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Star Rating:
Free Guy, released in 2021, follows a non-player character in a video game who gains his own freedom to do whatever he wants rather than follow the predefined programming assigned to him. It’s funny. It’s full of action, and gamers will appreciate all the obvious (and not-so-obvious) references scattered throughout the film.
The main concept is somewhat original, at least by American movie standards. It reminds me of Japanese anime and manga that focus on characters in video games, but the concept is still fairly unique. Guy, played superbly by Ryan Reynolds, is an NPC in a MMORPG video game, but he deviates from his programming and joins the players after falling in love with one of the sunglasses people. People who wear sunglasses are actually the players. The game appears to be similar to Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite, with some personal twists.
The references and Easter eggs are what make this movie hilarious. If you aren’t a gamer, odds are you won’t find this movie as funny as those who are. You’re just not going to understand the jokes. Some gaming references are obvious and are at the forefront of the movie, but there are plenty in the background that you can miss if you don’t pay attention. For example, without giving much away, there’s a guy in the background who glitches in one of the scenes.
This film definitely took a lot of thought, and those who worked on it had to grasp what it’s like to play video games. Several features just could not be depicted adequately if enough research wasn’t done. A couple jokes make fun of gamers, but this movie would not exist, much less be so enjoyable, if the people who made it didn’t care about gamers. Plus, we can all laugh at ourselves from time to time.
The characters are amusing and endearing, and the performances are excellent. There are also some great cameo appearances that fit right in with the humor. The humor is witty and well-placed. There is just the perfect amount of action at the right times. I was never bored or felt as if things were moving too slowly at any point.
Free Guy is an enjoyable movie. It’s merely a fun action comedy. It’s not very serious or attempting to convey a point. It’s just entertainment, and that’s all I want from a movie like this. I honestly didn’t have many other afterthoughts about this movie aside from enjoying it and finding it hilarious. There were a few lines of dialogue that weren’t needed, but overall, I think the film was terrific. If you play video games, you’ll probably enjoy this movie. I honestly can’t say if you will if you aren’t a gamer. There’s a chance you won’t understand or like the film as much as others, but it never hurts to give it a try.
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