FREE GUY – MOVIE REVIEW

With Deadpool Ryan Reynolds gave us a raucous re-imagining of what the superhero movie might look

Like, now he's bringing fresh life to long slandered video game movies with Free Guy, an action-comedy packed with impudent fun fan service and a few glitches. 

Free Guy

Ryan Reynolds is endearingly optimistic in the role of guy an oblivious Non-Player Character or NPC living in an inventive fictional video game. He was joyful with his simple though regularly violent life in Free City before meeting Molotov Girl, played by killing eves star Jody Comer. To get the girl of his dreams, the Guy snatches a pair of sunglasses that let him see the world as the players do. Full of power-ups, loot, and missions that make for some fun call-outs to the world of video games with nods to Super Mario Brothers, Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, and more.

Jodie Comer As Molotov Girl

As Guy sets out on a new mission, we are treated to a whole host of action sequences. Director Sean Levy consistently enthralls with the action in the foreground and then scores laugh by plopping random carnage in the background. There is a frequent contrast between calm and calamity that effectively establishes the wacky world of Free City while also being consistently hilarious. 

Ryan Reynolds is a perfectly plucky leading man veering away from the snarky reputation he's built in recent years. In this movie, he drops all that edge to play a truly hopeless romantic. Guy's openness about his unapologetic glee and fear as he becomes a player in Free City is as exhilarating as Reynold's enthusiasm is contagious. It is the zeal of Deadpool minus the baggage and R-Rated shenanigans.

Ryan Reynolds As The Guy

It all works in no small part because of Reynold's undeniable screen presence and sharp comedic timing. But this movie is not all about its NPC.

In act 2 Free Guy opens up to split its focus between Guy and the creators of his game who were at war over coding copyright. This is the point where Free Guy moves from fun to fumbling. Unsurprisingly watching programmers argue about lawsuits and troubleshooting is not all that entertaining. While Guy is struggling for his love and life, the real world characters are clumsy through an unfunny plot that allows none of its stars to shine.

For better or for worse, there are a ton of pop culture influences packed into Free Guy making the film a game of its own. Almost every frame is packed with fan service. It is fun to pick them out and makes it excitingly unpredictable plus we will all have a good time re-watching and pausing to spot them. The downside to all that demonstration is that Free Guy ends up contradicting its own themes. It starts out ardently arguing for the value of individualism and creativity and 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 shoehorning in imagery from other Disney movies and shows. Sure it's a thrill to see certain iconic weaponry from much-beloved film franchises popup but it is a cheap thrill that undercuts this original film's proposed thesis. 

Free Guy delivers an awfully entertaining first hour that is stuffed with gonzo action, goofy gag, 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 in the real world, falling short of the potential setup. Still, Reynolds delivers hilariously rollicking fun in an eye-popping imaginative environment that treats gaming like the wonderland it is. So even with its deeply wobbly deviation, Free Guy is a freewheeling wild ride with playful humor and some special moves.