logshrike

Between this film and the 1961 classic, I definitely can connect more easily to Spielberg's take on the story. The immense vision that Steven Spielberg brought to this production is on display from start to finish, and the performances from Ariana DeBose and Rachel Zegler were truly memorable.

This movie also has great re-watch potential.

However, I was surprised by the lighting approach that was taken in this film - in particular, the excessive and extreme overuse of lens flares. So many lens flares are used in this film, that about 1/3 of the way in it becomes a distraction that persists in varying degrees throughout the remainder of the runtime. To me, this was an odd choice by Spielberg, especially since it interrupts the total immersive impact that the movie could otherwise have had on the viewer.

Seems like every time I sit down to watch an action or romantic comedy movie - about 30 minutes in, I find myself saying, "Well, I've seen this before." In fact, I was beginning to believe that there is only so many ways to make a film that tells an engaging story in these cinematic genres.

Enter, "The Fall Guy."

From the opening scene, it immediately becomes obvious that you are witnessing movie magic. Since the 1970's, I've lost track of the number of romantic comedy and action movies I've watched, but none of them are as original, smart, sly, funny, action-oriented, and emotional as The Fall Guy. This film is literally firing on all thrusters while it hits ALL of the above adjectives - in a single movie.

Sitting in a theater in 1979 watching "Alien", I marveled at the jump scares that movie elicited among the packed audience. Now, in 2024, The Fall Guy grabbed me in just the same way, but instead of jump scares, I found myself astonished by the ingenious plot twists; staring in awe at the insane stunts that were sprinkled throughout the movie, erupting in laughter at the constant barrage of comedic elements, cheering triumphantly during the car chase scene involving the dog, and feeling that tug of emotion when (for just a moment) Jody believes that all might be lost. I particularly enjoyed the way The Fall Guy paid homages to past movies in an almost Jeopardy-esque way, daring us to guess the name of the old film before it is revealed to us - this becomes a humorous running motif throughout the movie.

In terms of a virtuoso performance, one might compare this movie to True Lies, but I believe The Fall Guy resonates better with its audience than James Cameron's film.

Here we find Emily Blunt giving a leading lady performance that immediately and authentically connects with the audience. Her incredible talent is on full display from start to finish.

Ryan Gosling has truly given us a number of unique and distinct character portrayals over the past decade, and he delivers once again here - but this time he unleashes his athleticism at a sustained peak-performance level I've never witnessed from him before. This movie simply would not work if he had not been able to convincingly embody the character and aura of a stunt man in the way that he does.

Simply put, I've not had this much entertainment fun at a movie theater since the 1990's. Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

A very original and thoroughly engaging movie. Eva Green delivers yet another accomplished performance.

What makes this film so special is its portrayal of events (travel beyond our atmosphere) and people (astronauts) that are frequently featured in movies, but from a woman's perspective.

The story captured my interest early on and held it all the way to the end. The director knew how to tell an intellectual story, in an understated way, that still incorporated drama and some suspense at just the right moments.

Zelie Boulant gives a memorable performance as the daughter of Eva Green's character.

Several languages are spoken throughout the film, but it was not a distraction at all ... in fact, the way the different languages were incorporated into the story only elevated the entire movie that much more.