Now Available from Universal Pictures.
If you told me that they were going to turn a somewhat memorable 1981 action series starring Lee Majors in to a big budget action comedy, I would have been very skeptical. Lo and behold there should have been a market for it, because “The Fall Guy” is all kinds of good Hollywood shenanigans. It’s loud, funny, and action packed, and stacks a respectable cast of big stars. This includes Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, both of whom are still riding the success of their huge movies from 2023. Sadly, that didn’t carry in to big numbers; that’s a shame since “The Fall Guy” has some big franchise potential.
Colt Seavers is a retired battle-scarred stuntman who is drafted back into service after a near-career ending accident when Tom Ryder, the big star of a mega-budget studio movie—being directed by Colt’s ex, Jody Moreno—goes missing. Colt must find Tom and bring him back before the movie is cancelled and Jody misses her big shot.
I think in another time in another climate, “The Fall Guy” could have been huge. I say that since the movie often watches like something out of 1999 where everything was so silly and over the top. “The Fall Guy” thrives on satire, and tongue in cheek humor with some great action and some charming performances by the collective cast. If anything, the film is hindered by its needlessly convoluted narrative. The movie should ride on a more straight-forward premise and is instead bogged down in so many twists and turns that mid-way it becomes kind of incoherent.
It’s a lot of the reason why “A Team” didn’t work. “The Fall Guy” is not a masterpiece, but it is a fun action comedy with tight direction, great action, and some sharp self-awareness only the director of “Deadpool 2” could accomplish.
Along with the Extended Cut (which is twenty minutes longer than the original theatrical cut), the new release includes a Gag Reel, as well as Alternate Takes from various scenes. There’s Stunts On Stunts: Breaking Down The Action, five breakdowns detail the meticulous designs, careful preparation, and executions that goes into pulling off the film’s death-defying stunts. With City Truck Jump/ Sidewinder there’s stunt driver Logan Holladay, who provides a first-person view of an incredible stunt that launches a truck onto a crowded city street. Garbage Bin explores Ryan Gosling and the stunt performers surfing on a skidding door, trade punches in a spinning bin, and wrestle with an attack dog.
Boat Chase includes the making of a classic boat jump stunt, no green screen required, complete with an explosion that lights up the water around the iconic Sydney Opera House. The impressive Car Jump the film’s most dangerous stunt: a bomb-blasting ride in a tricked-out vehicle that leads into a heart-stopping jump across an enormous expanse, and High Fall featuring Troy Brown, the son of legendary stunt performer Bob Brown, follows in his father’s footsteps with a high fall off a helicopter like only their family can deliver. Making a Meta Masterpiece features the filmmaking team and cast bringing you behind the scenes in Australia for an insider’s look into turning the TV series in to a film.
How to Break a World Record features the crew as driving double Logan Holladay and the stunt team crafting a cannon roll crash that breaks a Guinness World Record. Nightclub Mayhem features fight coordinator Sunny Sun and stunt double Justin Eaton choreographing a bottle-breaking battle between Colt Seavers and Doone’s goons. The Art of Doubling features stunt double Ben Jenkin, a man willing to be set on fire, hit by a car, and take risks with Ryan Gosling to collectively make a single character look cool.
Making Metalstorm is a fun look at the creation of film within the film METALSTORM. Falling for the Fall Guy with Bob Reese features Professional parkour athlete and influencer Bob Reese recreating stunts from the movie, including a scissor-lift dive, Kong vault, and high fall. Finally, there’s a feature commentary with Director/Producer David Leitch and Producer Kelly McCormick [Available on both theatrical and extended cuts].