After traveling back to the 80s in the last chapter, we now return to the here and now and to David Leitch, the director of Bullet Train, who famously began his career as a stuntman. He didn’t tell us directly whether, like so many others, he was influenced to take this step into the film business by the fictional stuntman Colt Seavers in the TV series. In any case, this hit series from the 80s inspired him to his new film, The Fall Guy.
In the early days of film, the film stars did everything themselves. And so, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton as well as Oliver Hardy, and Stan Laurel were not just the first screen stars. In fact, they belong also to the first stuntmen in film history. Creating a cinematographic monument to them would be great.
THE FALL GUY 1980’S VS 2024
Spoiler alert! The Fall Guy 2024 has nothing to do with The Fall Guy of the 80s. Unfortunately! This much can be said right at the beginning. Apart from the name Colt Seavers, nothing remains.
Jody’s last name is now no longer Banks, but Moreno. Why? She is no longer Colt’s teammate. However, Jody is a director, and Colt’s big love, is actually, his unhappy love.
THE FALL GUY STORY 2024 IN BRIEF
Colt works as a stuntman for screen hero Tom Ryder. A real jerk, to be honest. During one of his stunts, Colt is seriously injured. Hence, he falls into a long phase of melancholy.
It ends, more or less, when he is called to Australia, of all places to the film set of Jody’s first blockbuster “Metalstorm”. However, nothing here goes how it’s supposed to, and that doesn’t just mean film production.
THE FALL GUY MAIN CHARACTERS
COLT SEAVERS A.K.A. RYAN GOSLING
Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers. And he enjoys the role. You can see that. He plays relaxed. Besides, he is very funny and cool. Of course, we don’t have to introduce one of the most popular actors and men alive in more detail, do we?
JODY MORENO A.K.A. EMILY BLUNT
Jody works hard for her career. This is how she managed to film her first blockbuster as a director. Metal Storm. Sounds a bit trashy. But no matter whether it’s an A, B, or C film, Jody gives everything to make the film a complete success. But now, of all times, Colt Seavers returns to her life.
Emily Blunt is wonderful in almost every role. She isn’t only an exceptional talent. Moreover, she is probably one of the most fascinating women on our planet, extremely funny, smart, tough, self-confident, and simply beautiful. Her British humor is unbeatable. However, even if she fills these roles brilliantly, like in Fall Guy, it would be nice to see her more in films like Wild Target, in which she performs as if she were out of this world. Incredibly good.
Gail Meyer a.k.a. Hannah Waddingham
An interface between Jody and Colt is producer Gail Meyer. She is the one who brings Colt back to the film set. Apparently to get the two together again. Or is there more to her ambition? We know Hannah best from the series Ted Lasso, Hocus Pocus 2, and Les Misérables. This year we’ll hear her voice in Garfield and next year we’ll see her in Mission Impossible 8.

Tom Ryder a.k.a. Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Every star has a stunt double, usually for many years. Aside from the fact, that the stuntman risks his neck for the actor in the dangerous scenes, the two also have to resemble each other visually and in their body language.

However, in The Fall Guy, we see, that this close connection does not necessarily apply to the character. As usual in a drama, David Leitch also offers a special antagonist in The Fall Guy. Colt Seaver’s counterpart is the narcissistic, arrogant screen star, Tom Ryder. One can’t live out as many complexes as this guy has in a single life, even as a superstar.

The funny thing about Tom Ryder is that Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays him. It’s funny because Aaron is incredibly versatile like hardly any other. Even I, as a die-hard film professional, didn’t immediately recognize him in his role. I love his work though. Because in Kick-Ass he played the nerdy Dave Lizewski a.k.a. the funniest anti-hero in a simply stunning way. In Bullet Train – also directed by David Leitch – he appeared as Tangerine, brilliantly combining Monty Python and The Matrix in his character. It couldn’t be funnier and cooler at the same time.
So, it’s no wonder that the rumor mill is churning. Because it is rumored that Aaron will be the next James Bond. No wonder, he’s sexy and smart too. He has a lot of action experience. Furthermore, maybe more importantly, and this has nothing to do with Brexit, he’s British.
BACK TO THE FALL GUY STORY & DAVID LEITCH
What was intended as a homage to stuntmen who constantly risk their lives in front of the camera and are often not even mentioned in the credits, develops throughout the film into a rather unimaginative comedy in which the anti-hero fights for his dream girl.
David Leitch is very cool. As a former stuntman, he knows the people in front of and behind the camera well. With films like Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train, and, of course, Deadpool 2, he has extensively demonstrated his love of stunts, humor, and a sense of slapstick.
So, it would have been nice to get a glimpse into the life of a stuntman with Fall Guy. Just like in La La Land, in which Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling took us into the world of a jazz musician who has to give up his ideals and his great love to be successful. That went deep. Very deep.
In Fall Guy, however, we follow a guy who sinks into self-pity after an accident, only to get caught up in a crime where he no longer knows who a friend or foe is.
THE FALL GUY REVIEW
The story is partly funny and tightly told. It’s cool, fast-paced and entertaining. Unfortunately, however, it is also banal, and very arbitrary. So, Fall Guy is interchangeable, and fans of the series will constantly ask themselves: “So, what does this have to do with The Fall Guy?”
It would have been nicer to look behind the scenes to show how hard the life of a stuntman is. Furthermore, Leitch could authentically show us how much training, preparation, passion, hardship, and love goes into the job. Why always use the same run-of-the-mill formula of the silly love story, even if it’s told individually?
The wonderful Australia supported the film massively. And so, we get to see stunning pictures that take your breath away. The music is also very cool and driving, right down to the karaoke performance.
All in all, Fall Guy is a passable action comedy that those who never watched the original certainly will love. However, the film lacks real charm and, more importantly, a story that lives up to the name. So if you’re looking for a funny action comedy or are simply a Gosling/Blunt fan, you’ll get your money’s worth.
THE TRUE HEROES, THE STUNTMEN & STUNTWOMEN
However, it’s not the stuntmen who are put in the spotlight, but rather Ryan Gosling’s character, sometimes crying, sometimes on drugs, rarely doing stunts. However, Gosling and, of course, Emily Blunt, are more than worth seeing. No question about it. Both are super likable, funny, and cool.
But anyone a little older, having the original series in heart and mind will be disappointed. And anyone who expects to get a real insight into the world of stunt people will be completely disappointed. Unfortunately.
Personally, I’m very disappointed that a stuntman didn’t focus more on his own community and didn’t showcase the wonderful people behind the camera who contribute to the success of a film. People who, with an incredible amount of heart and soul, with a lot of love for film, do everything they can to ensure that the big stars shine in the spotlight.
We may find their names in the credits. However, we never see them on the red carpets and premieres. Hence, it was nice that David Leitch brought Head of Stunt Team Ben Jenkin, Logan Holladay, and Chris O’Hara from Fall Guy to the premieres, like in Berlin. So, they could show their skills live to the audience and receive their applause directly.
FALL GUY RANKING
Howsoever, I give the pictures 9 points, especially since Sydney shines in an amazing light, and the action and stunts are filmed perfectly. In addition, the music gets 9 points too. It’s more than cool. For humor and action, Fall Guy gets 8 points. Ryan is a great comedian, and Emily is too. It’s so funny to watch both.

But the story itself gets only 4 points! Especially since the original series, with its lovable characters, would have offered so much potential for cool sequels – if the “Fall Guy” had stayed true to the original style. So, let’s check how much the new stunning GMC Pickup costs and hope that David Leitch watches the original series again before he starts the production of Fall Guy 2.
Text: Marco Kokkot
Images: Universal Pictures 2024. All Rights Reserved.