Free Guy – Film Review
by Katie McCann

Director – Shawn Levy
Writers – Matt Lieberman(screenplay by), Zak Penn(screenplay by)
Stars – Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi

It’s not easy to turn a video game into a movie. Many have tried over the years and many have failed. Free Guy isn’t a video game adaptation exactly but more of a homage to gaming, and perhaps that is where its strength lies. Directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, Free Guy looks like it could be a lot of fun… and it is, it really is.

Set inside the video game world of Free City, Guy (Reynolds) is an NPC or a Non-Playable Character in an online open-world game. People can log in to live out their dreams of robbing banks or mowing down civilians and Guy’s job is to let them. That is until he spots Molotov Girl (Comer) and suddenly he is no longer a background character but the hero of his own story.

The idea behind Free Guy is simple: a nice (if not above average level of gorgeous) guy falls for the girl and wants to get her to like him so he becomes a hero. So far, so cliche but the great thing about Free Guy is that it knows it’s a cliche and a video game movie so instead of laying it on thick it lays it on extra-thick then does a bit of a dance and sets off a confetti cannon or three. There are a lot of laughs to be had here and some really fun action sequences too. Plus if you are in any way a fan of video games, this film will scratch that itch. Reynolds, as always, is incredibly charming but the entire cast really does hold their own throughout especially Comer and bad guy Taika Waititi, who steals any scene he is in.

This is a great fun summer blockbuster that knows exactly what it is and isn’t afraid to be silly. Yes, there are moments it panders to its audience. Yes, it’s kinda silly and lacking in any real substance. But you know what? That’s ok! Sometimes it’s just nice to go to a movie and laugh and if that is what you are looking for, Free Guy is the movie for you.