At its core, The Fall Guy is a love letter to stunt performers. Everyone involved labels it as such. But it’s also so much more. Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2) crammed his film with so many stunts, you could forget half of them and still come away impressed. And Drew Pearce’s script isn’t just action-packed; it’s got a sweet love story and a thrilling missing-person mystery that keeps things entertaining.

When was the last decent action-adventure romantic comedy? And when was the last time a summer box office season began with one? A lot is riding on The Fall Guy, which officially kicks off the 2024 summer season on May 3rd. And kick it does…as well as punch, jump, explode, and set on fire.

The prerelease buzz has been insane, thanks to Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt going all out to promote their film for months. If you managed to dodge all the trailers, clips, interviews, TV spots, and Gosling’s SNL hosting gig (which was the season’s best, BTW), you’re part of a super exclusive club. The hype machine was working overtime leading up to The Fall Guy’s release. Of course, that’s a double-edged sword. Fatigue could set in before it even opened. But working in its favor are the ever-charming Gosling and Blunt, two appealing actors it’s tough to tire of.

The Fall Guy’s inspired by the ‘80s TV series that ran for five seasons and starred Lee Majors and Heather Thomas. Gosling’s character shares the same name as Majors’ – Colt Seavers – but unlike the Colt in the series, Gosling’s Colt doesn’t have a side gig as a bounty hunter. He’s a full-time stunt man … that is until a broken back suffered during a fall sends his career in a different direction. Colt spirals a bit, working as a valet and dining on free burritos.

Producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) calls Colt a year into his self-imposed retirement, begging for his help. Colt’s been egotistical superstar Tom Ryder’s stunt double for six years, and Gail needs him to fly to Australia ASAP for Tom’s current film. Colt’s immediate reaction is a straight-up no, but when Gail name-drops Jody Moreno, Colt is putty in Gail’s hands. Jody (Emily Blunt) is Colt’s ex who he ghosted after the accident. She was the director of photography on the film where he was injured, and now she’s the director of Tom’s latest film. Colt’s still got a thing for his ex, and Gail claims it’s Jody’s idea that he joins the production.

The truth is so much more complicated.

Jody wasn’t aware of Gail’s plan to bring Colt on board and doesn’t want him on her set. Thankfully, Colt’s friend, stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), convinces her there isn’t really any other viable option.

Given that this is a rom-com, their reunion doesn’t go smoothly. Jody’s still upset about Colt vanishing, and even Colt’s good looks and charm can’t immediately melt the protective layer of ice around her heart. However, being able to set her ex on fire multiple times and slam him against a boulder starts to do the trick. Well, that and Colt crying in a car to Taylor Swift. It’s tough to remain angry at a man who sobs while listening to “All Too Well.”

Jody’s directorial debut, the alien invasion, sci-fi action thriller/romance Metalstorm, is over budget and now the star’s MIA. Gail swears Colt to secrecy and confesses she brought him in to find Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and save Jody’s film. Because stunt performers are just superheroes without cool nicknames, right? Colt’s still head over heels for Jody, so obviously he’s going to track down Tom even though he’s not cut out for life-or-death stuff.

The Fall Guy keeps the jokes flowing, from Tom’s Memento-level Post-It Note obsession to a French-trained ball-siccing dog to Colt hallucinating a unicorn after unintentionally getting high. And the San Diego preview audience found the repeated mentions of Jody hoping for a Metalstorm Comic-Con Hall H panel to be particularly hilarious. The jokes and references mostly landed, and the ones that didn’t were quickly forgotten when the action picked up again.

Blunt and Gosling have amazing chemistry and appear to have been game for pretty much anything. By the time the heart-pounding, spectacular final act arrives, you’re rooting for these two to team up again for a sequel. Maybe one that has Colt becoming a bounty hunter like Lee Majors’ character? Just throwing it out there.

The Fall Guy is a stunt extravaganza. Boat chases, fiery crashes, flying cars, hand-to-hand combat, and a world-record-holding cannon roll. (Stunt driver Logan Holladay rolled a car 8.5 times, breaking a record set in Casino Royale.) Leitch delivered on his promise to honor the unsung heroes of action films, and The Fall Guy serves as the best promotional campaign for an Oscar category for stunts. There’s no legitimate reason not to recognize this pivotal aspect of filmmaking.

The Fall Guy is an audience-pleasing, hilarious, action-packed way to kick off the summer. Gosling and Blunt totally get the assignment and let the badass stunt performers shine in this ridiculously fun movie.

(Make sure to stick around for the credits!)

GRADE: A

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for drug content, action and violence, and some strong language
Release Date: May 3, 2024
Running Time: 2 hours 6 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

The stunt team is led by Stunt Designer and Coordinator/second-unit director Chris O’Hara. The team includes Ben Jenkin, Justin Eaton, Logan Holladay, Troy Brown, Sunny Sun, Jonathan Eusebio, and Keir Beck.