The Fall Guy (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: The Fall Guy (2024)

Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance

Length: 2h 6min

Rating: PG-13

Director: David Leitch

Writers: Drew Pearce, Glen A. Larson

Based On: The Fall Guy (1981-19686)

Actors: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, Ben Knight, Matuse Matuse, Adam Dunn, Zara Michales, Ioane Saula, Gregory J. Fryer, Madeleine Wilson, Kalkidan China, Angela Nica Sullen, Di Smith, Megan O'Connell, Jack Doherty, Tony Lynch, Georgia Nottage, David Collins, Semu Filipo, Andrew Owen, Dan Reardon, Marky Lee Campbell, Chris Matheson, Ben Gerrard, Lee Majors

 

IMDb Blurb: A stuntman, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

Where do I even begin? Action movies have been a life-long love of mine. I adore many genres, but action always stays near the top of the list. If a movie can get my heart beating faster from a vicarious adrenaline rush, I am all about it. Dramatic action is also great, but comedic action also provides amazingly entertaining and fun experiences. The Fall Guy was one such movie.

 

I was eager to watch from the moment I first saw the trailer for The Fall Guy – and it would have been my #1 pick for May 2024's Top 20 List if not for going head to head with a Ryan Reynolds (Free Guy, IF, Deadpool & Wolverine) movie. (Sorry The Fall Guy, but can you blame me?)

 

 

I haven't been able to make it to the theater to watch this production, so I was excited to be able to share this experience at home with my family through an On-Demand rental. Worth. Every. Penny.

 

We laughed and enjoyed this thrill ride as it gave a live-action love letter to the stunt profession. The story was fun and meta in a movie-about-making-a-movie sort of way. The romance elements didn't feel contrived, and (as expected) the stunt-work was unbelievably awesome. Seriously though, this movie actually, legitimately set a GuinnessWorld Record during production.

 

 

Ryan Gosling (La La Land, The Gray Man, Barbie) was a fantastic choice to play Colt Seavers. The Fall Guy has been in development for well over a decade and many leading men have come and gone from this film while still “at the drawing board.” I think the end-product we got was just right and highlighted Gosling's talent with multiple genres with the action sequences, his comedic timing and marvelous banter, as well as the spark of the romance angle. Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place, Oppenheimer, IF) is one of my favorite leading ladies, as well. Their chemistry was great and it was a treat to see her in a movie where she got to let loose a bit more than the usual dramatic performances we see her in. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tenet, The King's Man, Bullet Train) was also phenomenal as the AWOL actor, Tom Ryder, who Gosling's Seavers has to track down in order to save the movie they're working on. It was inherently easy to believe that Gosling could fit as a double for Taylor-Johnson. There are more reasons he works well with this story, but I don't want to slip into spoilers. I can say that he was responsible for one of the most hilarious Easter Eggs ever.

 

 

The whole production was stacked with talent, really. Of course, with a movie about stunt performers, you'd expect the stunt-work to be well done. I was not disappointed. There were some absolutely bonkers stunts within The Fall Guy. I love that this film pushes them into the spotlight, as they're often overlooked because of the background nature of what they do. I think the Academy Awards alleged excuse that giving the Stunts category Oscars would make an already long show too much longer is rather lame. These performers can make or break a whole movie and deserve more of the fanfare when things go right. I digress...

 

 

The rest of the core production team were nothing to sneeze at, either. Director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) has been firing on all cylinders of late and I think he's really hit his sweet spot with the action-comedy blend. Further, I think that Drew Pearce (Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation, Hotel Artemis, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) did a great job in adapting the concept from The Fall Guy (1981-1986) TV series. While I don't remember watching that particular show when I was younger, its original writer and creator, Glen A. Larson(1937-2014), was responsible for creating and/or writing some of my favorite shows of all time such as: Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981), Knight Rider (1982-1986), and Magnum P.I. (1980-1988).

 

While a sequel has not yet been confirmed, there's quite a lot of material out there and available to draw from between the 112 episodes of the series and the challenges of the modern stunt profession. I would absolutely enjoy taking this ride for a second time or more.

 

My family and I really had a lot of fun watching The Fall Guy, and if these genres, actors, or production team interest you then it will probably be an entertaining experience for you too.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 82%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –86%

Metascore – 73%

Metacritic User Score – 6.8/10

IMDB Score – 6.9/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

 

P.S. - There is a mid-credits scene with behind-the-scenes footage and a look at the stunt-work done for the film as a tribute to the stunt community.

 

Movie Trailer:

John Wick (2014)

 

Streaming Service: Netflix 

Movie Name/Year: John Wick (2014) 

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller 

Length:  1h 41min 

Rating: R

Director: Chad Stahelski, David Leitch 

Writer: Derek Kolstad 

Actors: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Dean Winters, Adrianne Palicki, Omer Barnea, Toby Leonard Moore, Daniel Bernhardt, Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Bridget Regan, Lance Reddick, Keith Jardine, Tait Fletcher, Kazy Tauginas, Alexander Frekey, Thomas Sadoski, Randall Duk Kim, David Patrick Kelly, Clarke Peters, Kevin Nash, Vladislav Koulikov 

 

IMDb Blurb: An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car. 

 

 

Selina’s Point of View: 

I think it’s finally time to talk about John Wick. 

 

I’m ashamed to say that when I put John Wick on my top 20 movies to look out for in October of 2014, I indicated that I thought it would be just another old guy in an action flick. I still put it in my #4 slot, but it was beat by some films that had no business beating it.

 

John Wick is anything but an ‘old guy in an action flick’ kind of film. It’s a masterpiece of world building, choreography, direction, and writing. It is one of the best action films, maybe even the best action series, of our generation. Every shot is filmed with intention. Every line carefully laid out for maximum effect. Every gunshot meaningful. Every nuance an opening to one more fact about a world that was built with care and intrigue. My love for John Wick knows no bounds. 

 

To keep this article from becoming a book, I’m going to stick to discussing my favorite aspect of John Wick: the writing. 

 

 

The most difficult aspect of writing is knowing what NOT to add. Whether it’s from editing things out, or just not writing them in to begin with, those unspoken lines need to be intentional. What not to say is almost more important than what the actors do say. Derek Kolstad (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Death Battle, John Wick: Chapter 4) is a master of this. There’s a whole scene where John Wick answers the phone and says absolutely nothing. It is exponentially more intimidating than anything he could have said out loud. From the moment he picks up the phone, to the moment he hangs up, his silence amps up the tension of the scene. Most writers would have added something. At least an initial “hello” or a subtle threat at the end, giving in to the expectations of what happens in a phone call. Instead, Kolstad opts to add silence as his dialogue and it is a genius move. 

 

On top of that, the world-building is second to none. You only get the slightest taste of the John Wick world in the first movie, but you can tell it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Continental, the coins, the rules… every subverted expectation. You get more of it in the sequels, but that’s why the series itself is so beloved. The writing expands the world and the characters expertly in each flick. No one out there is writing as well, or consistently, as Derek Kolstad. I will sing his praises every chance I get.

 

I want to be him when I grow up. 

 

Obviously, this was not my first time watching John Wick, it may not even be my tenth time watching. Never-the-less, I will never pass up a chance to see it, or its sequels. If you are an action fan and you haven’t given John Wick your attention, you need to re-evaluate your life. 

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I was a little shocked to realize that we hadn’t reviewed John Wick before. This is one of my favorite action franchises of all time.

 

Not only is the production star-studded, but everything is executed seemingly flawlessly. The story makes sense – even as crazy as it is. The stunt-work and fight choreography are out of this world. The cinematography is well done and captures some amazing visuals. The story is also very interesting – especially with all the lore regarding The High Table and The Continental, itself. Of course, you need to watch through all of the films in the franchise to see all of the layers that have been peeled back for each of those points of interest – but John Wick is an excellent start that gives just enough to whet your appetite for more. 

 

Forget The Matrix (1999) and its sequels - Keanu Reeves (Replicas, Toy Story 4, Bill & Ted Face the Music) was born to play this titular role. I think this character is just as iconic as Neo was. The films about technology run amok and simulations were just the early stages of Reeves dipping his feet into high quality action waters. The John Wick movies offer us a veteran in his prime executing 90% of his own stunts. Reeves is a badass, and also a phenomenal human being. 

 

 

Of course, there are other heavy hitters among this cast – and the list just grows with every subsequent installment of the story. For this first John Wick film, however, we have Ian McShane (Hellboy, American Gods, Kung Fu Panda 4) and the late Lance Reddick (Godzilla vs. Kong, Bosch, The Legend of Vox Machina) setting the tone for The Continental moving forward. Willem Dafoe’s (The Northman, Inside, Poor Things) character gives us a glimpse further into this world of contract killers and the fine line between adversary and ally. Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones, Jojo Rabbit, Nightwalkers) might be the source of John Wick’s ire in the film, but we can thank his character for making these stories possible through his bad decisions.  There are many more recognizable cast members, as well. I couldn’t’ fault any of the performances if I tried.

 

I loved every moment of this crazy roller-coaster ride…even when I was sad for the pain that Reeves’ character goes through on an emotional level. 

 

If you enjoy action movies and haven’t seen the John Wick movies yet, you’ll absolutely want to start with this first installment. I’m pretty sure you’ll want to keep going. I know I do. In the meantime, I’ll be over here crossing my fingers there will be a 5th installment.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 86% 

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 81%

Metascore – 68% 

Metacritic User Score – 8.1/10 

IMDB Score – 7.4/10 

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Sixty Minutes (2024)

 

 

Streaming Service: Netflix

Movie Name/Year: Sixty Minutes (2024) 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama 

Length:  1h 28min 

Rating: TV-MA

Director: Oliver Kienle 

Writers: Philip Koch, Oliver Kienle 

Actors: Emilio Sakraya, Dennis Mojen, Marie Mouroum, Paul Wollin, Florian Schmidtke, Aristo Luis, José Barros, Vassilis Koukalani, Janna Striebeck, Morik Heydo, Livia Matthes, Mehmet Atesci, Eniko Fulop, Bruno Salgueiro, Tatjana Sojic, Georg Blumreiter 

 

IMDb Blurb: Desperate not to lose custody, a mixed martial arts fighter makes dangerous enemies when he ditches a matchup to race to his daughter's birthday party. 

 

 

Selina’s Point of View: 

Sixty Minutes was so much better than it had any right to be.

 

The trailer for the film was fine. It looked like Sixty Minutes would be a solid action flick. Something along the lines of Run Lola Run (1998). Not bad footsteps to follow in, but usually those movies tend to be basic. They’re a dime a dozen and rarely have anything setting them apart from the others.

 

For that reason, I stuck Sixty Minutes in the 15th position of my Top 20. Not high, but respectable. 

 

In the interest of transparency, my ADHD was acting up, so I had to default to a dubbed version. Due to that, I won’t be talking about the script acting. I will say that there was nothing in the dubbing that interrupted my immersion. I was zoned into my screen the whole time, without fail.

 

 

Despite my personal issues, I found myself feeling everything I was meant to during the runtime. Instead of the cookie cutter, semi-solid action flick I was expecting – I got a pulse-pounding, character-driven, well-choreographed film.

 

When I say ‘well-choreographed’ I’m not talking about the John Wick (2014) style. Weapons, and creative use of the setting, is not really a factor. Nor am I talking about the Extraction (2020) method, where the cinematography becomes a character of its own in the battle. Instead, Sixty Minutes utilized a more realistic choreography. Everything that any character does is something a well-trained fighter could do. There was a touch of acrobatics, but it was mostly boxing/MMA. Fans of watching real fights would get a kick out of it.

 

I think realism is something that sets Sixty Minutes apart from its contemporaries. It allows for deeper immersion because nothing really comes out of left field. It’s all perfectly reasonable. The main character never seems invulnerable.

 

Sixty Minutes was amazing. It smashed through every single expectation I had for it and then some.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View: 

I remember being intrigued by Sixty Minutes when I saw its trailer last month. I am a big fan of action thrillers and this movie seemed to tick all those boxes on paper. I was initially a little concerned whether or not I would become invested in it enough that keeping up with subtitles and the action at the same time would mesh well, as the production was filmed in German. I was thrilled to discover this was one of the foreign films coming to Netflix that they had an English dub for, so that became a non-issue.

 

While I don’t generally follow MMA fighting, such as UFC, I do have a love of watching martial arts combat on the screen and a deep respect for the sport. That being said, the entire story of Sixty Minutes stems from the fact that the main character doesn’t make it into the ring for the scheduled fight. The structure of MMA matches and the octagon they take part in aren’t even a factor as the action flows organically through the whole city of Berlin. 

 

The stunt work here was crazy good and the fight choreography was on point. Sixty Minutes was an excellent vehicle for lead Emilio Sakraya (Warrior Nun, Tribes of Europa, One Night Off) to lean into his background of martial arts and parkour and really shine. Even the supporting cast in his proverbial corner were kicking serious ass. A stand-out for me was one Octa’s head trainers, Cosima, played by Marie Mouroum (Berlin Station, Black Panther, Tribes of Europa). She has an extensive background in cinema stunts and has worked on many heavy-hitting action pieces from Marvel Cinematic Universe to Bond films. She had a meatier role here where she got to show off her fighting chops and had a meaningful part to play as well.

 

The premise of this story didn’t have a lot of bells and whistles to it, but it didn’t need to. I was emotionally invested from the get-go and I could feel Octa’s pain and frustration as he embarked on this roller-coaster of MMA madness. I was right there with him feeling his emotional exhaustion as it seemed the whole world just wanted to get in the way of him achieving his all-important goal of saving his relationship with his daughter. I also appreciated that Sixty Minutes leaned into the realistic toll that the journey’s events took on his body and mental state -- keeping him human rather than the seemingly invincible hero trope that Hollywood often banks on.

 

If you’re looking for a fast-paced adrenaline ride with a lot of heart behind it, Sixty Minutes wouldn’t be a bad choice and I would encourage fans of the genre to check it out.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 60% 

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 78% 

Metascore – None 

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – 5.7/10 

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5 

 

Movie Trailer:

Extraction 2 (2023)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Extraction 2 (2023)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Length: 2h 2min
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: AGBO, Filmhaus Films, Netflix, Stillking Films, T.G.I.M. Films, Wild State
Director: Sam Hargrave
Writer: Joe Russo, Ande Parks
Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Tornike Gogrichiani, Demetre Kavelashvili, Tornike Bziava, Giga Shavadze, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Andro Japaridze, Mariami Kovziashvili, Marta Kovziashvili
 
Blurb from IMDb: After barely surviving his grievous wounds from his mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back, and his team is ready to take on their next mission.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Sam Hargrave (The Calm, The Shoot, Game Changer) is just getting better.
 
In the first Extraction (2020) Hargrave showed what a stunt person could do when given a set of their own. There were amazing shots and extremely fast-paced, well-choreographed action. If I had to nit-pick, I could pick out a few shots/scenes that were a little rough or out of place.
 
I can’t even do that minor amount of nit-picking with Extraction 2.
 
Hargrave took the small errors from Extraction and fixed it for the sequel. That kind of awareness of his craft leads me to believe that he’s just going to keep climbing as a director. Eventually, he’ll be on every list of best action directors. I’d bet on it.
 

There were fewer individual shots that gave me the same excitement I got from the ones I’ve discussed from the first flick. The only reason for that is because I was sucked in by most of the action this time. Every heart-pumping moment excited me. There wasn’t anything I’d have called revolutionary (like the roof-jump scene in the first one), but the choreography considered tropes and expected movements from other actions and flipped them around. It made everything feel fresh.
 
Chris Hemsworth (Spiderhead, Avengers: Endgame, Bad Times at the El Royale) killed it again. His Tyler Rake character is a lot more in depth than you’d think if you only saw the trailers. We also got a lot more from Golshifteh Farahani (About Elly, Paterson, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and Adam Bessa (Harka, Mosul, The Blessed), which I enjoyed. It gave Rake less of a lone wolf feel and offered a broadening of his character.
 
There was an Extraction 3 tease at the end of the film, and I’m not mad at it. I want more of this franchise, and more of Sam Hargrave in general.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 77%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 91%
Metascore – 57%
Metacritic User Score – 8.1
IMDB Score –7.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Day Shift (2022)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Day Shift (2022)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Length: 1h 53min
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Impossible Dream Entertainment, 87Eleven Entertainment, Netflix
Director: J.J. Perry
Writer:  Tyler Tice, Shay Hatten
Actors: Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Meagan Good, Karla Souza, Steve Howey, Scott Adkins, Oliver Masucci, Snoop Dogg, Peter Stormare, Eric Lange, Zion Broadnax
 
Blurb from IMDb: A hard-working, blue-collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted 10-year-old daughter. His mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Cheesy, gory, fun-loving horror-creature flicks speak to me. There is a special place in my heart for them. The moment I saw the trailer for Day Shift, I knew it was going to be right up my alley.
 
What is there not to like about Day Shift? It doesn’t try to take itself too seriously. The fight choreography is absolutely glorious. The people involved could elevate anything, and I cannot say enough about the soundtrack.
 
Let’s walk it back a minute and talk about the people.
 
In my Top 20 Movies to Look Out for in August I went on a whole rant about why you should expect good things from stunt people making their directorial debuts. I knew that whatever J.J. Perry (Beast Mode, Shadow and Bone, F9: The Fast Saga) gave us was going to have amazing action. He didn’t disappoint.
 
The years of his experience showed in every scene. The fight choreography and stunts included moves that no other director would likely ask for. I imagine they wouldn’t realize the majority of it was possible without CGI, but his use of contortionists was inspired. From a purely action perspective – Day Shift was miles above any other vampire, and most action, flicks. Only a person well educated in the stunt side of Hollywood could have given us this kind of thing.
 
The story itself was a little tropey and basic. It reminded me of an upgraded Blade (1998). That’s where the actors come in.
 

Jamie Foxx (Baby Driver, Just Mercy, Project Power) is about as flawless as an actor can get. He can do absolutely anything, and I’m reminded of that whenever I see him on screen. He’s been type cast a bit lately, as a sarcastic action type, but he works so well in that role that I find it hard to argue. His comedic timing worked really well with Dave Franco’s (Nerve, The Little Hours, If Beale Street Could Talk) style of naïve humor.
 
For a buddy cop comedy without the cops, the pairing worked phenomenally.
 
And then there’s Snoop Dogg (Blood Pageant, The Addams Family 2, Good Mourning). Everything’s a little better with Snoop Dogg, and with his involvement the soundtrack was a given. He’s just got an epic on-screen personality.
 
Snoop has finished the game, and he’s just completing all the side quests at this point. I support that.
 
Don’t be fooled by the reviews.
 
Day Shift has a middle-of-the-road score because people can’t agree on the benefits of cheesy horrors… not because it’s bad. High-art critics are likely to hate it, while those of us just here for the movies are going to enjoy it.
 
If you’re into cheesy action/horror-comedies, you cannot go wrong with Day Shift.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
When you mention Jamie Foxx, you start getting my attention. He’s a phenomenal actor with so many facets. He can sing, dance, he’s personable, charismatic… I could go on, but I think I’d be preaching to the choir.
 
At the time we watched the trailer for Day Shift and I saw that not only would Foxx be in this film, but also Snoop Dogg and Dave Franco – fighting vampires, no less – it became a “shut up and take my money” situation.
 
If I could have watched Day Shift the moment our trailer-viewing stream had ended, I would have.
 
There were so many good things about Day Shift, I almost wouldn’t know where to start – but since I’ve already touched on the cast, I’ll run with that. There wasn’t a single performance I could find fault with. I bought everyone’s characters and the comedy was on point. The more serious moments hit right, also. Some of the scenes were a little over-the-top but this was a movie about vampire hunters – it fit and felt right.
 
This was quality escapism, I tell you.
 
Foxx and Franco really delivered the buddy-cop-like dynamic, and I loved it. Pairing a strait-laced guy with a maverick in action movies is generally a recipe that works. I had a gleeful giggle when Snoop was on screen, also. I might have cheered a bit when his character brings out Big Bertha. I’m leaving out the context there – you really need to see the movie to get the effect of that scene- it was epic and glorious.
 
Don’t get me wrong, though, the ladies in the cast did a great job, too. I loved that the primary antagonist and vampire ringleader was Karla Souza (The Sleepover, Home Economics, There Are No Saints). She really delivered on the essence of classy with a hint of ‘rip-your-face-off.’ I believe this was the first larger role for Zion Broadnax (Holly Day, Station 19, Abbott Elementary), and she killed it as Foxx’s on-screen daughter. Their chemistry was great, and she embodied her precocious character well. I see bright things ahead for her.
 

Let’s talk about director J.J. Perry. Day Shift was his directorial debut, and he has an extensive history as a stunt coordinator. I applaud him for this amazing conglomeration of stunts and storytelling. I hope he can bring us more like this in the future. (I wouldn’t mind a sequel.)
 
Perry has gone on record about his use of practical effects in Day Shift. If it couldn’t be done for real, he didn’t really want to do it. It’s clear that there were only minimal touches done with computers in post, and Day Shift got a lot of bang for their bucks that way.
 
He was also working with the same stunt team that trained and coordinated for John Wick (2014).
 
The actors were comfortable doing most of their own stunts, too – save for the exceptionally dangerous shots. I was hard pressed to tell between what was really Foxx (or Franco) and what was done by the doubles.
 
It also helped to have 5th-degree black belt and martial arts superstar Scott Adkins (Accident Man, Dead Reckoning, Castle Falls) – certainly no stranger to stunt work - among the vampire hunter cast.
 
These were vampires like we’d never seen before. I loved the fresh take with the contortionist moves. Perry also brought a new element in by experimenting with filming some sequences in reverse for better effect.
 
I could probably ramble for ages about all the great things about Day Shift. I’ll reign myself in and encourage you to look it up on Netflix, however. I would recommend this one in a heartbeat and I’ll likely be watching it again soon because it was just that much fun.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 59%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 63%
Metascore – 51%
Metacritic User Score – 5.0
IMDB Score –6.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer: