The Fall Guy proselytizes for the unsung heroes of cinema: stuntpeople

The Fall Guy. // Photo by Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures

First things first: You should know that The Fall Guy is an unsubtle two-hour advertisement for director David Leitch’s 87North productions.

It opens with a montage of stunts (many from Leitch’s own movies—Atomic Blonde features heavily) as Ryan Gosling’s stuntman hero Colt Seavers talks about the value of stunt performers. Late in the film, stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke) wears a jumpsuit with 87North’s logo prominently displayed. Just in case you weren’t getting it, a giant stunt airbag shows up during an action scene with the company’s logo emblazoned on the side so large you could probably see it from space. 

The Fall Guy is a love letter to the stunt community—where Leitch got his start before co-directing John Wick with 87eleven cofounder Chad Stahelski. But it’s also very much an opportunity for Leitch to remind you that he has a production company specializing in action-heavy filmmaking. You know, just in case you, a normal member of the viewing public who probably doesn’t work in film, should need that.

Fortunately, The Fall Guy is still plenty of fun for the 90% of us who don’t need someone to produce our long-gestating spec script where Steve Carell plays a surprisingly jacked everyman forced to fight the entire Camorra crime family to save a sassy orphan and her chinchilla (seriously David, gimme a call, this is a million dollar idea).

Leitch and writer Drew Pearce balance craft, tone and just the right amount of meta-commentary to keep things buoyant, funny and smart.

Gosling’s Colt is the long-time stunt double for douchey movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Tom’s girlboss producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham, wearing an inexplicable wig that looks like it may have been run over a time or two). Unfortunately, a stunt setup gone wrong damages Colt’s back and puts him out of the game for a year and a half, during which time he also alienates camera operator Jody (Emily Blunt) who he had a real nice thing going with.

One night, Colt gets a call from Gail. She, Tom and Jody are in Australia shooting Jody’s big-deal directorial debut, and they really need Colt to come do what he’s best at. But there’s a catch: Tom has gone AWOL, and if he’s not back in a couple of days, Jody’s film is toast. Colt’s still in love with Jody, so off to Australia he goes to find the errant actor, do some cool stunts and win back his girl. Of course, it’s never that easy, and there’s a bigger conspiracy tying the mystery of Tom’s disappearance, and the real reason Gail called Colt to come in, together.

There are two batteries powering The Fall Guy. One is, obviously, the movie’s stunt work and its understanding of the filmmaking process, which are (as you might expect) well-executed and fun to watch come together. Movies about making movies, when they’re focused on the actual joy of the creative process and not the insider-y business aspects, can be inspiring to watch.

Leitch and his crew, all of whom seem very game to show off what they actually do for a living, radiate that enthusiasm in every frame.

The other battery is the relationship between Gosling and Blunt. It turns out when you cast two of the most charismatic actors working today as your romantic leads, they have effervescent chemistry that could put a smile on even the grumpiest person’s face. Go figure! Gosling’s self-deprecating comic chops and Blunt’s earnest wit are a peanut butter and chocolate combination that turns The Fall Guy into an effective romantic comedy alongside its action extravaganza.

The Fall Guy’s business card aspects get tiresome after a while, but everything around it works so well that unless you’re a jaded critic who’s way too aware of this stuff, you probably won’t care. It’s a great introduction to the summer movie season, a proper fun blockbuster that’s here to put a smile on your face and help you forget your troubles. And if you come away from it with a newfound appreciation for all the effort that goes into making a movie work, well that’s just icing on the cake.

Now, David, about that spec script…