RATING: 3.5 out of 5
I went into “The Fall Guy” expecting a cliche action-comedy with tropes like spy-versus-spy, helpless woman, and savior spy. However, unlike many action-comedies that have come out recently, “The Fall Guy, ” which hit theaters on May 3, provides a fresh new story with a gripping plot and sensational actors.
After surviving a near career-ending stunt, stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is brought back to the film industry by movie producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham). Seavers is a stuntman for a huge actor, Tom Ryder (Aaron-Taylor Johsnon), who has been missing and Meyer wants Seavers to find him. Meyer is able to convince Seavers to find Ryder because the director of the movie starring Ryder is his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), so Seavers agrees because he believes it will help him and Moreno get back together.
Not only was the plot of the movie extremely original, but the star-studded cast was able to add nuance and depth to the movie. Gosling’s charm and charisma never disappoints, and in this movie, he naturally and easily brings humor and sarcasm to the screen. Blunt and Gosling’s on-screen chemistry is easily one of the best things in this movie: they effortlessly portray long-lost exes who still love each other. Waddingham’s hysterical and hyperactive behavior makes you feel her panic through the screen. The casting for this movie was brilliant, and each actor brought their own presence and personality to the movie.
The costume design for Gosling and Blunt was clearly inspired by the eighties and nineties: Gosling wears “dad” jeans, large graphic designed t-shirts, and leather jackets while Blunt wears “mom” jeans and bright colors, an era of clothing I feel is overdone especially with the recent trend to be “vintage.” Although the style suits Gosling and Blunt’s characters, the vintage look has been done one too many times, losing the charm it used to have when retro was a new look.
Watching the movie, I thought it would be predictable, but the original storyline kept me gripped to whatever would happen next in the film. The lighthearted plotline keeps the movie entertaining, an element that has disappeared from recent Hollywood blockbuster films. Because there was a lack of deeper meaning to this movie, the audience can enjoy the movie for what it was. Recent films rely on computer generated imagery (CGI), include gory action scenes, or have a deeper meaning, but this movie’s main focus was to make movies what they used to be: a way to escape from reality and enjoy what is on the screen.
Even though the movie was able to grip audiences, some parts of the movie felt slow and took a long time to build up, and sometimes the buildup felt anticlimactic, especially as the villain of the movie was revealed. The villain was predictable and the twist to reveal who it was felt as if it had come out of a Disney movie. Plus, the villain is pretty obvious as the movie goes on, ruining the surprise factor of the twist.
My favorite aspect of the movie was the soundtrack. Songs from huge bands like Kiss, Mötley Crue, AC/DC and artists like Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera are featured throughout the film and add the necessary atmosphere to each scene, whether it be emotional or intense.
If you want to laugh and enjoy a movie for its lack of substance, this movie is perfect for you.