Mild Spoiler Alert
Let’s face it. Ryan Gosling is hot. He’s so smoking, where no matter what project he’s attached to, it’ll do nicely because there are groups who adore him. That’s why I believe he was cast to play Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy. As for why see it, I believe that’s because Emily Blunt steals the spotlight. There’s a fire that I haven’t seen for a long time; she’s like the spitfire Rachel Weisz in The Mummy!
In the past, La La Land cemented this actor’s status as leading man material. To see him and Emma Stone together recall why Hollywood is the place for making movie magic. He made me The Believer, and as for genre works, he’s fairly decent in Blade Runner 2099. But as far as Barbie is concerned, that’s a work I refuse to acknowledge as cinema. It’s a huge commercial to sell dolls. As for how it deals with feminism and challenging the masculine norm, I’ll leave that to others to debate.
As for his latest effort, it’ll certainly come to GQ’s attention to call him hunk of the year. Sadly, this movie is mindless entertainment, and I don’t think it even tries to honour the work stunt people do. Jackie Chan’s Ride On (review) does a better job. All this blockbuster does is to broaden both lead’s sex appeal. As for all the fancy stunts attempts, it’s all style, no substance.
What’s presented in the Chinese film concerns an enduring tale about a man (and his horse) reconnecting with his grown-up daughter. In this Gosling special, all he wants is to get back into Jody’s (Blunt) good graces. But after getting framed for a murder he didn’t commit, he’s on the run, and she’s none the wiser. But isn’t that also the premise for The A-Team too?
My guess is that Drew Pearce didn’t do his research to learn why these 80s gems are beloved. Aside from being able to imagine high stakes style action like in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, everything else just doesn’t stand out. Technically, the responsibility on crafting a hit falls on producer/director David Leitch, but when other names are attached, where they listed in absentia because they provided funding rather than final say to the cut?
And when I’m a steadfast fan of the classic series, I really expected more. It’s really about Colt Seavers, Howie Munson and Jodie Banks chasing down claim jumpers and sometimes even creating some movie magic to do so. Even when the film tries to pay homage to the series where Colt hangs on for dear life on the legs of the helicopter, what’s delivered is half that. As I recall, the original stunt was high in the sky! What gives? The thrills don’t operate on the same level. Although most of the stunts included practical bits, some digital measures were no doubt deployed to ensure the performers are safe.
The only detail Metalstorm–the movie being made in this movie–gets right is in recognising why we love cowboy flicks. They were Hollywood’s first generation of performers who can take the pain when they were required to fall down or train their thoroughbred to perform spectacular leaps.
Fans who love Michael Bayisms will like how loud, wild and crazy this motion picture is. The Fall Guy is simply a reference to the colloquialism rather than being about the beloved TV series. Had it been given another title like Hollywood Sunset, I’d enjoy it for what it is.
2 Stars out of 5
The Fall Guy Theatrical Trailer
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