Hammerle on… “The Fall Guy” and “Civil War”

“The Fall Guy”

Let me begin by suggesting that if you want to see Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in great movies, then dodge this cinematic mess and see him in “Barbie” (2023) and “La la Land (2016) and her in “A Quiet Place” (2018) and “Oppenheimer” (2023). “The Fall Guy” would more appropriately be played in hell as part of a condemned soul’s eternal punishment.

Mr. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stunt man forced to leave the business after a serious back injury. He is called back into action a year later in an Australian film being directed by Ms. Blunt, his former love interest.

Unfortunately, the star of the film (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has disappeared. Gosling finds himself trapped in a murder mystery where he previously served as a stunt man in Taylor-Johnson’s earlier pictures.

However, what dominates the weak plot is the sad reality that you are forced to watch Gosling perform numerous stunts that would have killed a performer working in real life and not fantasy land. He recovers instantly from serious injuries as he drops from planes and high buildings, not to mention being set on fire.

Ms. Blunt’s principal role is to do little more than direct a flawed film in this flawed movie as she rekindles her love for Gosling. It is hard to pay attention to her when nearly every scene involves another stunt.

Let me close by saying that this movie lasts 2 hours, 5 minutes. I bolted the theatre before the credits started to appear on screen, so please keep that in mind.

“Civil War”

Sadly, I approached “Civil War” with great anticipation. The plot centers on several states led by Texas and California using the military to overthrow our government in Washington and establish a new republic.

It sounded like the January 6 revolt that occurred recently in our country. As we all know, Trump and his angry gang tried to restore Trump as President while they threatened to kill Vice President Pence in the process.

But the reality is that this film collapsed from the very beginning as battles raged throughout the country. The entire movie does little more than force you to watch four journalists attempt to drive from New York to Washington to interview the President.

While Kirsten Dunst and Stephen McKinley Henderson dominate the film as reporters willing to risk their lives in their road trip, this film is little more than a one trick pony. The talented Ms. Dunst wears a dull facial expression scene after scene.

My friend, Dr. K., saw this regrettable film with me. We left the theatre laughing about a movie where Director Alex Garland kept a powerful plot locked in a cinematic closet

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Robert Hammerle specializes in criminal law as of counsel with Hackman Hulett LLP. When he is not in the courtroom or the office, Bob can likely be found at one of his favorite movie theaters preparing to review the latest films. To read more of his reviews, visit www.bigmouthbobs.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.