Some movies are worthwhile merely for the entertainment value they provide, and this is one of those.  An affectionate ode to the stunt people who make modern movies work — much like 1978’s Hooper — The Fall Guy has its origins in that long ago era, based as it is on the 1980s television show of the same name.  I never watched that Lee Majors show so I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other about a movie reboot, but this movie is, more often than not, a hoot.  And yet, its oddest aspect is its love/hate relationship with the movies, even as it seeks to become part of that history.

David Leitch’s film centers on popular stunt man Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), injured in an on-set accident, but returning to a movie set in Australia to help save the movie for the director, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a woman with whom he fell in love before his accident and his subsequent disappearance from social life.  When the leading man goes missing Colt is assigned to find him, but that task puts him in danger, and it will take all of his skills and wiles to stay alive, save the movie and win the woman.

The film’s merits are the obvious ones: the stunt work is tremendous, the movie milieu is fascinating, the byplay between Colt and Jody is romantic and amusing, and their chemistry is scorching.  Both Gosling and Blunt are excellent, with Hannah Waddingham as Gail, the intense producer, just about as strong.  Humor is abundant, there is a great dog who only understands commands in French and even the goofy science-fiction opus they are filming is appealing.  It’s a good time, despite the fact that the plot does not hold up to any sort of scrutiny.  It’s one of those stories where certain things are leveled against the main character which cannot possibly be proven (he wasn’t there!) but falsified evidence would condemn him if it were made public.  This matter leads me to the strange dichotomy this movie has about movies.

Clearly, moviemaking is celebrated.  Even a couple of rah-rah speeches by characters about its importance push the plot forward.  But at the same time, there is present an attitude that making movies is tawdry, expensive, ridiculous, dangerous and even criminal.  Some of that is certainly true, or at least often true, and perhaps it is not only smart but dramatically necessary to include some negativity about the process, but I have to say I found that attitude off-putting.  In Hooper, the stunt people sometimes wonder if what they are risking their lives doing is worthwhile, and seems perfectly appropriate.  Here, it’s as if the filmmakers are second-guessing their decision to make this movie — and I wonder if that underlying attitude is a factor in the movie’s middling box office results.  I wish the film were more positive; it is a fun ride most of the way.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  27 May 2024.