Synopsis:
A stuntman, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
Directed by: David Leitch
Written by: Glen A. Larson, Drew Pearce
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt
Edition:
Peacock streaming service, extended cut
My Thoughts:
Boy, I wish I would have realized earlier that I had selected the extended cut. This movie was nonsensically long.
I love David Leitch’s work (John Wick, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde), but I wish that Fall Guy had been at least an hour shorter. It was a reasonably good (if somewhat predictable) story dragged out to oblivion. That being said – it definitely had some high points too.
The love story between Gosling’s Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt’s Jody Moreno is sweet, and I felt that it was fully actualized. They were a believable pairing, for sure. And this was one of the rare times (excepting Kick Ass and Bullet Train), where I thought Aaron Taylor-Johnson did a truly good job in something. And Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu are predictably fantastic (although Hsu feels criminally underutilized – although to be fair I’m not sure how to use her more without casting her in a completely different role, or gods forbid, making the movie even longer).
“I never forget a fist.”
Here’s the thing though – the real lowdown, I guess. How I really feel about Fall Guy: do I wish I had watched the theatrical cut? Absolutely. I think I needed that to appreciate the incredible drag of the extended cut. Don’t worry, I’m going to find and watch that version. I honestly have no idea why Peacock pushed the extended over theatrical. But I don’t want to sell this movie short, either. It had a lot to redeem it. It has truly entertaining stunt work, for one. And I think stunt workers get shafted by the Hollywood machine in a way that I can’t quite wrap my mind around. Movies would SUCK without them. They’d be boring. These people go out every day and (calculatedly) risk their asses to make movies that entertain us. And I AM entertained.
There is something about a movie about a movie, and a stunt guy played by an actor doubled by a stunt guy that is just too silly to pass up. And Fall Guy definitely had some moments that made me laugh out loud. But mostly, I was in it for the stunts. I feel like the story couldn’t hold a candle to the stunt work. And honestly, that’s fine with me. Not every movie needs to be a narrative masterpiece. Sometimes it’s okay for it to be a competently acted stunt-a-palooza. And David Leitch excels at stunt-a-paloozas for sure.
Rating:
I might actually re-do this review later for the theatrical version if it changes my mind. But the movie is pretty fun. I just probably wouldn’t watch the bloated extended cut again. Although the theatrical cut is still just over 2 hours, so…I don’t know. I wish it was like 90 minutes. That’s really all this story warrants.
The Fall Guy: Extended Cut
Directed by: David Leitch
US Release Date: May 3, 2024
Universal Studios
Rated PG-13
146 minutes
