Free Guy

One glance at FREE GUY, the newest big budget offering from Hollywood's favorite action-star/comedy master Ryan Reynolds, will cause most to approach with valid skepticism. The plot seems like a cheap knockoff of films like Ready Player One or even The Matrix, but made in a crude fashion to make more money at the box office. The actual movie, however, could not be further from the worst estimates. Not only is FREE GUY constantly hilarious due to Reynolds and an inventive screenplay, and not only is this possibly the feel-good event of the summer, but it also has a considerable amount of thought put into the meaning of its premise and places a mirror in front of modern-day video game culture.

To put it simply, perhaps the main reason this movie comes together so well is because of Ryan Reynolds' constant charisma and hilarity. Most of his dialogue is clearly either written by him or created by him on the spot (I have no idea how he hasn't received a screenwriting credit for this and the Deadpool movies), and the film is that much better as a whole because of it. He also interacts with the other actors in the film very well, including Jodie Comer and Joe Keery, two underrated actors who prove here that they aren't just one-time stars from their respective television shows (Killing Eve and Stranger Things). The ensemble combines to create the most consistently funny movie of 2021 so far.

However, this movie isn't just hilarity and crazy antics, although it could easily get by on those aspects alone. FREE GUY has tons of heart and authenticity despite its virtual reality-based plot, and is about very human emotions such as disillusionment, the feeling of being trapped, and, of course, love. There are times where the heartwarming aspects of this film resemble a charming romantic comedy and others where it gets so existential that it almost feels like The Truman Show. It never dives quite as deep as the latter film, but the fact that it even has the guts to include these themes made this easygoing big-budget movie a far better watch for me. Sure, the last thirty minutes are very cheesy and contain a lot of clichés, but the buildup is so solid that it earns some dumb rom-com moments near the end.

FREE GUY is worth going to see because it is one of the few quality films right now that increases one's faith in human nature. Lately I feel as though I have lost my faith in humanity with all that is happening in the world, so it is refreshing to get a movie that feels confident in the human experience. Maybe I'm looking too deep into the message of FREE GUY and maybe it was conceived just so Ryan Reynolds could screw around for two hours, but either way the price of admission is well worth it for an amazing time at the theater.

A-

This movie was much better than I expected. It was enjoyable throughout, paced well, and cast exceptionally. The major strength of this movie is in how damn likeable this cast is. I'm not sure anyone could have done this other than Ryan Reynolds. I'd recommend a watch.

Ryan Reynolds is guy, a NPC living in the game Free City. He met Jodie Comer's character and discovers things about his world. There's also a real life part of the film, with Joe Keery, Jodie Comer again, and Taika Watiti.

These are all great names. And with amazing direction, an original idea and great execution is what makes Free Guy such an endlessly entertaining film.

This is a short review because i want to let you see it yourself and be amazed by how good Free Guy actually is.

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Is it a flawless masterpiece? Maybe not. Did I smile throughout the whole film just because how fun it is? Hell yeah.

It gave me that Master Builder meets Neo vibe. Down to songs, "Everything is Awesome" and Mariah's "Fantasy" playing constantly in the background.

Nevertheless, I really, really enjoyed this movie with my wife and son, along with 3 others in the theater. It felt good coming back to an actual theater. I always waited at the end of a movie's run until I go out watch and this kind of felt like that. But, this was the very first movie I watched on opening day. And this was a real good one to watch.

While the majority of video game movies suck due to not being like the game they're based on, Free Guy has the advantage of being an original story based in a video game. Ryan Reynolds performance as Guy is great as per usual, the plot is original enough to be interesting, and the comedy (for me) hits right! Without getting into the spoilers, the pop culture references work better than expected. The only complaint I have is the streamer cameos were kind of dumb and they spent way too much time with them. Besides that Free Guy is a great popcorn movie and I highly recommend it!