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Written by: Glen A. Larson (based on the television series created by), Drew Pearce (written by)
Directed by: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Winston Duke
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
A stuntman, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, tracks down a missing movie star, solves a conspiracy, and wins back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
Verdict
This achieves the main mission of a movie, to entertain. This features so many stunts, a romance, commentary on actors, and overall it's a homage to stunt people and their craft. The dialog is clever, the editing always amplifies what's on screen, and Gosling is a lot of fun to watch. It's not an accident that this celebrates stunt people while the only actor we see for any amount of time is a self absorbed psychopath. That and frequent movie references give this a lot of depth. While you can enjoy it as just an action movie, it offers a lot more.
Watch It.
Review
It's so much fun. This is entertaining with plenty of depth and great action. You could see this as just an action movie, but the commentary on stunt people in the industry, knowing that director Leitch got his start in the industry as a stunt person, adds an intriguing layer. The simple premise is a romance gone wrong and a stunt guy out of a job after an accident. He gets the chance to work with his former girlfriend, Jodie (Emily Blunt) who is now a director, and he jumps at the chance. Ryan Gosling is great as Colt Seavers, from his presence to his line delivery. He's hilarious and makes it look effortless.
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| Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt play Colt, Jodie |
The point is clearly made that stunt people are integral to a movie, doing the heavy lifting and dangerous tasks with no thanks or recognition. That's an enduring subtext in the movie as this dives into what it takes to be a stunt person. When Colt arrives to the set, it's like going behind the scenes and seeing how it works. Scenes frequently cut from what's being filmed to what's actually happening as we see how stunts are done. It's also no accident that the only actor we see for any amount of time, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is a self centered narcissist. The only producer we see, Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) is a lying, schemer.
With Colt trying to rekindle a romance with Jodie, he's tasked by a shady producer to find the missing star, Tom Ryder, and save the movie Metalstorm. This movie doles out clues along the way that I only realized after the fact. Colt tracks down leads, including a sequence where he's drugged. The action impresses, feeling unique with an energetic pace as it intersperses other scenes to keep the energy high. This does a great job of editing.
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| Ryan Gosling plays Colt |
There are numerous subtle jokes and references, like Colt's time on Miami Vice which plays a part in the plot. Metalstorm, is a stand-in for Colt and Jodie's relationship which at one point they publicly discuss much to Colt's Chagrin. This also makes fun of common movie tropes, and it even includes Jean-Claude the dog. I love that they made the dog French. It's a small detail, but this movie is full of details and references that make it richer. It also does a great job of showing instead of telling, but it also makes fun of exposition, and split screen.
This touches on a lot of topics, but never feels crowded. I watched the extended cut, and there were a couple of sequences that I guessed were added, likely the drug and samurai sword sequence. While I haven't seen the theatrical release, I don't think the extended cut adds anything. I really enjoyed Leitch's John Wick, and I wondered if he could match it. While this is a very different movie, I found it more entertaining with the various layers. This is a homage to stunt people and the work they do. The stunt department plays a big part in the finale, and I love that during the credits this shows us behind the scenes of how the stunts for this movie were filmed.
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