The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy ist eine reine Filmunterhaltung. Das Konzept basiert auf der gleichnamigen Serie aus den 80er Jahren, daher schielt der heutige Film nostalgisch auf die damalige Ästhetik. Der Film im Film, den das Team dreht, erinnert an den Science-Fiction-Film Metalstorm - Die Vernichtung des Jared-Syn. Auf jeden Fall schöpft das heutige Erlebnis reichlich aus der Mischung aus dem freundlichen Blick hinter die Kulissen, dem aktuell gehypten Charisma von Ryan Gosling (wer hat heute mehr Sexappeal, Ryan oder Jason Momoa?) und dem Insider-Blick auf formale Witze, bei denen der Schnitt, die Montage und die ganze Szenerie auf popkulturelle Hinweise in den Dialogen reagieren. Für Cineasten ist es ein vollwertiges Erlebnis, aber auch Zuschauer, die die Hälfte der Referenzen nicht bemerken, können es in Ruhe genießen. (01.05.2024)

Ryan Gosling und Emily Blunt sind super, David Leitch hat offensichtlich genossen, einen Film über sein eigenes Handwerk zu drehen... Aber ich habe The Fall Guy nach einer halben Stunde, als die Hauptgeschichte in Fahrt gekommen ist, fast alles nicht mehr geglaubt. Genau wie bei dem vorherigen Bullet Train wurde er zu einer Parade von nicht ganz glaubwürdigen und manchmal krampfhaften Situationen, aus denen nur die Unterhaltung mit geteiltem Bild und die Actionszene mit dem Container herausragten. Zu allem Überfluss war der Film furchtbar lang und hätte vor dem Finale mindestens dreimal enden können. Schade. Ich gehöre nicht zu denen, die ständig behaupten, dass früher alles besser war, aber in diesem Fall muss man sagen, dass ein solider Film, der das Stuntman-Handwerk preist und wirklich unterhaltsam, verrückt und glaubhaft romantisch ist, bereits vor 47 Jahren entstanden ist. Und das ist Ein irrer Typ mit Belmondo. (09.05.2024)

Barbenheimer setzt seine schauspielerische Form in 2024 fort und wir haben bei den Oscars einen Vorgeschmack bekommen. Ich war von der IMAX-Vorschau nicht beeindruckt, aber angesichts der hohen Bewertungen habe ich The Fall Guy eine Chance gegeben. Er entsprach überhaupt nicht meiner Stimmung oder meinem Gemütszustand und im ersten Drittel habe ich mich ausgesprochen gelangweilt. Dann lieferte David Leitch einige interessante Stunts und der Film schlüpfte in die Schublade einer verrückten Actionkomödie im Stil der 80er Jahre mit einer sehr guten musikalischen Komponente. Nun, ich habe mich nicht amüsiert, ich habe mehrmals auf die Uhr geschaut und es hat nicht geholfen, dass ich sowohl Ryan Gosling als auch Aaron Taylor-Johnson mag, der den Verrückten eindeutig mit Begeisterung spielte. Wahrscheinlich würde ich mich mit einem Film mit Cillian Murphy und Margot Robbie wohler fühlen :-) David Leitch wird mir als derjenige in Erinnerung bleiben, der zusammen mit Chad Stahelski der Filmwelt das Phänomen John Wick beschert hat. (03.05.2024)

Stuntman Ryan Gosling must find a lost movie star in order to save the film of his beloved Emily Blunt. And for her, he'll go through hell. David Leitch delivers an entertaining tribute to the stunt craft and all those who practice it. He combines great action with surprisingly even better romance, a nice bit of wit and humor, and the obvious joy of goofing around on set with the friends he's spent his entire career with. And it's great to watch. (29.04.2024)

David Leitch pays homage to the stunt craft and filmmaking, and it's enjoyable entertainment that won't offend anyone in the cinema, but it just doesn't live up to his previous effort Bullet Train - that was far more substantial in terms of action and humour, and more importantly it was R-rated, so I liked it better. It's quite ironic that the film's strengths don't include the action, which is more creative and interesting than excellent, and the humour is only mildly amusing rather than a loaded comedy ride, but the film gets plus points elsewhere. Like the great chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, it had emotion and this whole romance thing works great, but what I liked most was the behind the scenes of the filmmaking, where Leitch shows a lot of things from the other side and I enjoyed that. There are also a lot of movie references, I really liked the action scene on LSD at the disco (probably the most original fight ever) and then the finale, which is decently spectacular and fun. The icing on the cake is the trailer for the final film which is reminiscent of Honest Trailers (the same guy speaks by the way), I was very pleased with that. Fun, playful and heartfelt. 8/10 (09.05.2024)

Ryan Gosling is the action hero that modern masculinity needs, and this film is a magnificent culmination of the roles that he has played so far and his image. Instead of bombastic macho tough guys, here we have a guy who can handle wild physical challenges, but he also knows how to come to grips with his emotions (even if it’s only by listening to plaintive songs in his car) and can be sensitive, supportive and friendly towards others while taking himself with a sense of detached humour. And on top of that, he’s also both hot and adorable. In addition, The Fall Guy offers up a bombastic tribute to stunt work that comprises a grand culmination of the work done by the stunt and choreography group 87eleven, or rather its production division, 87North. Besides the trademark style of fight choreography, the filmmakers fortunately focused primarily on the logistically more challenging aspects of stunt work with automobiles, explosions and collisions, and every possible kind of fall, which they execute not only for the camera, but also for the narrative. All of this is done mainly with the aim of lobbying for the rectification of the nonsensical neglect of stuntpeople at the hands of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (However, it could possibly be argued that the Academy doesn’t overlook stuntpeople because it would want to somehow draw attention away from the behind-the-scenes magic of film, but solely because most members of the Academy don’t understand the industry and the results of voting would correspond to that, as is the case with the animation category.) In light of all of that, The Fall Guy also works as a refreshingly exaggerated romantic comedy that takes the female point of view rather than the usual male perspective. Though it’s true that the film is somewhat handicapped by the uneven screenplay and exceedingly obvious utilitarianism of the individual peripeteias, which serve as an excuse for staging particular bits of choreography, this is offset by the fact that the filmmakers know how to shoot everything with maximum effectiveness and entertainment value, which is not true of the film’s spiritual ancestor, Hooper (1976), by the first stuntman-turned-director, Hal Needham. (03.05.2024)

Better than Dune! Excellent, imaginative, romantic comedy with polished action and filmed with incredible flair. David Leitch reminisces about his stunt years and inspires lots of little kids to get punched, smashed and knocked down, then deepfake them into the star of the film. Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys mode and Emily Blunt in superwoman mode are having an incredible time, and the chemistry is conjuring unicorns before your eyes. (09.05.2024)

A tribute to a difficult profession, which it's a shame doesn't have its own category at the Oscars. Fall Guy is certainly not popcorn for everyone, which is why it will have a difficult time with high box office and general acceptance. For the average viewer, it's far too loaded with references, innuendo and props that not everyone will register. But for film buffs, it's great fanservice. Ryan Gosling confirms that he's great at the role of likable muscular cool good guys, and it suits him much more than the roles of tough agents in crap like The Gray Man. The only thing I found downright annoying is the weird "just to make something happen" style storyline, which pretty much spoils the overall look and dynamic of the film. The heart, on the other hand, pulses as hard as it can and the central couple is cute. (31.05.2024)

If you're going to make an unpretentious action comedy, this is how you do it. Putting aside the most questionable thing – the crime plot at the heart of the film is very simple and silly, but it's not really the point, the whole thing is pulled along by both the action-packed stunt attractions, but mostly by the charisma of the two leads. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt work great together, they have visible chemistry and their verbal banter at times almost makes you think of classic screwball romantic comedies. It's actually a nice love letter from Drew Pearce and David Leitch to all the stuntmen, the "invisible" crew members and filmmaking in general, and the idyllic romanticization of the whole creative process without a single hint of cynicism works very well for the audience. (25.04.2024)

 The Fall Guy has a bit of a slow and slapdash start, but from Colt's return to the set, the film jumps into a brisk wave of action that isn't slowed down even by the closing credits. David Leitch mixes action comedy with romance and crime in a likeable way, with all the genre levels working well together. I've always liked Emily Blunt, and Ryan Gosling is definitely more suited to the distressed stubble than Ken's face. I also liked how the film pays homage to the stunt craft and all the "no-names" who risk their lives so that "famous" stars can shine. Last but not least, I must not forget to mention the excellent parody of the space opera genre and the eye-rolling, or rather humming, of the "dune saga". (16.05.2024)