse, the hyped charisma of Ryan Gosling (seriously, who has a bigger sexy credit today, Ryan or Jason Momoa?), and an insider's view of formal jokes, where even editing, montage, and the whole mise-en-scène react to pop culture references in the dialogue. For cinephiles, it's a fully satisfying experience, but even those viewers who don't catch half of the references can still enjoy it. (01/05/2024)