Gun to my head, forced to choose a tight top 5 films released in the past decade, "The Nice Guys" would land somewhere near the top of the ranking. Written and directed by action-comedy god Shane Black, the film from 2016 is a near-perfect period-buddy-comedy-action-thriller that is shockingly well-rounded in every of the aforementioned genres.
Physical comedian Ryan Gosling, who co-leads "The Nice Guys" alongside brute force Russell Crowe, is a major reason the film succeeds at all. His perfect timing, his innate understanding of what a scene necessitates to garner a laugh, his dedication to fulfilling that need but most importantly, his earnest, soul-piercing delivery won me over 8 years ago. Now, in this post-"Barbie" world, the wider movie-going population has caught on to Gosling's incredible on-screen power.
It wasn't his Oscar-nominated turn as Ken, but his criminally undervalued performance in "The Nice Guys" that came to mind as I sat in a darkened theater, cackling and grimacing at the elevated physicality he had to endure in "The Fall Guy." (These films, despite similar titles, are unrelated, although I would not be opposed to a post-mortem affiliation if it meant a third "Guy" movie in Gosling's future to round out the trilogy.)
In "The Fall Guy," Gosling commits to perhaps his most physically demanding job yet. His character, Colt Seavers, is the under-appreciated stunt double for an atrociously grotesque actor hyperbole Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). After a back-breaking accident on set, Colt shuts down and shuts out everyone, including camera operator and bourgeoning love fling, Jody (Emily Blunt). He leaves the business to valet cars until, a year later, big-wig movie producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham) convinces Colt to fly to Australia to, like any reasonable modern cowboy, save the day and rescue his heroine Jody, who is directing her first big studio film, a sci-fi epic love story that feels a lot like a "Dune: Part Two" knock-off.
From there, Gosling as Colt is flung into every possible stunt in Hollywood history. Set on fire and thrown against a boulder, rolled 8 and a half times in a quickly deteriorating vehicle, smashed through glass, pushed over stairwells, caught in an explosion from a burning boat. There's a trained dog that attacks on command, and the cost of the extensive pyrotechnics in this film would seemingly be enough to send Universal out of business.
But the absurd number of stunts in "The Fall Guy" is precisely the point. Director David Leitch is a longtime stunt performer and coordinator, and has doubled for the likes of Brad Pitt and Jean-Claude Van Damme. There is no subtlety in this action-mystery, no deigning to attempt to coral the fun that the filmmakers have in good, ol’ fashion blowing ships up. There's thought about the history of film, and plenty of homage to great action properties of the past. "Miami Vice" is a big influence, both in its stunt work and in the film. Blunt sings "Against All Odds" in karaoke, a duet with the recorded voice of Phil Collins that effectively sums up the vibe of this film.
But none of it would have such smooth – or rocky, depending on your perspective – sailing if its fearsome leaders, Gosling and Blunt, were not the ultra-talented, multi-hyphenate performers and professionals that they are. Their ease on camera, their smoldering chemistry and their utmost understanding of the art of comedy make even the weaker aspects of the script indiscriminate pockmarks on a smooth, unblemished face.
And there are a few missed marks. The plot for one, which won't be discussed much further in this review, lags in parts, riding the high of the octane-fueled situations without much regard for cohesion. Would someone be so gullible to ignore the glaring red flags waving vigorously before him? Perhaps. Is this truly the best way to handle such a situation, one that threatens not only one's liberty, but one's life? Definitely not.
But we, the audience, let these go because the journey is far more bombastically fun than the destination. As "The Fall Guy" tumbles, rolls, blasts, bursts and fights towards its grand finale, the momentum never lets up. The pros, Gosling and Blunt, never lift their feet from the pedal. The consistency of their performances and of the film's inertia as a runaway blockbuster never feels out of control or, worse, out of steam.
"The Fall Guy" is in theaters now.
