The Fall Guy: An Action-Packed Love Letter to the Stunt Community (Blu-ray)
The Film:
Without a doubt, one of the most unsung groups of industry professionals are the stunt artists, the marvelously-talented, hard-working men & women who put their lives on the line to entertain audiences around the world with their remarkable action skills (fights, chases, falls, and so much more). Back in the early '80s, there was a TV show called "The Fall Guy" that paid homage to these incredible folks, and now, fast-forwarding about 40 years later, we get a big screen adaptation that looks to do the same, but will the idea be enough to deliver a satisfying film?
Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is a professional stunt performer who doubles for actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). On his latest project, Colt breaks his back doing a dangerous fall, causing him to leave both his career and his girlfriend, camerawoman Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Eighteen months later, Colt is contacted by producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), who tells him that Jody is directing a new film and wants him to work on it. However, when he arrives on set, he discovers that she never asked for him, and that Gail actually wants his help to find Tom, who has gone missing after falling in with a bad crowd. In hopes of saving Jody's film, he agrees, putting him on an action-filled quest to save the day.
Most of the time, it seems like the natural inclination for a big-budget action film is to be way over the top, stretched out, and typically rather silly, but in the case of "The Fall Guy," that's kind of the entire point. This is a movie that's basically a celebration of the action cliches, one that simply wants to revel in that silliness to great effect, all in service of creating a film that's essentially a highly-entertaining love letter to the stunt community, whose stunning skills have amazed audiences for over a century.
Speaking of those stunning skills, there's certainly no shortage of them to be found here. With wild action sequences that range from falls & fast-paced fights to crazy chases through the streets & water, "The Fall Guy" is a grand fit for any action junkie and anyone who's able to fully appreciate the hard work & dedication that goes into creating dangerous scenes like these. Director David Leitch, who also gave us the thrilling flicks "Bullet Train" and "Atomic Blonde," comes from a stunt background (with 82 stunt credits to his name), so it's hardly a surprise that he and his stunt coordinator (Keir Beck) were able to put together a flick with one jaw-dropping sequence after another.
As mentioned, yes, the plot is rather silly and the film is a bit stretched out (even more so for the extended cut), but as a template for the aforementioned stunts, it works just fine. Plus, you have a wonderful cast headed up by two Oscar nominees (Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt), and a supporting cast that includes Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham, and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu. Each element comes together, cliches and all, to do exactly what the film is meant to do, that is to honor the stunt community, and in terms of achieving that goal, it succeeds quite well.
Video/Audio:
This edition of "The Fall Guy" comes with Blu-rays of the extended cut and the theatrical cut, both of which are presented in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The image is perfectly sharp throughout the duration of both versions, marvelously highlighting their multitude of fantastic action sequences. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio tracks are spectacular, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Universal has done an incredible job in both departments for the film's debut physical release.
Special Features:
Feature Commentary with Director/Producer David Leitch and Producer Kelly McCormick
Gag Reel (5 Minutes)
Alternate Takes (6 Minutes)
Stunts on Stunts: Breaking Down the Action (19 Minutes)
Making a Meta Masterpiece (16 Minutes)
How to Break A World Record (6 Minutes)
Nightclub Mayhem (4 Minutes)
The Art of Doubling (4 Minutes)
Making Metalstorm (5 Minutes)
Falling for The Fall Guy with Bob Reese (4 Minutes)
The Blu-ray comes with a fantastic collection of extras, totaling a little over an hour, that mainly focus on the creation of the film's various phenomenal stunt sequences. The "Stunts on Stunts" featurettes, which break down several of these sequences, are a particular highlight.
Conclusion:
Utilizing the standard action cliches to great effect, "The Fall Guy" uses its wonderful cast and extremely silly, over-the-top plot to deliver a highly-entertaining, action-packed love letter to the stunt community, whose remarkable talents are on full display here in a variety of incredible sequences that are sure to delight any action junkie and admirer of the stunning skills involved.
Score: 3.5/5
Now available on Blu-ray.
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