I finally sat down to watch the “Fall Guy” movie last night, a film I’ve waited for with great anticipation since it was announced. Unfortunately, due to my crazy schedule as a producer myself, I’m just now getting the chance to see the film. I was a huge fan of the original show and was even on set many times during production in 1985 and 86 thanks to a stuntman friend who worked on the show and he even got me a stunt background gag in one episode.
Both the TV show and the movie are about the often neglected and invisible movie stuntman, in this case, Colt Seavers, who, despite risking his life and taking multiple beatings to make the movie great, is left in the shadows while the big-name star of the film takes all the credit (and gets the girl). This, however, is where the similarity between the show and the movie ends!
I found the movie entertaining and exciting, with plenty of action and stunts to keep my attention, Still, as a fan of the 80’s TV show, I was hoping for a closer connection with the film, maybe a few more inside references or jabs at the original show, but despite the appearance of Colt’s original 1981 GMC 4×4 and a fun cameo with Lee Majors and Heather Thomas, this was not the case.
In the 1981 series, Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) was a stuntman struggling to make a living but with the inconsistent work, had to take on a side hustle as a bounty hunter, catching runaway crooks and bringing them back to justice with the help of his two sidekicks, the beautiful Jody (Heather Thomas) and his goofy nephew Howie (Douglas Barr).
The film takes a completely different premise, and standing on its own is an action-packed fun look at stunt work behind the scenes, with lots of inside-the-industry jokes and jabs. Ryan Gosling’s “Colt Seavers” is interesting, exciting, and attractive and certainly provides a likable hero figure. Emily Blunt’s “Jody” is a slightly older, more confident version, and in this case, the love interest of Seavers, unlike the TV show where there was no romantic relationship between Colt and Jody.
Overall, it is a good story, with plenty of excitement, explosions, and car crashes which is what we wanted to see from this. There were a few holes and unexplained situations that made you say “huh,” but if you turned off that part of your brain and just watched the movie, it was fun and entertaining. As a producer and stuntman myself, I was constantly picking apart some of the stunts and action, but that’s my issue, so I won’t get into that here.
So, I’ll give this film two scores, as a stand-alone action film, I’ll give it an 8 (out of 10), but as a tribute film to the original show, I have to give it a 3. That’s my two cents!