In this article, Tessa goes in depth on Ryan Gosling's Kenergy in The Fall Guy.
Colt. The man. The icon. The Gosling. While some may have thought The Fall Guy coming out meant an end to his streak of Kenergy… they were wrong. He Kens so hard in this movie. Before the movie has even begun, he is there, talking to the audience about the stunt community. He has shifted the spotlight to those who are often hidden, which is what a true Ken does. With multiple different elements to this movie, there are many opportunities for us to witness high levels of Kenergy.
The Fall Guy, at its core, is an action movie–the main character is a stuntman. So, of course… He is stunting. However, unlike in Barbie when Ken tried to surf and went flying through the air, Colt Seavers is a good stuntman. The best stuntman, in fact, but he does not brag about it. Like a man with the utmost Kenergy, he stays cool without making anyone feel less than him (even though they definitely are). He is a man who has the right to an ego, but he stays humble and keeps his mind on his ultimate goal: Jody Moreno.
The plot of this movie would not progress if not for Colt’s feelings for Jody. After Colt gets into an accident while on the set of a movie, he cuts himself off from everyone… including Jody. 18 months pass, and then he gets a call saying that Jody, now a director of a movie, wants him on set (she does not). He shows up, not knowing that he is actually unwanted by the love of his life. Rather than giving up and going home (like someone with zero Kenergy would), he goes on a hunt for a missing movie star, just to save Jody’s movie. Just over halfway through the film, Colt has gotten mixed up in some twisted things and is being framed for murder. Jody wants to run away with him and get him out of the country so that he cannot be prosecuted. He could have gone along with her and left the country, but he has too much Kenergy for that. Instead, he tells her that she has to stay there and finish her movie because “[She] might inspire a whole generation of little Jodys to pick up cameras and make their own movies.” His support for her, even at the risk of his own freedom, is the epitome of Kenergy. However, the ability to be quick with jokes is also a major sign of Kenergy.
The Fall Guy might be an action movie, but it is also a rom-com. Half of a rom-com is the comedy, and Gosling delivers all the perfect comedic timing inside and outside of this movie. Within the film, his character, Colt, hilariously tries to get Jody back. From failed attempts at flirting to asking her out at all of the most high-stakes moments in the plot, this shows that all Colt truly wants is Jody, and there is nothing that screams “Kenergy” more than that. Outside of the film, Gosling admits to his fear of heights, even though he wanted to do some of his own stunts. The opening scene in The Fall Guy includes him falling down 12 stories of a building. In an interview with People, he joked, due to his fear, “I think I'm going to need to put on sunglasses for no reason, so that the audience doesn't see how afraid I am.” A running theme in his movies has been his characters dramatically putting on sunglasses, so audiences are fortunate that he continued that theme in The Fall Guy. When watching the movie after knowing the reason for the sunglasses, it becomes even more comical. Past just comedy, though, the fact that Gosling not only was willing to but was enthusiastic about trying a few of his own stunts shows once and for all that he has the most Kenergy. Kenergy is much about sharing the spotlight, and he does just that by shining a light on the stunt people who are often kept in the shadows.
The Fall Guy has multiple elements that make it an enjoyable movie for all. Besides the high Kenergy levels that are prevalent in the film, it is also an easy-to-watch movie without inappropriate innuendos, which makes it fun for anyone.
The Fall Guy