Free Guy (2021)

 

The world of video games has evolved so much, that pretty everywhere you look, video games are now becoming part of the social norm. With the ever increasing popularity of video games, it was bound to happen that movie studios would take notice. And luckily, they have. Enter “Free Guy”, a movie that takes a lot of concepts and risks, and makes it very entertaining for audiences to understand. While there might be a few flaws in the feature, the movie itself is really good, and takes a humorous look at the characters in video games as a whole. “Free Guy” is a perfect example of how video games have become a recent phenomenon with a large group of people.

The story centers around a non-playable character (NPC) named Guy (Ryan Reynolds) in a video game called Free City, and open world game where anyone can do anything they want to do. This all changes when Guy finds a gorgeous woman named Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer), and because of this, Guy's life starts to change. In more ways than one. He starts behaving like a lot of the players, and levels up in the game, thus attracting Molotov Girl. It is here that she tells Guy that her real name is Millie (also Comer), and in the world that Guy is living in is just a video game. In the real world, the development team behind Free City, led by a man named Antwan (Taika Waititi), try to push the game's sequel out to make way for the future. However, Guy is going to change that from happening.

With this movie, we are given something totally hilarious and charming to boot.

First up, the acting. Reynolds is great and fantastic in this. This is mostly because he is committing to this character of Guy, and delivers a standout performance. Also delivering a standout performance is Waititi who is playing the bad guy is extra charisma and charm in such an over-the-top way, that it is just amazing to watch. As for the other actors and actresses, they all do great in their respective roles, and give out a lot of fun vibes from watching the movie. Plus, there are a few celebrity cameos that, when they happen, will definitely surprise you.

This can be contributed to director Shawn Levy, who's previous works include mostly comedies. Since he has gotten into that genre the most out of his filmography, Mr. Levy is perfect here as well. With “Free Guy” Levy has more control over the project of handling his actors and actresses with relative ease. Plus, there are some unexpected moments that truly stand out as being emotional.

Another good thing to mention about “Free Guy” is the special effects. Sure, they are mostly CGI, but they are still quite good. In fact, when the movie transitions from the filmed video game world to the real world, the visual effects team make a really good effort into transitioning from the film to the video game world almost flawlessly. It's a really clever effect, and it makes wonder what kind of software was used in making that.

This can be attributed to the editing. Done by Dean Zimmerman, everything moves freely, and the camera also creates the illusion of being in a video game. From using a first person mode, to swooping movements, along with the editing, it makes “Free Guy” a visual treat. Also, the pacing if fast enough for viewers to understand just what is going on, and without any complications from the story.

Speaking of the story, it definitely puts a unique spin on the world of video games, and a concept that really deserves more recognition. Plus, the humor that is there can rather hilarious at times. It also is pretty clever to see a lot of video game references that a lot players will get. As well as some great jokes coming from Waititi, who's absolutely hilarious in this one. If you see this as a comedy, then you will definitely have a good time.

If there are any problems with the film, then they would be minor.

There is an issue with the story near the end of the feature. I won't go into spoiler territory, but I will mention the ending here. The way that the game is beaten is kind of a loophole that doesn't really seem to fit, and only serves a purpose to the two human characters in the real world. Also, the way we have seen video game characters break the fourth wall kind has been done before in projects like “Wreck-It Ralph” and even in “Tron”. But the way the story is told through the use of modern video games, it is pretty creative to say the least.

In conclusion, “Free Guy” is a hilarious and amazing comedy that will definitely puts a new spin on modern video games. Don't have a good day while watching it, have a great day!