“Stunts!”
The Fall Guy has officially hit theaters and is living up to the hype teased by the trailer when it first dropped over six months ago. Action-packed, comedically perfect, and a fantastic tribute to stunt performers worldwide, director David Leitch‘s new movie is an absolute masterpiece in everything it set out to achieve. Dubbed “A love letter to the traditional way of doing stunts” by Emily Blunt, the film does exactly that while also bringing these incredible, often overlooked heroes the praise they so rightly deserve.
Leitch’s expertise in the stunt world is evident throughout this movie, and his skill and knowledge helped to bring this captivating story to life. But the writing, visuals, special effects, and characters really help make The Fall Guy effortlessly easy to love. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star as Colt Seavers and Jody Moreno, a stuntman and director with chemistry that radiates through the screen, mirrored by the actors’ real-life chemistry. However, the film has many other characters whose presence, no matter how short or sweet they may have been, helps make this movie stand out as one of the best of 2024 so far. From a Personal Assistant full of character to a charismatic Stunt Coordinator, a unicorn, and even a French-speaking dog, The Fall Guy has a diverse range of entertaining characters helping with its continuing success. This film really does have everything.
The Fall Guy
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- Director
- David Leitch
- Cast
- Emily Blunt , Hannah Waddingham , Ryan Gosling , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Stephanie Hsu , Teresa Palmer
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
10 Tom Ryder
Played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson
He’s not necessarily a “likable” character. However, his being there as the stereotypical douchebag movie star that thinks he’s better than everyone else provides a decent villain arc for the movie. Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), alongside his corrupt longtime producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), makes for the definition of two people with more power than they know what to do with.
Tom is the actor that Ryan Gosling’s character doubles for, and while he may be a decent actor, he’s far from a decent human being. Colt suffers a seemingly accidental near-fatal injury at the beginning of the movie that completely derails his life. But as the film nears its end, it’s revealed that it wasn’t an accident and that Ryder intentionally sabotaged the stunt. While this reveal proves how despicable he is, it’s not the only bad thing he does throughout the movie. Without discussing any further specifics in order to avoid spoiling a main twist, his disregard for human life and obnoxious personality, accompanied by his recklessness, provide a level of danger and make him a worthy antagonist.
9 Iggy Starr
Played by Teresa Palmer
The Fall Guy has many qualities that are helping make it so successful, and one of these is a catchy soundtrack with songs that everybody knows. From the scenes with Ryan Gosling chilling down to Taylor Swift‘s “All Too Well” to this peppy character’s introduction with the background music of the action-fuelled “Yeah!” from Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris, the score for The Fall Guy was expertly chosen to fit the mood on screen at the time.
Iggy Starr (Teresa Palmer) is the sword-wielding woman seen in the trailer. While that scene may only last a little over two minutes, it’s one of the most entertaining pieces of fight choreography thanks to Ryan Gosling’s comedic timing and Teresa’s portrayal of a slightly simple-minded individual. She’s the lead actress in the film alongside Ryder and is seen more towards the end as the movie’s nearing its end of production. But her introductory scene with Colt is undeniably what makes her a memorable addition to the film, thanks to her bubbly nature and the force at which she enters the scene, no matter how short it may have been. Poor Colt, all he wanted was his coffee.
8 Gail Meyer
Played by Hannah Waddingham
Gail Meyer is the producer of the fictional movie Metalstorm and a force to be reckoned with. At least, that’s what she thinks. She and Tom Ryder are cut from the same cloth. Both of them believe they’re better than everyone else because of their places in the film, but are, in actuality, nothing more than two people whose money and positions have gone to their heads.
Throughout The Fall Guy, Gail presents as someone headstrong in that she wants this movie to work so that Jody can achieve everything she wants in her career, but her deceitful nature begins to shine through the further the film progresses. She may become somewhat annoying, but, like Tom, provides audiences with an unstable, antagonistic character who will seemingly do whatever she can to achieve her goal, even if it means stepping on a few heads to get there.
7 Venti Kushner
Played by Zara Michales
Venti Kushner, nicknamed Ventilator by Winston Duke‘s Dan Tucker, only appears in The Fall Guy for a very brief moment, but that doesn’t stop her energy from crashing through the screen. After a car chase involving a garbage truck, a skip, and a portable fight with a security guard, Colt and Jean Claude, the dog, make their way to a karaoke bar for what was supposed to be a relaxing time.
Of course, that doesn’t happen, and instead, they need the help of a tech whiz to unlock a phone that could lead to the missing Tom Ryder. Venti skips over to help when Tucker asks and immediately gives off a comedically drunken vibe, on a high from just finishing a song. She doesn’t necessarily have a primary purpose in the film, but she’s entertaining and provides a humorous addition, nonetheless.
6 Nigel
Played by Adam Dunn
Full of golden retriever energy, this loveable karaoke-singing man is seen sporadically throughout The Fall Guy. While he may not appear as a prominent character, Adam Dunn left quite an impressionable performance as Nigel, with his bubbly personality radiating through the cinema screens.
This supporting character was ultimately a lighthearted addition to the film, in which he provided some comedic scenes during his screen time. He’s a man who enjoys life in the simple things like jamming out to a favorite karaoke song like Christina Aguilera‘s “Genie in A Bottle,” which is something many people can relate to. The little things in life can have the biggest impact, and Nigel is the embodiment of enjoying the moment and living life how he wants.
5 Alma Milan
Played by Stephanie Hsu
Alma Milan (Stephanie Hsu) quickly proved herself as a capable woman who won’t take any crap thrown her way. When she and Colt are tasered, Alma is kidnapped and thrown into the front of a garbage truck by a group of men. Colt springs into action, and a hectic chase through the streets and across the Sydney Harbour Bridge soon ensues, but this woman gives more than she gets against her attackers.
Once again, discussing the incredible soundtrack, this entire fight/chase takes place while Phil Collins‘ “Against All Odds” plays in the background, making the scene even better. Alma is a feisty addition to The Fall Guy‘s extensive impressionable cast, and it’s entertaining to watch her and Colt bounce off each others’ energies. That and it’s fun to watch her single-handedly take down a guy twice her size, hold her own, and regain control of a truck hurtling through the Sydney streets in one of the movie’s best action sequences.
4 Jean-Claude the Dog
Played by two separate Australian Kelpie’s
When a dog of any breed appears in a movie, chances are they’ll inadvertently become the star of the show no matter what they do, and Ryan Gosling’s four-legged friend in The Fall Guy is no exception. He’s first seen roughly halfway through the movie, introduced as Colt tracks down Ryder’s PA to see if she can locate him when he’s looking into his disappearance. He immediately captures the audience’s hearts and becomes a significant part of the movie, but he’s not your typical furry friend.
His name is Jean-Claude, he only understands commands told in French, and this clever pooch has a particular party trick that’ll put any unsuspecting bad guy on edge. His presence turns The Fall Guy into a Turner and Hooch-style buddy adventure for a short period, and it works incredibly well. He helps Colt take down the bad guys, looks adorable while doing it, and shares a drink with his co-star after a challenging car chase through the streets of Sydney. What a good doggo. What makes his addition to the film even better is that Ryan Gosling has stated that his on-screen companion pays homage to his wife, Eva Mendes‘ late fur baby Hugo, who also only understood French.
3 Dan Tucker
Played by Winston Duke
Arguably best known for his role as M’Baku in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Winston Duke has now added another smash hit movie to his growing filmography with his memorable role of Dan Tucker in The Fall Guy.
Dan is Colt’s best friend and the Stunt Coordinator for the fictional movie Metalstorm, in which The Fall Guy takes place, and his personality is instantly infectious. He’s the type of friend everyone wants, there for the good, the bad, and the downright insane. Even when bad guys try to kill him, he’s smiling and letting his chaotic energy lead the way to success with an encouraging flurry of hand slaps. “Stunts!”
2 Jody Moreno
Played by Emily Blunt
When audiences first meet Jody Moreno, she’s a camera operator introduced in Colt’s opening dialogue as he walks through the set in a one-shot start to the film. But for the rest of the movie, she’s the director of her debut epic sci-fi feature, Metalstorm, which is set for a Comic-Con trailer premiere at the famous Hall H.
Alongside Colt, Jody is The Fall Guy‘s lead. The film focuses on both her and Colt’s relationship as well as the focal point of finding the missing Tom Ryder. She’s a strong female lead, and Emily Blunt does a fantastic job of portraying her. Jody and Colt share brilliant chemistry on screen, and the two make for some hilarious and heartwarming scenes throughout the entire film.
1 Colt Seavers
Played by Ryan Gosling
Colt Seavers is The Fall Guy for more than one reason. He’s a stuntman, so he literally falls off buildings, but he’s also the one lined up to be framed for a murder he didn’t commit. No spoilers on that front, but he well and truly lives up to the movie’s title. Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Colt is arguably one of his best. He’s always been great at comedic timing, which has left his fans wishing he’d do more of the genre. Couple that with his ability to play a vulnerable, down-to-earth, mysterious, all-around cool guy at the same time, and this film is yet another chance for this A-List actor to showcase his impressive range.
The film opens with Colt delivering an introduction to who he is and his relationship with Jody and leads up to an almost career-ending accident that nearly kills him. The movie then becomes a mystery, action-comedy, and romance adventure all in one and takes audiences on an entertaining journey with Colt and the rest of the characters along the way. Overall, The Fall Guy is a brilliant homage to stunt performers and the unsung heroes they are, and Gosling’s performance as Colt really helps showcase the incredible work these people do behind the scenes of some of our favorite movies.
This article was originally published on collider.com