Free Guy

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Channing Tatum, Aaron W. Reed, Britne Oldford, Camille Kostek, Mark Lainer, Mike Devine, Chris Evans (cameo)
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An NPC (non-player character) in a massive online video game becomes aware that his world is not what he thought it was.

Review:
Tim: I'm a big fan of Free Guy. This is one of those movies where a lot of things had to come together correctly for it work, and it absolutely does happen. I find this interesting- movies about video games have been a very mixed bag over the years. Director Shawn Levy has had some hits, but an equal number of bad movies. I really like Ryan Reynolds, but the quality of his movies is very much hit-or-miss (he still has never made a great movie, in my opinion). There was no guarantee Free Guy would work. And yet, it does. Levy taps into his abilities that made Real Steel such a surprising success and directs a thoroughly engaging action comedy. Reynolds leverages his comedic humor and his action hero chops. The film is about a video game, but it uses this to explore ideas about reality, technology, and human connection. All these elements came together to make this an entertaining, successful film.

The movie takes an interesting idea and builds upon it- what would a game (or life) look like from the vantage point of an NPC? This might be foreign to non-gamers (I'm definitely a gamer, so I had no problem connecting with this), but the film does a good job of setting up this premise. You don't need knowledge of video games to understand the tagline of "life's too short to be a background character". This film is really about the underdogs, the forgotten, the overlooked. This is certainly true with Guy, but his path parallels that of Millie, who is pushed aside and taken advantage of. This theme is a powerful one for the film and it helps these characters to connect with the audience. This helps establish an emotional connection with them, too. Who doesn't want to root for the small, independent gamer out to change the world, especially when she battles the big, greedy corporate businessman whose view only extends to the bottom line? Free Guy does a great job of establishing these clear parameters- the script is really strong.

The cast was excellent. Ryan Reynolds has perfected this smug, smart-alecky charisma that makes you laugh yet puts you at ease. He's a hilarious individual, his comedic timing is impeccable. He's really established himself as a strong action hero, too. This is part of his appeal- his comedy chops help him to be relatable and likeable. It makes him seem accessible, like the kind of guy you'd want to grab a beer with. So, when he shifts into action hero mode, it doesn't feel like you're watching an Arnold Schwarzenegger, an unrelatable killing machine. He's a regular guy doing these impossible things. That's it, that's what Guy is all about here. If this part wasn't specifically written for Reynolds, it might has well have been. It's the absolute perfect role for him and he seizes the opportunity it affords.

I don't think I've seen Jodie Comer in anything, but she makes a powerful impression here. She's excellent in her dual roles, showing that she has range as an actress. From this one performance, there's no doubt in my mind that she will have a big career in coming years. She can really act and brings authenticity and a bit of gravitas to a role that a lesser actress could have bumbled. Comer is fantastic in this film. Taika Waititi is great, too. He's such a funny actor and while he's giving a truly villainous turn here, he brings such energy into everything he does- it's a delight to see him on screen. I was impressed with Joe Keery, too. I like Keery from his work on Stranger Things and this suggests he has strong career ahead of him. He's very much in a supporting role here, but he elevates that role beyond what it could have been. Keery made a surprisingly large impact on the film and I cared about his character more than I usually do for a supporting one. He was very strong. Lil Rel Howery was entertaining and funny in his comedic supporting role. Like Reynolds, Howery is firmly in his wheelhouse here and there's nothing wrong with that. I thought Channing Tatum's small supporting role was quite funny- he really did a good job. (SPOILER), one of the funniest moments is the unexpected cameo of Chris Evans, who delivers a hilarious line. I really did enjoy the entire cast of this film.

I certainly expect to see more films here- it feels like Free Guy was so entertaining and set up this big world that they have to explore it more in coming sequels. That's a very good thing. This film is good enough to suggest it should be the first of (hopefully) a long and successful franchise. I had fun with this film- it might never actually be great, but it's thoroughly enjoyable, funny, and entertaining from start to finish. Shawn Levy is really good at directing these action comedies that have powerful dramatic elements to them. Real Steel is a great example, and now you can add Free Guy to that mix. This movie is an absolute win.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Real Steel, Deadpool, The Hitman's Bodyguard, Red Notice