The Fall Guy

Better than Dune! Excellent, imaginative, romantic comedy with polished action and filmed with incredible flair. David Leitch reminisces about his stunt years and inspires lots of little kids to get punched, smashed and knocked down, then deepfake them into the star of the film. Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys mode and Emily Blunt in superwoman mode are having an incredible time, and the chemistry is conjuring unicorns before your eyes. (09/05/2024)

If you're going to make an unpretentious action comedy, this is how you do it. Putting aside the most questionable thing – the crime plot at the heart of the film is very simple and silly, but it's not really the point, the whole thing is pulled along by both the action-packed stunt attractions, but mostly by the charisma of the two leads. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt work great together, they have visible chemistry and their verbal banter at times almost makes you think of classic screwball romantic comedies. It's actually a nice love letter from Drew Pearce and David Leitch to all the stuntmen, the "invisible" crew members and filmmaking in general, and the idyllic romanticization of the whole creative process without a single hint of cynicism works very well for the audience. (25/04/2024)

A love letter to the stunt profession, written in genuine script and sealed in an envelope adorned with cute stickers of Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and a dog that bites on command. It's a pity that the romance, humor, and attempt to build a meaningful story were nothing more than kitschy postcards that deserved to be shredded. The soundtrack, featuring Kiss and The Darkness, works well. The final '80s hellscape about the strength of the stunt community, with its unwelcome excessiveness, somewhat drags through David Leitch's love letter. Guy Gosling's performance felt a bit out of place; perhaps an unknown stunt performer could have taken the role, maintaining authenticity and saving 12 million dollars plus a little extra for the stunt doubles. (14/06/2024)

Stuntman Ryan Gosling must find a lost movie star in order to save the film of his beloved Emily Blunt. And for her, he'll go through hell. David Leitch delivers an entertaining tribute to the stunt craft and all those who practice it. He combines great action with surprisingly even better romance, a nice bit of wit and humor, and the obvious joy of goofing around on set with the friends he's spent his entire career with. And it's great to watch. (29/04/2024)

The Fall Guy is pure cinematic entertainment. The concept is based on the eponymous 80s series, so today's film nostalgically nods to the aesthetics of that time. The film within the film that the crew is shooting seems straight out of the era's sci-fi Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn. Nonetheless, today's experience richly benefits from the entire mixture, offering a kind backstage glimpse, the hyped charisma of Ryan Gosling (seriously, who has a bigger sexy credit today, Ryan or Jason Momoa?), and an insider's view of formal jokes, where even editing, montage, and the whole mise-en-scène react to pop culture references in the dialogue. For cinephiles, it's a fully satisfying experience, but even those viewers who don't catch half of the references can still enjoy it. (01/05/2024)