Riot’s Reviews: The Fall Guy
It would appear that ol’ Riot is on a bit of an action kick this year. Granted, it definitely feels like a slow time in Hollywood as audiences start to feel the effects of the guild strikes that plagued tinsel town last year. There has been little respite from sequels and “re-imaginings” thus far and today’s subject is no exception (apparently it’s a remake of sorts of a 1980’s TV show I’ve never heard of). But overall, I’d say that the action/thriller genre has been the only one coming out swinging in 2024. Maybe it’s an indication of some shifts in Hollywood, the re-birth of the popcorn film as it were. Or, and far more likely, we are just getting some titles that were a little easier to pitch budget/staffing wise. Either way, I once accused Disney of needing to get back to the basics (see my maybe ill-advised, but mostly true lol, wild rant here), and that might just be where a film like The Fall Guy comes from. The previews and teasers were a bit all over the map as far as I could tell. Is it an action story? Is it a romantic comedy? Is it a love letter to the stunt men/women of Hollywood? Turns out it’s all three.
Once again I find myself with a short list of things I didn’t like, so let’s get through those first. First, there are a few plot issues and consistency gaps that hurt this movie more than it needed to. The Fall Guy ended up being primarily a comedy and if you introduce comedic elements, like Colt Seavers’ (Ryan Gosling) obsession with needing a cup of coffee, you shouldn’t let those elements disappear as the movie progresses. It also should be noted that characters shouldn’t just disappear during big scenes/confrontations, reappear to indicate a new plot progression, disappear again, then reappear for the final “boss fight” (lookin’ at you Winston Duke). I’m fully prepared to blame this on some editing mistakes in post, but these are things that a sharp eye should really be on because the audience will definitely pick it up. Second, while the banter and witty dialogue is the next best element of the film besides the stunts/action sequences, they often drag too long and I think because of this, the final confrontation ended up feeling rushed and unnecessarily chaotic (at the very least way more than it needed to be). The awkward humor was reminiscent of really good scenes from The Office, but the directors of that series knew when to cut things off at the opportune moment. Finally, there were just a lot of nitpicky inconsistencies that I couldn’t get over, in particular a beyond unbelievable boat chase scene, inconsistent character aspects on Aaron Taylor Johnson’s part (can’t say more or I’ll spoil it), and even more minor things like Hannah Waddingham being shown firing a massive revolver with one hand.
Now because of my previous statement I want to immediately state outright that the acting was superb and that absolutely includes Aaron Taylor Johnson. This felt like a film that was a riot of fun to work on and I think it shows in the chemistry between each character and is especially evident in Gosling and Emily Blunt’s relationship. The comedic banter is funny, slap-sticky and awkward all at once. I actually made a couple notes about belly laughing throughout the film. ATJ and Gosling are a perfect casting for actor and his stunt double and honestly should have shared more scenes together. I already knew Gosling could be funny from previous films and his hosting of SNL, but ATJ also proved himself able to handle comedic banter with the best of them in this film and in a movie like Bullet Train. Brilliant cast chemistry aside, obviously the real star of the show was the stunts, the men and women behind them, and the stunt/fight scene coordinators. The stunts were entertaining to say the least and ran the gamut from traditional throws through windows to breaking records for how many times a car could be rolled/flipped. It had a little taste of everything and simply by nature of being a love letter to the people who literally put their bodies on the line by trade, it gave the whole experience a very lighthearted and heartwarming feeling. I think at the end of the day the relaxed and upbeat feel of the movie is what’s going to keep audiences involved. Throw in a dancing birb (bird) and an attack dog trained to bite bad guy crotches, you got yourself a genuine popcorn film that’ll have you taking the time to pay homage to the people behind the scenes.
Riot’s Rating: 9/10
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