Project Hail Mary (2026), Ryan Gosling, Amazon MGM Studios
It’s time for Ryan Gosling’s in-space movie.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary is a new sci-fi movie about a ‘non-astronaut’ alone in space, trying to save planet Earth.
I believe this to be the first trailer I’ve posted this year for a movie not out until 2026. We really are more than halfway through the year already.
This trailer had me smiling widely. First, as a Gosling fan, second, the humour, and third, because of the healthy escapism that reminds us to try our best to not despair. I, for one, am very ready for this good-looking tale that will have us all feeling good, at least for a while.
How big was your smile?
Liz Kingsman, Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub, Sandra Hüller, Ken Leung, James Ortiz, James Wright, Robert James Smith, Bastian Antonio Fuentes and Isla McRae also star.
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/dramawere 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.
In new action/comedy/drama The Fall Guy, Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is a retired stuntman who gets drafted back into stuntwork after the star of a big-budget studio movie goes missing.
A key complication is that the director of the mega-budget film is his ex-girlfriend Jodi Moreno (Emily Blunt), with whom he has unfinished business.
The films that both Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are in are usually good. And, I’m quite sure that The Fall Guy will be quite entertaining.
However, I think it’s taken me a while to post about this trailer because I wasn’t sure about the casting of Blunt and Gosling as a couple. I just don’t see it so easily for some reason. Maybe my slight aversion has more to do with the main song in this trailer. Sorry, Jon Bon Jovi fans!
Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Hannah Waddingham are no doubt great additions to the cast. May the end result be as fun as one hopes, even though the plot seems quite far from meaty.
Are you excited to see The Fall Guy?
Directed by David Leitch; Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu and Matuse also star.
For those who read my Barbie movie trailer post, I must first confirm that I did not develop a greater love for pink as I imagined I might. I still like pink just fine, as always. What I do appreciate more now after seeing director Greta Gerwig’s rather fun Barbie film is the casting of Ryan Gosling as Ken.
To clarify, I was never against Gosling’s casting, nor did I read the details of why some believed it to be a mistake. I was curious about the story, especially once it became clear that an existential crisis would be at its core.
How Barbie’s aforementioned internal crisis plays out makes for a watchable emotional journey that starts with her seemingly perfect days in Barbie Land, to the discovery of a different life in the real world. Add to that some female empowerment plus Ken’s own crisis, and we have a script that balances both story arcs well while delivering a Barbie movie worth the heavily pink-hued adventure.
Barbie (2023), Margot Robbie, Warner Bros. Pictures
Barbie will almost certainly be enjoyed most by serious fans who grew up playing with and loving Barbie dolls. I do not fit neatly into that category, but enjoy myself I certainly did. I’m sure it helps that I found no fault with the film’s well-imagined set/costume design. Additionally, there’s Gosling and Margot Robbie’s believable portrayals of the doll experiences in both the real world and Barbie Land.
The characters played by Issa Rae, Kate Mckinnon and Michael Cera are notable additional highlights, not to forget the delightful dance numbers performed by all the Kens.
I recommend Barbie, a fun, light-hearted summer movie that stands firmly on its own, even though it is simultaneously a great antidote for Oppenheimer (2023).
Lastly, the following is more to do with my specific criteria for the kind of films I watch at home versus the theatre. But, as Barbie played, I remember thinking I could have easily watched it at home instead of at the cinema. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to Barbie’s streaming release. Because it’s very clear to me that the rewatch value is decidedly strong with this one.
Have you already seen Barbie? And if you have, how perfect was that ending?
Thrills and action were promised. And thrilling action is precisely what Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Ryan Gosling’s latest, The Gray Man delivered.
A key highlight of the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed action/thriller is all the action sequences that made it impossible for me to look away for at least two-thirds of the movie. Even more so during the scenes set in Prague.
Evans as the bad guy in a story about the CIA’s most skilled operative’s uncovering of dark agency secrets is a fun surprise. I rather enjoyed his well-dressed turn as a psychopath. Gosling has always been fun to watch in action roles, and The Gray Man is no different.
And to think that my Friday wasn’t quite going to plan today. It turns out that all it took was to watch the first ten minutes of The Gray Man to have me cheering and ‘woohooing’ at the thrilling action, smile-inducing dialogue, rich visuals and heart-thumping musical score.
Undeniably, perfect is not the word to describe The Gray Man. However, it is a perfectly entertaining escape that isn’t so easy to turn away from, especially during the highly engaging action scenes.
If you’re a fan of the cast and directors, I implore you to alter your mood and take in all the highlights mentioned above, including the fun camera work.
The Movie My Life 