Summary
-
The Fall Guy
pays homage to stunt performers and satirizes Hollywood’s movie-making business. - The movie-within-a-movie Metalstorm hilariously parodies the iconic
Dune
franchise with a twist. - Jason Momoa’s cameo adds a new level of humor and redemption to the
Dune
ripoff in
The Fall Guy
.
David Leitch’s action comedy The Fall Guy provides a modicum of redemption for action star Jason Momoa thanks to a late meta pivot referencing the now-iconic Dune 2. Based on the original The Fall Guy TV show from the 1980s and starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, The Fall Guy acts as a love letter to the stuntmen and stuntwomen who are an integral part of modern moviemaking, but who might not get the recognition they so often deserve. The movie revolves around the making of an epic sci-fi thriller, in which Gosling’s character Colt Seavers works as a stuntman.
As the narrative unfolds, different parts of the movie’s filming are shown, all leading to the reveal of the movie-within-a-movie. While Aaron Taylor Johnson’s Tom Ryder is initially set to star, his villainous activities lead him to be replaced by Jason Momoa at the ending of The Fall Guy, who cameos as himself in the movie titled Metalstorm. The sci-fi epic is clearly poking fun at one recent blockbuster in particular, and Momoa’s cameo elevates the quality of the parody.
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The epic movie-within-a-movie parodies the epic sci-fi franchise
While there are some differences, Jody Moreno’s movie is clearly intended to be a ripoff of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise. The score notably includes otherworldly, dramatic vocalizations that are almost an exact copy of what can be heard at pivotal moments in the Dune movies, and the desert setting for the movie is obviously a direct reference in itself. The movie’s star, played at first by Tom Ryder and then by Jason Momoa, even references a love interest that bridges the gap between his people and the people of the desert world, similar to what happens with Dune‘s Paul Atreides.
Jason Momoa and David Leitch worked together on 2011’s
Conan the Barbarian
, for which Leitch acted as the 2nd unit director.
Director David Leitch is needling the Hollywood movie-making business in general with The Fall Guy. In addition to appreciating stuntpeople, the action comedy submits commentary on the battle between traditional special effects and CGI, the fragility of movie star egos, and even the influence of agents and studio executives over creativity and art. Seeing it all come together at the end of The Fall Guy in the form of the movie Metalstorm even pokes fun at the sometimes over-the-top and self-serious nature of franchises, and Jason Momoa’s cameo perfectly plays into the overarching joke.
The Fall Guy’s Dune Ripoff Is Perfect Thanks To Jason Momoa’s Dune Connection
The obvious ripoff was fun to begin with, but was elevated by the Dune star’s addition
Metalstorm being a comically obvious parody of the Dune franchise is a great joke in and of itself. The Fall Guy and Dune likely share a significant chunk of their respective audiences, and even if a viewer hasn’t seen the Dune movies, they likely have been exposed to the massive marketing campaign for Dune: Part Two in the last year. The joke landed extremely well for anyone even slightly familiar with Dune, but Jason Momoa’s cameo took the gag to the next level.
Momoa portrayed the popular character Duncan Idaho in 2021’s Dune, who was considered to be one of the finest warriors in the galaxy. He got to showcase his action chops to their fullest extent, and his performance was regarded as a highlight of the movie. His character’s death in that movie, and subsequent absence from Dune: Part Two, was lamented by fans of the franchise. Momoa’s inclusion in The Fall Guy‘s fake sci-fi movieMetalstorm gives him some redemption for having had to be excluded from the massive 2024 sequel to Dune.
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy is an action thriller from Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who is forced to find a missing movie star, investigate a conspiracy, and repair his relationship with the love of his life. The film was written by Drew Pearce and inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name.
- Director
- David Leitch
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures , Entertainment 360 , 87North Productions
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Writers
- Drew Pearce
