Being a Ryan Reynolds helmed film, you already know what you're getting yourself into. If you love the guy's comedic style then you'll definitely love "Free Guy" too. The film was surprisingly competent even way beyond its lead's undeniable charm and wit. Enoyable but flawed, "Free Guy" could have been a whole lot worse but it isn't. And that fact alone is a huge win already in our books.
Guy (Ryan Reynolds) lives in Free City and works as a bank teller. The city is rife with violence ruled over people who are wearing shades and have unique powers. Day in and day out, Guy has been doing the same thing, the same routine over and over again. Others around him seemed to be extremely satisfied with their daily grind but deep inside Guy, he longs for more. One day, he decides to do things different. What he discovers is that he is actually a Non-Playable Character (NPC) in an online game and the creator of the game is about to pull the plug on "Free City" as its sequel looms in the distance.
Films based on video games have never had a good track record. But "Free Guy" isn't really a video game film if you think about it. This is a film that plays around the concept of video game characters but not necessarily based on an existing IP. That helps because "Free Guy" had the freedom to do what it wanted with its characters and its story. At the center of why we enjoyed "Free Guy" was Ryan Reynolds. We wouldn't say his acting performance here is anything different from his other films but we're still at a point that his style hasn't gotten stale yet. It also helps that he actually had great chemistry with Jodie Comer - however quirky and awkward their relationship was "in-game". If you're a gamer then the easter eggs would probably also blow your mind and entertain you even more. But "Free Guy" struggled a bit with its story and writing. Eventually the film became rail-roaded and certain aspects just came off as forced and even unnecessary. This isn't a "realistic" film to begin with but certain sections just felt too whimsical even for our discerning yet forgiving eye. Overall though, "Free Guy" was so much better than expected. It was quite enjoyable and it definitely didn't waste our precious time.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- if you love Ryan Reynold's comedic style then you'll love "Free Guy" for sure
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