Movie Review: Free Guy

Where to start? There’s so much I have to say about Free Guy. Let me start by saying it’s definitely one of the best “gaming” movies out there. It’s better than Ready Player One and Pixels. Ryan Reynolds is himself through and through, which is a good thing. As a gamer myself, it hits all the right notes for me. He’s an NPC in an online game that decides to try something new that changes the game for good. It’s a fun and interesting premise.

Free Guy has concepts and ideas that have been done before, but it pulls them off very well. I found it to be consistently funny. Some of the one-liners and dialogue made me laugh out loud. I was surprised by how sharp some of the writing was. Some of it seemed to come naturally from Reynolds and his infectious personality and charm.

The performances were wonderful. Of course Reynolds is awesome, but a well-rounded cast including Joe Keery and Jodie Comer make it a winner. I thought Taika Waititi was especially hilarious as Antoine, the villain. The film has a classic love story that actually works, and in a unique way. The movie gives me Truman Show vibes, except it’s a fake video game world. The theme song of the film is Mariah Carey’s ‘Fantasy’ which plays a lot. I would be lying if I said I didn’t like it. Remember the little Asian girl singing it in Rush Hour? Wasn’t that amazing?

There are a few notable cameos that will pleasantly surprise the audience, along with a jacked out of his mind Ryan Reynolds towards the end. It’s just a very carefree and fun movie that isn’t afraid to be outlandish or silly. It gives you a story that has enough depth to sustain a two-hour runtime without overstaying its welcome. It’s not going to win an Oscar, but it’s one of the better comedies of the past couple of years. Comedy is dying in this politically correct culture. Free Guy is pretty funny, despite these restrictions. It’s not The Other Guys or Pineapple Express, but it’s not trying to be. It’s an accessible comedy with a solid story, great performances, plenty of entertainment value and many funny moments.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Cue Mariah Carey’s ‘Fantasy’.

– Wade Williams