The Fall Guy

“Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman fresh off an almost career-ending accident. Colt is persuaded to return to his stunt career when he’s told his ex, Jody (Emily Blunt), is directing a film and asked for him specifically. With hopes of winning back the love of his life, Colt returns to set only to find the movie’s leading man missing and production in peril. Ensnared in an increasingly wild conspiracy, he must solve the mystery to save Jody’s film and get one last show with her. What could possibly go right? David Leitch (director of Bullet Train and producer of John Wick) delivers hard-hitting action, hilarious comedy, and a classic love story all cannon-rolled into one stunt-filled adventure with The Fall Guy.”

Colt Seavers works has worked as a stunt double for action super-star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) for most of his career, but when a horrific on-set accident derails not only his career, but the relationship between himself and Jody Banks, a camera operator and aspiring director, his entire life is turned upside down with no safety net. That is, until he gets a call from producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), who informs him that Jody’s big break is in imminent danger of crashing and burning if he doesn’t step up and return to do what he does best – as well as work in secret to locating Tom Ryder who, unbeknownst to the rest of the crew, has disappeared without a trace. Now, vying to get back into the good graces of Jody while trying to ease back in to his demanding and painful profession, Seavers must also navigate some shady dealings and solve the mystery of Tom Ryder’s disappearance before the studio finds out he’s missing and shuts down the film and any hope of a future career for Jody.

Inspired by the 1980s TV series, The Fall Guy combines an homage to a dangerous and often thankless profession, incredible action sequences, and some hilarious comedy to create a film reminiscent of what action/comedy blockbusters used to be. Opening the summer movie season, the film didn’t do quite as well as predicted unfortunately, but nevertheless The Fall Guy is one of the most entertaining action films I’ve seen in quite a while. David Leitch’s surprise hit Bullet Train certainly amped up my anticipation, as it also blends the quirky comedy and action sequences well, and he is able to continue the momentum in this film.

The film probably wouldn’t have nearly the appeal if it weren’t for the cast, namely Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Their chemistry is sensational, fueled by clever and witty dialogue, you certainly feel the connection between the two characters the instant they are on screen, and that’s something that’s hard to achieve so easily. Ryan Gosling has always been able to portray the brooding, lovelorn type, but hot off the success of Barbie, he’s getting ample chances to stretch his comedy muscles. The action sequences again, are simply stunning, and Ryan Gosling (along with the actual stuntmen in the film) deserve a lot of the credit for making them some of the most memorable sequences of the year in film. Emily Blunt’s portrayal of Jody is just as equally entertaining, driving a lot of the comedic moments and a take-charge attitude as her character helms a blockbuster film while navigating the appearance of someone she didn’t expect. Hannah Waddingham and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, as well as all the rest of the supporting cast, do a fantastic job at elevating the film into an entertaining ride from start to finish.

This set comes with the theatrical edition as well as an extended edition which is about 20 minutes or so longer than the original. Seeing the film in theaters, I was anxious to check out the extended edition for more of what I came to love about the film, and that normally goes without saying when offered a choice between a theatrical edition and extended edition. In this instance, however, I would recommend against watching the extended edition, especially if it’s your first viewing. The scenes that were added were cut for a reason. It severely drags down the pacing of the film and I found myself second-guessing my original enjoyment of the film as I was introducing it to a friend. I actually turned it off about an hour in and popped in the theatrical edition to finish, and I quickly found that enjoyment again. This isn’t to say that no one would find enjoyment in more dialogue, some may find what seems to be a lot of improvised lines interesting after watching the original, but in my opinion, it takes away from the tight and concise editing and banter that made the dialogue so charming to begin with. That being said, it’s great to have the option, and at a time when special features and new extras are becoming less and less common, I applaud Universal for the inclusion of another edition for fans of the film.

Video

The Fall Guy is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. We were provided with a Blu-ray copy of this release, but there is also a 4k UHD being released as well. Given the choice, I would always go with the 4k, but this Blu-ray version still provides a very stunning picture quality that is hard to beat. Colors are impressive, image is clear and concise, everything you’d expect from a new release.

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, and this will be the same on both releases. Most of my favorite moments in this film are thanks to the audio, whether it’s the score that perfectly fits this type of film with a great selection of songs, the stunning action sequences that are made even better because of the audio effects, or the clear and concise, hilarious dialogue, the audio is what makes it happen. There’s a great balance between the channels, a really nice mix that sounds great on home theater set-ups.

Special Features

The set contains a slip-cover, as well as a digital copy of the film, and two Blu-ray discs containing the theatrical cut and extended cut. Extras also include:

• Gag Reel
• Alternate Takes
• Stuns on Stunts: Breaking Down the Action
• Making a Meta Masterpiece
• How to Break a World Record
• Nightclub Mayhem
• The Art of Doubling
• Making Metalstorm
• Falling for The Fall Guy with Bob Reese
• Feature Commentary with Director/Producer David Leitch and Producer Kelly McCormick

The Fall Guy is the type of film that Hollywood needs to make more of these days. Not relying on world-building or franchise rights, a fun, entertaining film that you can enjoy without having seen dozens of previous films and television shows to understand. The film executes everything with perfection, and the result is something that I know I will continue to revisit over the years and enjoy. This one comes out 7/23 on Blu-ray and 4k!