The Fall Guy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Is there a group of creative filmmakers in Hollywood that barely get recognized for making some of the most memorable and coolest sequences in movies and television? Yes, there is a group of brave individuals called stunt performers who are responsible for those long falls off buildings, impossible jumps over mountains, and wild car chases in movies. There’s not a major award show that recognizes the genius of these people, but there should be one in the sea of dull acceptance speeches for sound editing or documentary shorts. There should be a segment that honors the coolest parts of cinema. That’s where the new film The Fall Guy blazes its way into the arena, covered in sweat and high wires that will hopefully change every award show in the future with an award for Best Stunt in a movie. Not to mention, The Fall Guy is a blast from start to finish with Gosling once again oozing charm, comedy, and general badassery.

Director David Leitch is the perfect person for the job here, where he was a former stuntman turned director who gave the world John Wick, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train, and Hobbs and Shaw. He and writer Drew Pearce have perfectly conjured up a wonderful story that takes its cues from the ’80s show of the same name and brings that energy and action to life in the present day with an all-star cast that subtly breaks the fourth wall to showcase the ins and outs of stunt work on movies. But Leitch adds a wonderful love story to the mix along with some hilarious comedy that serves as some insider stunt jokes that also appeal to the masses. And the jabs at the Hollywood industry in the form of wacky producers, and egocentric actors are spot on with how over-the-top they are. But The Fall Guy manages to have it all in one movie, the comedy, the action, the romance, the one-liners, and the thrills all led by Ryan Gosling.

Leitch’s career has driven him to this place where Gosling plays a stuntman for a Tom Cruise-like actor (Aaron Taylor Johnson of Kick-Ass fame), where after an accident on set, puts Colt Seavers (Gosling) out of commission for a year, ghosting his romantic interest and camera-girl Jody (Emily Blunt) without any word of his well-being. A year later, Colt gets called back into action, and he reluctantly accepts to board a brand new big-budget movie when he finds out that Jody is directing her first big gig. Little does anyone know that the producer (Hannah Waddingham) and the ego-centric actor (Johnson) have nefarious plans for Seavers that will put his stunt game to the test in real life. With cheesy ’80s and ’90s romantic quips and stellar action sequences – The Fall Guy never disappoints.

Each action scene is meticulously planned and real, as the end credits show all of the real stunts that were performed in the movie by either Gosling or a stunt team. From falling down stairs, jumping onto a moving car, being smashed by a truck, or hanging off of a helicopter, this movie shows it all. It executes its narrative of the movie industry, making a movie, and two people falling in love all over again in such a sweet and comical way that Leitch can probably add romantic comedy to his resume. The chemistry between Blunt and Gosling is very infectious, but is there a situation where anyone does NOT have chemistry with Gosling? The man is a gentle comedic god with a penchant for beating people up. The Fall Guy has a ton of surprises and is some of the most fun you can have in a theater with laugh-out-loud moments, inside jokes, top-notch action scenes, and a great romantic tale with Ken. 

Here's our The Fall Guy Theater At Home 4K UHD Review 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The Fall Guy canon rolls its way to 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Code via Universal Pictures. The three discs are housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. Two of the discs are for the two different cuts of the film with extras. The third disc is the Blu-ray with bonus features. There is an insert for a digital code. The artwork is below average and features Gosling and Blunt on the cover. 

The Fall Guy delivers an impressive 2160p UHD 4K image with Dolby Vision. The streaming version looks amazing, however, this physical copy allows more room to breathe with its wide gamut of colors and detail.

The colors are bold and rich from the start inside the tall building where Gosling is about to fall multiple stories for a stunt. The primary colors stand out with green plants outside the building contrast nicely with the black and gold leather suits and the amber paint in the lobby. As the film cuts into the near future, wonderful neon signs light up the night sky with red, maroon, and blue-tinted street lights. Once the action unfolds on location, the sandy dunes mix well with the bright blue skies. Inside the posh hotel, a warmer palette of orange, yellow, black, and gold lines the walls where certain characters wear bright blue clothing that looks amazing. The Dolby Vision enhances the action beats outside where the gray and darker colors of roads and vehicles leave room for the brighter wardrobe color pops. And that bright orange musical car at the beginning of the film looks pitch-perfect inside the cooler-looking parking garage. Even the nightclub scene where Gosling's bright neon yellow jacket looks amazing with the purple and blue backlighting. Black levels are very inky and rich and the skin tones are always natural.

The detail is sharp and vivid with excellent closeups that reveal the actor's individual hairs on their faces, facial pores, beads of blood and sweat, practical makeup applications, and textures in the clothing, weapons, and vehicles. Metallic and leather objects look particularly good here. When explosions are applied, the dirt, sand, and debris can be easily seen flying across the screen without pixelation. The bigger action sequences are never soft and provide a ton of depth in both the foreground and the background. There is never a dull moment in the film. There are no problems with aliasing, banding, or video noise either. This video presentation is a step above the streaming version and is the ultimate way to watch this action movie.

This release comes with an exquisite Dolby Atmos track that could be the new demo in any media room. Sound effects are loud and boisterous with tons of nuanced noises from the surrounding speakers.

Gunshots, shotgun blasts, explosions, vehicle engines revving, and helicopter blades twirling all pack a meaty punch when they're utilized. That first big action beat when Gosling arrives on set and flips the car on the beach with multiple explosions going off sets the example of what's to come. Each explosion comes with a hefty low end of the bass with an amazing rumble that never crosses into rocky territory. These explosions sound off on the appropriate speakers from right to left and are quite immersive. The engines speed through the center of the soundscape and the voices over the headsets are front and center. Ambient noises of city life, other cars in the city, people screaming, and footsteps all sound fantastic as well. The quieter noises inside the hotel room leave ample space for those echoes in voices and footsteps.

The height speakers rain down debris, gun blasts, shattering glass, and other fiery explosions consistently. The climactic scene brings in helicopters that provide all of the necessary sound effects from overhead that will cause heads to look upwards. The song cues and score always make an impactful addition to the suspense and entertainment of the film while the dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow. This Dolby Atmos track is demo-worthy.

There are about 91 minutes of extras included in this release which includes the 20 minutes of the extended cut. All of these bonus features are highly entertaining and worth watching. There is also an audio commentary included. 

• Extended Cut (UHD, 146 Mins.) - The extended cut has its own 4K Disc and is twenty minutes longer than the theatrical cut. There are more sequences with supporting characters that allow for more character development along with some different editing that makes the movie play without going back and forth in time. This extended cut is the better option.
• Audio Commentary - Director David Leitch and Producer Kelly McCormick deliver an informative track that discusses making the movie, song choices, anecdotes from the set, casting, stuntwork, and more. It's a good commentary track but a bit dry. 
• Gag Reel (UHD, 5 Mins.) - A collection of flubbed lines and laughter from the set. 
• Alternate Takes (UHD, 6 Mins.) - A few scenes that have alternate lines of dialogue. 
• Making a Meta Masterpiece (UHD, 16 Mins.) - The big EPK piece that has cast and crew interviews, on-set footage, and topics that include making a satire on the movie industry.
• Stunts on Stunts (UHD, 19 Mins.) - This piece focuses on the big stunts of the film that have five different segments. The cast and crew offer insight into how the shots and stunts were rehearsed and shot for the final product. This featurette is excellent and a ton of fun to watch. 
• How To Break a World Record (UHD, 6 Mins.) - The big canon roll sequence on the beach is the focus point here where the cast and crew go for the world record. 
• Nightclub Mayhem (UHD, 4 Mins.) - The big nightclub scene where Gosling is tripping on drugs and has a fight and chase scene is discussed and shown how it was made.
• The Art of Doubling (UHD, 5 Mins.) - The stunt doubles of the film are given the spotlight.
• Making Metalstorm (UHD, 5 Mins.) - The movie that is being made within this movie is talked about by the various cast and crew members on how the story came about and how they all filmed it.
• Falling for the Fall Guy (UHD, 5 Mins.) - YouTube and parkour stuntman Bob Reese shows one of his YouTube videos on how to do some of the stunts from the movie. 

The Fall Guy has risen to be one of the biggest and best action flicks in years. The amount of fun, heart, soul, and the ability to finally pay homage to the impressive stunt people throughout the years is fantastic. This 4K image with Dolby Vision looks excellent and is a definitive upgrade from the 1080p version and even the 4K streaming option. The Dolby Atmos track is demo-worthy. The bonus features are a ton of fun to watch as well. MUST-OWN.  

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