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Aug 13, 2021 · 80% 296 Reviews Tomatometer 94% 5,000+ Verified Ratings Audience Score In "Free Guy," a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to...
- (297)
- Shawn Levy
- PG-13
- Ryan Reynolds
Reviews. Free Guy. Brian Tallerico August 13, 2021. Tweet. Now streaming on: Powered by JustWatch. “Free Guy” is like a hyperactive puppy. It really wants to be your friend. It’s easy to like and fun to hang out with. It also has a habit of running around in circles, losing its focus, and shitting on the floor.
Aug 14, 2021 · Free Guy review – irresistible gaming caper. Wide-eyed Ryan Reynolds and ubercool Jodie Comer join forces in Shawn Levy’s unabashedly sweet sci-fi comedy with far-reaching appeal. Wendy Ide....
- 2 min
- Wendy Ide
- Ryan Reynolds’ video game comedy brings a lot to the table, but not all of it plays.
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- Verdict
By Kristy Puchko
Updated: Aug 6, 2021 8:15 pm
Posted: Aug 5, 2021 4:00 pm
Free Guy hits theaters on Aug. 13.
With Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds gave audiences a raucous re-imagining of what the superhero movie might look like. Now, he’s bringing fresh life to long-maligned video game movies with Free Guy, an action-comedy packed with audacious fun, fan service, and… a few glitches.
Not based on a video game but set within an inventive fictional one, Free Guy follows an NPC (non-player character) who becomes sentient and begins questioning the rules of the very violent world around him. Reynolds is endearingly optimistic in the role of Guy, who was happy with his simple life in Free City, even if his bank gets raided by armed robbers so often that it's become a banal part of his routine. His chipper complacency vanishes, though, when Guy meets a girl, username Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer). To get the girl of his dreams, Guy snatches a pair of sunglasses that the scoundrels who've made Free City a den of mayhem wear, and can see the world as the players do, full of power-ups, loot, and missions, which makes for some fun call-outs to the world of video games.
Deadpool
Green Lantern
Pokemon Detective Pikachu
The Proposal
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Other -- let us know in the comments
In Act Two, Free Guy opens up to split its focus between Guy and the creators of his game, who are at war over coding copyright. Unsurprisingly, watching programmers (Comer and Joe Kerry) argue about lawsuits and troubleshooting isn’t all that entertaining, even if Taika Waititi is cast as their obnoxious adversary. Here is where Free Guy moves from fun to fumbling. While Guy is fighting for his love and life, the real-world characters are bumbling through an unfunny plot that allows none of its stars to shine. Kerry, who was cool and endearing in Stranger Things, gives a lackluster performance as a cowardly coder. Waititi, who has awed fans on and off screen with his quirky charisma, seems bored as he barrels through clunky one-liners and sinister sneers. Then, there’s Comer. She won our dark hearts as the merciless murderess of Killing Eve. Here, she is saddled with lame jokes about boners, and is somehow robbed of the explosive gravitas that make her a critically heralded TV star. So, as Free Guy advances into Act Three, it’s hard to root for anyone but Guy, because the real world is such a snooze.
For better or for worse, screenwriters Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn fold a lot of influences into the film. There’s clear Deadpool homages in the opening action sequence accompanied by a Reynolds voiceover, gleefully poppy needle drops of Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus jams, and saucy declarations like saying the first sip of coffee is “like losing my virginity in my mouth.” The plot is a mash-up of The LEGO Movie, Serenity (2019), and The Truman Show, with its everyman realizing his world is not what it seems and that he doesn’t have to be an NPC in his own destiny. The gameplay, rules, and look of Free City nods to Super Mario Bros., Grand Theft Auto, and Fortnite. Then, for good measure, the filmmakers fold in elements from They Live, Oedipus Rex, Simulation Theory, and Meet Joe Black.
It’s hard to root for anyone but Guy.
“
All of these allusions — along with a smattering of cameos — make the film a game of its own, with nearly every frame packed with fan service. It’s fun to pick them out, will reward re-watching, and makes Free Guy thrillingly unpredictable, because with such contrasting influences, what might come next? This frenzy of references also serves as an homage to online gaming, where trends and memes can factor into skins, banter, and celebratory dances. However, while entertaining, this urge to awe with spectacle leaves jarring plot holes and ultimately undermines the film’s major threads and themes.
Romance beats at the heart of Guy’s motivations, yet Levy seems uncertain on how to handle that aspect. The sentimentality across the meet-cute, first date, and beyond wavers between sincere and smirking spoofery. As the romance repercussions tumble into the real world, it falls into the uncanny valley. Then, there’s the fumbling of its core messaging. Free Guy ardently argues for the value of individualism and creativity in art, making its villain a hack who values cash-grab sequels over original concepts. Yet, the film itself is a star-studded studio-product that revels in conventions before garishly employing imagery from other Disney properties. Sure, it’s a thrill to see certain iconic weaponry from much-beloved film franchises pop up, but it’s a cheap thrill that undercuts this original film’s proposed thesis.
Free Guy delivers a first hour that is outrageously entertaining, stuffed with gonzo action, goofy gags, star power, big ideas, and plenty of Easter eggs for lovers of movies and video games. However, in its second half, the joyful journey is derailed by a slog of a side quest, falling short of the potential set-up. Still, Ryan Reynolds delivers ri...
Aug 12, 2021 · ‘Free Guy’ Review: Don’t Hate the Player. Ryan Reynolds brings his nice-guy charisma to the role of a video game character who doesn’t want to stay on the sidelines. Share full article. The...
- Shawn Levy
- Maya Phillips
- 115 min
FREE GUY is a refreshingly funny and heartfelt romantic comedy in the guise of a wacky and surprisingly clever video game action movie. Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Mar 15, 2022
Aug 13, 2021 · Free Guy: Directed by Shawn Levy. With Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery. When Guy, a bank teller, learns that he is a non-player character in a bloodthirsty, open-world video game, he goes on to become the hero of the story and takes the responsibility of saving the world.
