I didn’t think I would be making another one of these pieces so soon but yeah. The Fall Guy is yet another very good male led action flick that is struggling in theaters. I’m not going into all the details as to why I think that is because I would just be repeating the exact same thing I said when talking about Monkey Man and Boy Kills World. I’ll admit I was a little surprise this one underperformed considering it was basically the film to kick off the summer movie season and I believe that getting that early May spot might boost up the box office numbers. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case this far. Unless it’s able to gain Elemental level of legs, my summer box office predictions has already gotten off to a poor start.
That being said, let’s stop talking about the box office numbers and start talking about the film itself and why you should see it in theaters if you haven’t. There are no spoilers to be found here! Just five distinct reasons why The Fall Guy is worth your time and money in cinema.
1.) Stunt People Get Some Love!
The main selling point of The Fall Guy other than the star power of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt (We’ll get to them later!) is that this would be a film that would give professional stunt folks the love and respect they deserve. Not just strictly as a celebration for all their accomplishments that they’ve achieved on tv and film throughout the years but more of showcasing the risks they take by making stunts their job and the consequences that can come from it. It’s proof that yeah….stunt guys are real people too and should be taken into serious considerations of film and tv production.
Yes, there is also a touching romance story and a conspiracy/mystery plot thrown in there as well but at the front and center is a stunt man that is putting his life on the line by doing it in the way that he knows best. That way is with his set of skills he spent years training for as a professional stunt person. He can take a punch, kick, and be sprung all over the damn place because that’s what he trained himself to do. He may not be the name that gets people in seats but he takes all the cuts and bruises so the main star is able to do so.
I can’t think of a film in recent memory that showcases the importance of stunt people and why they deserve more recognition than The Fall Guy. So much so, that it should put pressure on the Academy to add a best stunts category for the Oscars. As more and more action films get made and use practical effects and professional stunt folks to make the action more awesome and believable, why not give them some love? If this film gets more notice as the year goes on, then I believe everyone will have the Academy’s eyes and ears in that regard.
2.) Ryan Gosling And Emily Blunt Are Great Here!
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt gave two of the best performances last year. With Ryan Gosling, he had the legendary Ken! With Emily Blunt, she had Mrs. Oppenheimer! They were two of the best performances of their careers, earning them both Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor/Actress! What better way for them to follow up those memorable performances by putting the pair together for this movie and have a romantic relationship be the main driving force for The Fall Guy!
David Leitch is able to get the best performances out of Gosling and Blunt respectively because it’s able to utilize their talents the way it has being in prior movies. With Ryan Gosling, he’s able to bring his star power charisma as Ken from Barbie along with the badass but incompetent role he played in The Nice Guys (See that movie ASAP if you haven’t already!). With Emily Blunt, she is able to play the role of the woman of the picture handed the most responsibility in a dire situation like with A Quiet Place along with a tiny bit of the that badassery she gained on Edge of Tomorrow. Taking those into account, they could not be a more perfect match for each other.
I highly doubt these performances are going to earn Mr. Gosling and Mrs. Blunt the acclaim they received last year but these are definitely performances that work perfectly for this movie. It’s also refreshing to see a romance put front and center in a 2024 movie that feels as sweet and genuine as intended. Star power may not be as much of a main selling point for movies as it once was but Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt deserves all the love in the world with what they were able to do with this movie.
3.) The Action Is Chaotic!
This should be a no brainer if you are familiar with David Leitch movies. Ever since co-directing John Wick, he has held his own in the action genre with Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train. With The Fall Guy, he continues to put his place as one of the better action directors to watch out on.
When it comes to the action, it’s able to fire on all cylinders! You got hand-to-hand combat, skills and weaponry, and intense vehicle chases that are all entertaining to watch. The fight choreography is on point, each one has their own sense of tension and/or amusement that fits, and of course, the stunt work is completely off the charts. With every film, it always seems like Leitch is constantly daring himself to do better and find any means necessary to top the scale and scope of each action flick he makes.
The best part about is that it’s not just Ryan Gosling that gets to kick ass but just about every notable cast member gets their own action beat of some sort. Aaron Taylor Johnson, Winston Duke, Emily Blunt, and even Stephanie Hsu gets at least one moment in action to shine. I could complain how it’s mildly ridiculous about how every single character is able to hold their own in fighting against professional fighters but the moments themselves are fun and fit perfectly with the film’s tongue-and-cheek tone that it’s genuinely hard to care. Judging by the trailers and David Leitch name attached as director, you probably except The Fall Guy to be filled with action. It is and it most certainly delivers.
4.) A Throwback Movie In The Best Way Possible!
There are two kinds of way that movies that act as a throwback/homage film can go. 1.) The references and callbacks of the picture can kill it entirely because it’s reeks of pandering, desperation, and lacking any form of it’s own identity. 2.) The references and callbacks of the picture can make the film feel whole because it plays into the throwbacks and homages that the story itself is built around and serves a clear narrative purpose. You do it the first way and you get Disney’s Wish. You do it the second way and you get The Fall Guy.
This is a film that clearly acts as a love letter to traditional action movies. There’s vibes of The Matrix, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, Back to the Future, and Die Hard spread all throughout the picture. That’s not even talking about the homages to action flicks that appear at the very beginning of the film, even including some of Leitch’s own movies. In a lesser film, this could make it seem like The Fall Guy is an empty action flick that relies on it’s callbacks and references because it has nothing on it’s own. The Fall Guy is able to prevent that exactly by making action scenes, while having parallels to other action movies, stand out in their own unique way and having the action serve to the greater narrative of a stunt double that is trying to make a name for not just himself but other stunt doubles as well.
Throwback movies always have potential to make or break itself depending on how well its references are utilized. It could make for the worst kind of “critic proof” film, using the homages as a shield to try to give itself a “get out of jail” free card. Thankfully, The Fall Guy is smarter than that, knowing it has to be respectful to it’s throwbacks while still being a film that can stand on it’s own. If you look at it both ways, The Fall Guy works one of those ways or the other.
5.) It’s A Crowd Pleaser At It’s Absolute Finest!
The best part of seeing a good movie in the theaters is getting to experience it with a big crowd. It’s always exciting to be able to experience all the highs and lows of a motion picture when plenty of others along with you. This is what helps create happy memories at movie theaters. Not just seeing a movie on the big screen but seeing how yourself and everyone arounds you react to it. The best movies to get these crowd reactions with usually revolves around a crowd pleaser such as this.
When I think of the word crowd pleaser, I mostly think of it as a movie that feels like comfort food for just about anyone that watches it. This usually revolves around underdog sports movies or screwball comedies, where the movie seems to have no other goal than to entertain it’s audience while providing a simplistic but effective message. While not quite fitting into either one of those categories, The Fall Guy is able to get that similar vibe when watching it. You can pick at holes and inconsistences or whatever but at the end of the day, it’s just too much fun that it’s hard to care.
The crowd I was with seem to really dig The Fall Guy and it was nice to see the way audiences reaction to every joke, action beat, and plot twist that the movie throws at you. It wasn’t as big of a crowd as I would have thought but if it was, I would imagine this would have gotten the same reaction from them as it did with movies like Ford V Ferrari and even Top Gun: Maverick. I’m dead serious! And if there’s one thing that Hollywood needs more off other than big event blockbusters, it’s genuine crowd pleasers like The Fall Guy.
In Conclusion
We are currently living in a dire time with movie theaters. Unless there’s a big upcoming film that is being halted as an event to be experienced specifically in theaters, most folks would just rather stay home and wait for the newest release to come out through streaming and digital than spend 30 to 40 bucks to take their family to the movies. I know there’s not much I can personally do about it, I always find it in myself to try and spread the word on good movies to see in cinema.
The Fall Guy may not be perfect with issues regarding to pacing and balance multiple different genre of films but it definitely feels like a summer movie and just a movie made for the audience by heart. With the strength involving its cast, directing, and the action set pieces, this definitely deserves to be seen in cinema and not just at home.
If you have the money and time, go check out The Fall Guy! This definitely feels like a movie to experience with a packed crowd. Even if you go during those discount Tuesdays, it’s helpful as every penny counts. Let’s hope this is able to get strong legs and the apes are able to pick up the slack this weekend!
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