“I might fall from a tall building, I might roll a brand new car, ’cause I’m the unknown stuntman that made Redford such a star.” Those iconic lyrics wrapped up the theme song and premise of The Fall Guy, a hit 20th Television series that ran for five seasons on ABC. Starring Lee Majors, each action-packed episode found a Hollywood stuntman taking side jobs as a bounty hunter to pay his bills. Like most classic TV shows that have received a big screen outing decades later, Universal Studios’ The Fall Guy puts its own twist on a familiar premise.
(Universal Studios)
Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is living the dream as a stunt double for one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), which lets him work closely with his girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who is on the verge of getting her big directing break. After riding high for so long, Colt suffers a complete breakdown after a bad fall takes him out of work, ruining things with Jody. But when Tom’s manager and producer, Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), begs him to come to Australia to fill in for Tom Ryder, who has gone missing, Colt may have just found his way back into the film business and his ex’s good graces, as this is the film she’s been trying to make for years. The catch is that to save the film and get back the girl, he’ll need to find and reel in the star.
While The Fall Guy maintains enough of the series’ structure to please fans, it also carves its own path, much like films inspired by The Adams Family and The Brady Bunch. My limited exposure to the series didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the film. In fact, the movie cleverly uses the show’s episode template to craft a new story with higher stakes, making it a unique and engaging watch.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are The Fall Guy’s secret sauce, bringing their signature brand of chemistry and humor to the roles. They’re given some great material to work with via the screenplay by Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3), but the roles also feel written for them (or rewritten, as the case may be). While there are plenty of action moments worthy of seeing on the big screen, many of which were crafted with humor in mind, what you’re ultimately left with as a viewer is your affection for both leads.
As we step into the summer blockbuster season, The Fall Guy serves as a delightful reminder of the joy of communal moviegoing. It's a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud humor, gasp-worthy action, and a heartwarming love story. This winning combination encapsulates everything that makes a blockbuster a must-see. In an age where convincing audiences to leave their small screens for the theater is a challenge, The Fall Guy proves that an action film based on a TV show can still captivate.
I give The Fall Guy 4 out of 5 fire extinguishers.
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