In a time when CGI reigns supreme at the cinema, practical effects in movies tend to be the underappreciated presence in the wings. But, “The Fall Guy” shows us in great detail why the new trend may just be a pretender to the throne.

If you need someone to be set on fire, smash through a window, flip a car, or do all of these in one day, Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is your man.

Colt’s made a good living as a stunt performer, doubling for some of the biggest stars in Hollywood who need someone to do the dirty work. However, a job that involves many dangerous moments finally catches up with him in a near-fatal accident that convinces him to get out of the movie business entirely.

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The siren song of Tinseltown returns with one phone call as a well-known producer (Hannah Waddingham) begs him to step in last minute for the stunt team on a sci-fi blockbuster shooting in Australia that just happens to be the directorial debut of Colt’s former flame Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt).

No sooner does he get on set than he learns that his stuntwork expertise is only part of the story. Colt is also expected to wrangle the star of the film (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), whose out-of-control lifestyle is threatening to shut down the movie.

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The more Colt looks into the behind-the-scenes shenanigans, the more he realizes he may be in serious trouble.

After spending the past year proving that he’s “Kenough,” Gosling has to be more than ready for a rebrand, and the man who’s played both his share of intense action antiheroes — “Drive” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” — and painfully self-aware losers — “The Nice Guys” and “Barbie” — finds the perfect part to merge those two sides of himself.

He may not be the exact incarnation of Lee Majors, but taking on the eponymous role of the ’80s series is a curiously good fit for him as someone with the musculature to take a beating and dangle from speeding cars but also the sensitivity to question why he puts himself in constant peril for a paycheck.

In this case, it’s all for a lovely lady, and Blunt proves a strong motivator as a camera operator finally getting her chance to sit in the director’s chair on a high-profile studio tentpole. While Jody has her hands full running a feature film production, that doesn’t stop her from having feelings spring up again for her leading stunt guy who broke her heart out of nowhere.

Solution? Force him to do the same explosion scene over and over until he understands the pain he caused her.

As the one who gets Colt involved again, Waddingham does a 180 from her “Ted Lasso” character as movie bigwig Gail Meyer, forever carrying a Diet Coke and wearing a plastic smile to convince everyone that everything is fine when it very much isn’t, expecting her latest hire to pick up the slack.

While it’s a very loose adaptation of the original TV show, it’s one that accurately depicts an ever-evolving film industry, one which director David Leitch knows intimately as a former stuntman turned filmmaker who’s lent his talents to the “John Wick” and “Fast & Furious” franchises, among others.

The practical stunts are refreshing, particularly with the breakdown Colt gives to highlight the people who do the trickiest parts of any given movie and remain anonymous. Still, Drew Pearce’s screenplay delves deeper into how exhausting a movie production can be compared to what we see onscreen, between overworked personal assistants, neglected animal actors, and disrespected crewmembers, not to mention financing that can be pulled at any time with less concern for the final product than something that can be packaged for San Diego Comic-Con.

Hall H means something, people!

The movie that Jody’s helming is in itself a repackaged version of the forgotten ’80s flick “Metalstorm,” another layer in the subtle commentary about Hollywood’s tendency to polish up anything they can to make a buck. Paired with the deliberate overuse of Kiss’ “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” it’s a reminder that there’s a fine line between repackaging old ideas and updating them in a relevant manner.

As much as moviegoers hate to learn how the sausage is made, it doesn’t hurt to have a reminder that the products of the movie industry aren’t just something that get worked up on a computer screen. Whether it’s Colt’s elaborate fight scenes or his unicorn-themed drug trip, it’s great to see realism make a comeback.

With its light satirical touches, “The Fall Guy” is capable of being entertaining without being dumb, reflective without being preachy, and nostalgic without being derivative.

Will it be a classic in its own right 40 years from now? Probably not, but capturing the honest essence of the movie world at this moment is no small feat.

And… cut!