The Fall Guy (2024) gets a big thumbs up
I walked into The Fall Guy with hope in my heart. I wanted fun action entertainment, and overall I got what I wanted. The director's speciality is genre action, the kind of high octane plot-lite fair he's done in John Wick and Atomic Blonde that with enough film grain could be Smokey and the Bandit or Cannonball Run. Sure, it missed a lot of the time in humor and character, but all around it gets a big thumbs up.
Our story revolves around Colt (Gosling), a stuntman retired after a big accident who gets pulled back to find a missing actor. Colt's main mission is to win the heart of Jody (Blunt) who he ghosted when his injuries and pride got the better of him. All this leads to a mix of stunts and comedy with a half-boiled love story mixed in.
All images copyright 2024 Universal Pictures
The mix of comedy, action, and romance is where the movie falls short. It pays good attention to each genre and gives them equal time but at the expense of the overall narrative. The detective story, with the noir voiceover and cast of colorful criminals, is serviced by the action to a point, but over the top stunt scenes take away from the belligerent nature of the noir protagonist. Sure, noir detectives often take a beating and keep moving forward, but this is muddled when they have a kung fu sword fight followed by a speed boat chase. It tracks Colt as an implacable man capable of taking a beating with a solid shell base, but comparing it to another Gosling detective movie, 2016's Nice Guys, shows the strengths and weaknesses. Both heroes take tremendous beatings and are funny, but Nice Guys feel more impactful because that detective does not get right back up. He's changed by the damage to his body. By the end, the character is broken physically while healed emotionally. Colt, beyond the opening back break, feels like he could take on a dozen more mercenaries in the end and therefore has learned nothing about himself. He's a superhero in every man's clothing. All it would have taken is one Princess Bride style collapse at the end to show how much of a toll our hero has paid.
All images copyright 2024 Universal Pictures
Some of this is the romantic plot that runs parallel to the action plot. Both actors are amazing, and I believe the attraction between Gosling and Blunt. It's sweet and "meant to be." For the most part the relationship is just the carrot the movie dangles to keep Colt engaged in the plot. Because of this, the action and detective plot often have to stop to make room for the romcom dealing with two character's emotional needs. Jody feels less like Sally to Colt's Harry and more like a ticking time bomb that needs to be defused with a wry smile, some tears, and a Taylor Swift jam. That being said, the juxtaposition of the karaoke and the garbage truck scenes are a great time. Hell of a good use of editing getting those two to work together. Sadly, it's the only time this noir action romcom fires on all cylinders at the same time.
In the end, a hell of a fun movie. The mix of genres hits depending on the scene, but everyone is doing a great job. When the movie goes, it goes big. I appreciate the obvious effort of love over the studio slapping a thing together and sending it out. This would be a perfect Sunday hangover watch or to put on when Dad and Mom want something while you are visiting home.
Seven thumbs up out of two.
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