Review - The Fall Guy on Prime

You know how it feels to look forward to seeing a movie and then feeling disappointed before you're halfway through the viewing?

That's how I felt when watching The Fall Guy on Labor Day. 

When I first saw the trailers for this romantic comedy, I thought it was a movie that pushed all my buttons. Eagerly, I waited for it to be available for home viewing.

GREAT CAST = GREAT EXPECTATIONS

This movie, directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, was based on the old TV series starring Lee Majors who makes a cameo at the end of the movie.

Released this past May, Ryan Gosling, as the titular Fall Guy, Colt Severs, and Emily Blunt, as movie director Jody Moreno, headline the cast.

Hannah Waddingham of Ted Lasso, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke fill out the other important roles. 

Universal Pictures released the movie in May. Even though it received mostly positive reviews, the movie did not perform well at the box office. I have a feeling that was for the same reason that created my disappointment.

BRIEF BLURB

Stuntman Colt Seavers quits the movie business after a tragic accident, but a year later he's lured back by a producer to ensure that his former lover's directorial debut is a success. Unfortunately, he becomes embroiled in a sinister plot that threatens his very life and the lives of others.

That's all I'm going to say about the plot since I don't want to spoil scenes that are supposed to be plot surprises. However, I will point out one thing that should have been done at the very beginning of the film that may have fixed a big problem at the beginning.

2 CENT REVIEW

Last night after watching The Fall Guy, I asked Darling Husband why he thought it wasn't that good. We kicked the subject around a bit and came to the conclusion that it was mostly flash and little substance.

On that note, I realized I felt no emotional connection to the characters even though I understood what each character was trying to evoke.

In one scene, Jody (Emily Blunt) sings a sad love song meant to make us feel her heartbreak, but I didn't feel that.

The problem with the movie begain with a charming scene that shows the backstory for Jody and Colt—lovers working together on a movie. It's cute and shows off the stunt man's chops. The scene ends with a fall from a building.

Next scene shows Colt as a parking valet who appears to be down on his luck. Gosling aka Colt continues a voiceover narration of everything. I think when you have to have constant narration explaining what a character is feeling and thinking rather than showing through action and direct dialog, it becomes intrusive. Yes, narration in some instances works, but not all the way through a film.

WHAT'S REALLY WRONG WITH THE BEGINNING

At no point in that opening scene—the high-rise fall—is there any indication that it's tragic. No one screams in horror. He doesn't show any emotion at realizing he's in an uncontrolled fall. The very next scene could probably use a bit of narration like, "I knew if I wanted to live, I needed to find another way to make a living. But parking cars wasn't what I had in mind."

Instead, the viewer is left to figure out what happened to him and why his world changed, and the viewer doesn't have any emotional response because the time to create that emotion in the viewer has passed.

A movie that begins with an event designed to create emotion from the get-go must mine the opening scene to ensure the main character is immediately likeable and sympathetic.

Otherwise, no one will care if the character falls off a high rise in a stunt and breaks his back. (This truth is the same for books.) What should have been done was to immediately make the viewer know it's an uncontrolled fall. 

How about a voiceover—yes, clue us in and create emotion right there—"Oh, my God, I knew I was going to die." 

How about a scream of horror from his girl friend and other observers when they realize his fall isn't being braked?

Surprises in films are nice, but in an opening scene, especially in a movie built around a love story which this one was supposed to be, it's crucial to gain the emotional advantage.

What follows in that movie is one action sequence after another. While well done, it amounts to too much flash, not enough substance.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The Fall Guy is streaming on Prime and Peacock currently—maybe a few other places too. If you watch it, come back to this review and give your 2¢ in a Comment.

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