The Fall Guy is uncomplicated, old-fashioned movie magic centered on some of today's hottest stars

I'm happy to confirm that The Fall Guy, one of the coolest-looking big-budget movies of 2024, is indeed a fantastic time at the cinema. Moreover, it's also an enchanting romantic comedy with plenty to say about the entire film industry, not just the craft developed by stunt performers.

Following Oppenheimer's surprise domination of a good portion of 2023's global box office, many cinephiles and industry pundits have been expecting Universal Pictures, and perhaps other major studios, to double down on classic star-studded projects that look appealing enough without resorting to relying on IP power. While David Leitch's The Fall Guy was in development well before the Cillian Murphy-led biopic from Christopher Nolan rocked the world, it still feels like a firm step in the right direction.

The pre-summer 2024 blockbuster season has been quite hot already, with Legendary's Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire performing strongly at the box office, while earning strong thumbs-ups from audiences. By and large, April has been great for those looking to watch smaller and more reasonably budgeted movies. Right as May starts, however, we're looking at The Fall Guy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and Furiosa being the talk of town. But only the first one isn't based on an already renowned property.

While we've yet to see how The Fall Guy, which loosely adapts the 1980s TV series of the same name, performs domestically and in the biggest international markets, the timing of its arrival feels perfect. It's a profoundly human spectacle that puts its actors, as well as the crew behind all of Hollywood's giant productions, over everything else. The result? An explosive rom-com that reminded me big studios used to be in the business of taking big swings with nothing but beloved talent attached to projects.

With stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) and camera-operator-turned-director Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) at the centre of the story, it only made sense for The Fall Guy's script to make fun of how utterly chaotic the creative (and purely mechanical) process of making big-budget productions typically is nowadays. The in-universe production, which faces all sorts of hurdles and studio interference, is a massive sci-fi feature with all the cards stacked against it, starting with Jody's lack of experience and internal turmoil.

For the most part, Metalstorm's - yes, that's the movie's title - troubled production is closely tied to Colt and Jody's unfinished romantic business, which took a downturn after a near-fatal accident that took the stuntman off the job for more than a year. No spoilers here, it's all been revealed in the trailers, which have actually done a great job of showing the movie's strengths while keeping the story's twists and turns hidden. It's a basic premise which lacks high stakes by design, and even the addition of a kidnapping/murder mystery doesn't overshadow The Fall Guy's biggest attraction: hot movie stars doing what they do best.

It's a packed cast with a couple of surprising cameos, yet The Fall Guy is largely about Ryan Gosling (now heavily influenced by his Ken persona) and the always lovable Emily Blunt chewing up the scenery, whether their scenes are awkward or just straight-up romantic. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who may or may not be the next James Bond, also gets to shine in a highly comedic role, signaling that Leitch was happy with his standout performance in 2022's Bullet Train. The movie only becomes even funnier with the presence of Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke, each bringing a different (but vibrant) sort of energy to the ensemble.

Of course, none of this would work without striking a convincing balance between the rom-com angle and spectacular (and mostly practical) set pieces. Thankfully, Leitch - a fall guy himself now turned director - polished Bullet Train's rough edges and overbearing banter here and, unsurprisingly, had tons of fun both staging and shooting some truly impressive stunts that make you wonder whether folks got severely injured making this. That experience and love of the craft is felt throughout the entire runtime, making The Fall Guy a project the John Wick helmer was probably destined to make. Arguably, it's his best 'solo' work too.

As for shortcomings, you can definitely smell a more complete, rounded-out movie just out of reach. The mystery propelling the whole thing forward isn't as memorable nor engaging as the other elements of the script; it's the one thing preventing The Fall Guy from undoubtedly becoming a modern cult classic (I'm not expecting it to do huge numbers). The passion, craft, and pure charm on display more than make up for it though.

By the time the credits start to roll, however, you'll be thinking about whether Ryan Gosling and the cast's raw star power has ironically consumed the dangerous work done by the lead actor's many stuntmen pals, putting the movie's discourse at odds with the actual process of making it. But fear not, as one final gift tops off the tribute to blockbuster cinema's unsung heroes.