FALL GUY, THE

(director: David Leitch; screenwriters: Drew Pearce, based on the television series created by Glen A. Larson; cinematographer: Jonathan Sela; editor: Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir; music: Domonic Lewis; cast: Ryan Gosling (Colt Seavers), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tom Ryder), Emily Blunt (Jody), Hannah Waddingham (Gail), Stepanie Hsu (Alma Milan), Winston Duke (Dan Tucker); Runtime: 120; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Ryan Gosling, Guymon Casady; Universal Pictures; 2024)

“The film never clicks despite the stunts being super.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The bloated action comedy directed by David Leitch (“Once Upon A Deadpool”/”Bullet Train”) pays homage to the stunt work done on the 1980s TV series The Fall Guys, but its off-beat comedy is too off-beat to generate laughs.

The veteran stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is recouping in LA from a back injury while on the job. But the ball-breaking producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham) hires him to work on the Australian shoot of Metalstorm, a sci-fi flick. Metalstorm is directed by Jody (Emily Blunt), a camera operator making her directing debut. She’s the woman Colt loves but they split, and he now joins the film hoping to get back with her. The problem is that Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the star of the film, the action hero Colt is the stuntman for, is missing. To save the film from being jettisoned by the studio, Gail sends Colt to search for Tom in Sydney (Why rely on the police or private investigators when a stuntman is around!).


The film never clicks despite the stunts being super, as the script is a drag, there are only a few fun moments, and charisma alone from the stars can’t save it. And, did I mention the weak screenplay!

It played at SXSW.

dennisschwartzreviews.com

REVIEWED ON 5/1/2024  GRADE: C+