Starring Emily Blunt, Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Hannah Waddingham; The Fall Guy is a movie with a trailer that didn’t have me as excited as I wanted to be, especially with a cast this stellar.
I can now confirm that my instincts about director David Leitch’s action/comedy/drama were correct, in that I did not love the finished product.
One might say that The Fall Guy is simply ‘not my vibe,’ and they would be correct. Especially since a keyword that came up as I watched the movie is ‘silly.’ Leitch’s film has a certain silliness and sense of humour that isn’t fully for me, even though some parts may have put a smile on my face.
The story of a retired stuntman getting drafted back to work on a movie directed by his ex-girlfriend is simple enough; arguably too simple and inadequately engaging. Especially since, for me, the idea of Gosling and Blunt playing a couple felt as much a miscast in the finished movie, as it did in the trailer.
Maybe it’s just the wrong project for them to do together. Or it’s the script/simple story. Perhaps it’s this specific brand of silliness and the fact that it’s not quite ‘my vibe’.
In fairness, the action/stunts/story became more engaging in the last third/quarter, but not enough for me to consider the overall experience a positive one.
If you’re curious enough, give The Fall Guy a chance. It certainly offers a window into the stunt-double experience; a more modern version than Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), that’s for sure. And perhaps you’ll love it – if you don’t already.
Happy Film Loving,
G
The Movie My Life 
I was wondering how it would be. I don’t usually see you say you don’t like movies, so that’s saying something.
I’m sure that it’s fully enjoyed by some, and I wanted to enjoy it more than I did but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.🤓
You’re right in that I do generally find something to love about most movies I watch because often there’s at least one thing that memorably sparks joy. Not here, not this time, not for me. 😁
I’ll wait until it comes to streaming to watch it then. I trust you on this 🙂
❤️
I planned to watch this at the movies, but I hear it’s available on digital already. Apparently, it’s not doing as well as forecasts predicted.
Depending on your humour and perhaps your patience, you may enjoy it more than I did. It might just be exactly your vibe. 🤓
Mrs. Chess and I loved this movie. I had a smile on my face from beginning to end and can’t say that about any other film I’ve seen this year. Great shout-out to those who do stunt work for a living. Wonderful cast and chemistry. All of my opinions here aside…I do understand your take-away regarding it being on the silly side. It is. A film which probably has no middle ground of take-aways as a result of that fact…the viewer either buys into the silly…or not. 🙂
I knew that you were looking forward to this one, so I’m glad that you and Mrs Chess had a wonderful time. Apparently, the studio expected a better opening weekend, considering the star power. I look forward to seeing how others experience the movie because it’s definitely some people’s vibe, you and Mrs Chess included, of course. 🤓
Thanks for sharing this idea.Anita
My pleasure. Hopefully it’s ‘your vibe’ if you decide to watch it. 🤓
Honestly my favorite movie of the year so far. Loved the stunts, the comedy, and the chemistry between leads. I’m an action guy, so movie’s like this tend to speak to me more.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I also admit to being a little jealous because I don’t think I have a favourite movie of the year so far just yet. Maybe it will be Deadpool & Wolverine, A Quiet Place – Day One, or a complete surprise. We’ll have to see.
A great review. I recently had an opportunity to watch this film as well and enjoyed it. I thought that it was a powerful tribute toward stunt performers in Hollywood. As I expected, Gosling and Blunt were both amazing. I did find the story to be a little predictable, and not all the crude jokes landed for me. Overall, though, I enjoyed it.
Here’s my thoughts on the film:
I do love Emily Blunt but I think it can wait until the tv and a rainy day!
I hear you, Jane. Perhaps it’ll make you smile, like it has for many, who aren’t me. 😁
Leitch is all over this kind of silly, if you look at his back-catalogue in both directing and writing. And it’s a kind of light-hearded fun I love.
And I LOVED the chemistry between Blunt and Gosling. I do sometimes wonder if the culture of a place influences the film in ways we can’t understand, and living in the location, maybe I loved it even more?
But anyway, different people will always have different opinions on films, and I embrace that.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I looked up his previous films and I remember enjoying Atomic Blonde (2017) and Deadpool 2 (2018). Sadly though, I did not like Bullet Train (2022), but not exactly for the same reasons I’m not loving The Fall Guy.
I’m glad you had a great time watching this one. And it’s true, every film can’t be loved by everyone. And I’m certainly not going to rule out potentially liking The Fall Guy, at least a little more in the future. But right now I’ll leave it to those who truly do, including the ones with special connections to the story.