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Free Guy Review

by Joe Joe October 26, 2021

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Free Guy Review

Brings out all the smiles.

Free Guy Review

Brings out all the smiles.

Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn wrote this videogame movie not based on any videogame. I will assume that Matt constantly plays Grand Theft Auto Online, and Zak watches They Live every weekend. Both of these properties are probably the most significant influence on this movie. There are many others, but it does have a sliver of originality, and it all comes together to make a fun, entertaining, kind-hearted film.

Ryan Reynolds, ever so confident, stars as a videogame artificial intelligence Non-Player Character, NPC. He realizes he can leave his day-to-day monotony and take control of his own life. It’s a virtual world with all the usual structure of playing an online videogame such as non-stop violence, playing together, medkits, objectives, etc. When he starts to question and then evolve after seeing a real-life player portrayed by the great Jodie Comer, the company behind the game start to take notice and think he’s a regular player at first.

It gets more involved when we learn more about Jodie Comer and her relationship with Stranger Thing’s Steve. Their relationship was probably the most substantial aspect of the movie for me. They have their own story and connection with the videogame company that intertwines with Reynold’s story involving corporate theft and the like. Taika Waititi plays the villainous A-hole boss of the company and is a highlight even though he wears out his welcome for a bit. The cast also includes Lil Rey Howery as Reynold’s best friend, and he’s excellent as the always understanding NPC with a big fat smile on his face no matter the chaos surrounding him.

It’s one of the best running gags of the movie. Players destroy the world around them by blowing up buildings with helicopters and rocket launchers. Banks get robbed. People get randomly punched. Players glitch. The unconscious teabagged. The humor mainly works; however, I was annoyed by the overuse of songs, which eventually ends when the plot moves. What surprised me was how heartfelt it all is. Especially with the romances and friendships in this movie. Very well done.

The direction by Shawn Levy is pretty standard, so don’t expect too much creativity with the filmmaking. Quality-wise, visual effects for this kind of film don’t matter since it uses a game world setting, but seeing an incredibly roided up Reynolds is a great sight gag. There are plenty of references for all the cinema nerds out there as well as some questionable cameos. I say questionable instead of good because the film certainly wants to include the game culture of today, so we have weirdo streamers like NInja. They took me out of the movie, and these streamers are all horrible actors. It would’ve been better off without them or at least have them barely be in it, but that’s not the case. There is at least a couple of cameos by good, professional actors.

This movie is perfect for kids, adults, gamers, couples, millennials, boomers, whatever. There are many genres in this movie. A film that’s got something for everyone, which I always appreciate. Finally, a movie that will entertain people of all ages isn’t a superhero movie. If I have complaints, it’s mainly unoriginal, and its overall story is basic. They could’ve made it a little more complex with this kind of content, but I realize it’s a family film, so it can’t go Kubrick.

Would I watch it again? Sure. The cast is perfect except for the streamers. I hope they didn’t get any money since they get enough from the dopes making donations. It’s a cute little movie that has it all. Great Romance, decent action, goofy humor, and light sci-fi are the pillars of this movie, and it’s more than likely why it did so well at the box office during this difficult era. Free Guy brings out all the smiles as well as a fun, good time at the movies.