Ariana Duckett
Copy Editor & Senior Staff Writer
Released May 3, “The Fall Guy” follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), trying to win back his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who is directing the movie he is doing stunts for. The movie grossed $80 million at the box office and had generally positive reviews. It even won the Guinness World Record for most cannon rolls — repeatedly spinning a car on its side — reaching eight and a half.
The original “The Fall Guy” was an 80s television show about stuntmen (Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas) who also work as bounty hunters. The show ran for five seasons and received positive reviews. The soundtrack of the remake includes scores from Majors’s previous work to honor his legacy in the franchise.
Eight months prior to the current storyline, a stunt broke Colt’s back and made him wary of his career. It also wounded his pride and confidence in his stunt abilities, which led him to distance himself from Jody, who feels both angry at his behavior but not unwilling to hear out his apologies. As the movie is being filmed, the characters are also tossed into a murder mystery, which must be solved in order to continue filming the high-budget movie.
“The Fall Guy” remake has refreshing but over-the-top complexity with the antagonists’ reasoning for their actions and the ways in which conflicts are resolved. The film straddles the border between action and mystery, with elaborate discoveries for Colt and Jody to make mixed with sudden and sometimes unexpected fight scenes. Nevertheless, the absurdity of creating an experimental and unique film whilst working with your ex who you’re not quite over is very entertaining to watch and cleanly follows the cycle of heartbreak, anger, avoidance, and reconnection.
Viewers see snippets and the behind-the-scenes of Jody’s movie, a sandy and extravagant space opera including hints of romance and weaponry that resembles miniature electric guitars. Her passionate descriptions of her visions and goals for her project are well-executed and refreshingly spotlight the creative process of a woman in a rarely portrayed leadership position in the film industry.
As per usual for action movies, Colt spends the majority of his time beating up the bad guys, getting set on fire, and crashing cars across the Australian coast. His career allows him convenient, well-choreographed action scenes where steering a boat through a ring of fire or fighting in the back of a helicopter looks quite plausible.
The film’s soundtrack includes top artists from a variety of generations — Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Blue Swede, Hall & Oates, and much more.
Ultimately, it’s a fun and exciting film fit for action and non-action fans alike.