Monday, May 6, 2024

The Fall Guy Review!

The Fall Guy is very funny film with extreme stunts, a romance, and satire about the movie making industry! The movie is directed by David Leitch who was a stunt coordinator and was a stuntee in The Matrix Reloaded (2003).  The last film directed by Leitch was the action movie, Bullet Train (2022). It is written by Drew Pearce who also wrote Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) which was directed by Leitch. The movie is based on the action show from 1981-1986 that starred Lee Majors, as stuntman who was also a part time bounty hunter (!), and a stuntwoman played by Heather Thomas. 


The film had an intro with Leitch and Ryan Gosling where they are texting to each other, funny! They said the movie was made for the audience and also the stunt people, “a love letter to the community.” We hear the sounds of a camera set up. It starts out with scenes of action movies, Colt Severs (Gosling) narrates, “They’re in every movie.” Gosling was of course a scene stealer as Ken in last year’s Barbie. We see Colt getting ready for his stunt on a busy set. He wears a black NASA jacket. Colt manages to have a chat with Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a camera operator. Blunt was last in the drama, Oppenheimer (2023), winning her the Academy Award. Jodie is the name of the stuntwoman played by Thomas in the tv show. 


The stunt is for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the “biggest action star”, which is send-up of actors who say they do all of their own stunts and never credit the stunt team. Johnson starred in Bullet Train. A hilarious part of the marquee actor which can never get too over the top. The producer, Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) checks on him. Waddingham is well known for playing Rebecca Welton in the comedy series, Ted Lasso. In the lift to the next floor for the stunt, Colt talks to Jody about getting margharettas on a beach. He reaches the balcony where he is rigged for the stunt. Then, he is dropped down, and then there is darkness. 


Then, Colt is taken away on a gurney, with Jodie following him as he is moved to an ambulance. It is “18 Months Later”, Colt is at his apartment and gets a call from Gail. He is now a valet for the El Cocina Del Capitan after his set injury. Gail says she has a ticket for him to Sydney. She tells him that it is the first film for Gail and that she asked for him. Colt takes a rude customer’s car out for donuts, spinning his car in a tight circle! He puts on his Miami Vice jacket and we go to credits which are drawn from a movie script. Brilliant to bring back the classic credits at the start of the film! On the beach set, Cole meets with his friend, Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), who is the stunt coordinator. Duke was in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). 



Jody is checking a prop that looks like a guitar and then explosions go off behind her. Colt pulls up to the set of Metalstorm. I remember a 3D sci fi film from 1983, Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, don’t ask! He wears a gold cowboy outfit. Jody says to Dan that she doesn't want Cole to do the stunt, but he tells her there is no one else. Dan tells him that he is doing a cannon roll, a stunt that sets off a cannon underneath a car to send it spinning. She says it will be the shot for Comic Con, Hall H, LOL! The Hall H presentation are for big films that has fans sleeping over night to get in and clips will get the social media buzz. Jody is the lead camera car with Colt driving behind her. Dan is on walkie talkie following them. 


Colt smashes into the camera in the back of the car, but there are more cameras including on a helicopter following the chase. The cannon roll is spectacular which stunt driver, Logan Holladay, made a Guinness World Record for eight and half rolls! Colt puts his thumbs up. The next stunt is a fight that has him in a battle against aliens with cobra-like heads. Colt is thrown into a muddy pool. Then, fights and is thrown in an explosion to a wall. Jody has Colt repeat the stunt until discussing in front of the crew about their relationship, very funny! At Gail’s trailer, filled with movie posters like Bad Cop Good Dog (!), she tells Colt about the point of movies which has very funny lines of dialogue by Waddingham. Gail reveals to Colt that Tom Ryder is missing. She wants him to save Jody’s film and find him.



Colt puts his thumbs up. The next stunt is a fight that has him in a battle against aliens with cobra-like heads. It is a Mad Max apocalyptic sci fi movie with alien invaders. Colt is thrown into a muddy pool. Then, fights, is set on fire, and thrown in an explosion into a wall. Jody has Colt repeat the stunt until discussing in front of the crew about their relationship, very funny! At Gail’s trailer, filled with movie posters like Bad Cop Good Dog (!), she tells Colt about the point of movies which has very funny lines of dialogue by Waddingham. Gail reveals to Colt that Tom Ryder is missing. She wants him to save Jody’s film and find Ryder. Colt borrows a truck and sees Jodie flashing back to scenes of their relationship to Taylor Swift's "All Too Well." A bit touching and also funny!   


Five Miami Vice Jackets out of Five! 


#TheFallGuy, #DavidLeitch, #DrewPearce, #RyanGosling, #EmilyBlunt, #WinstonDuke, #HannahWaddingham, #AaronTaylorJohnson, #TeresaPalmer, #StephanieHsu, #BenKnight, #Matuse





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