This past summer a surprise arrived in August in the form of the utterly adorable Free Guy. Ryan Reynolds stars as Guy, a bank teller who comes to the realization he is living inside a video game. It starts When Guy catches a badass lady with who he develops a slight obsession as she saunters the streets as if she owns it, Jodie Comer’s Millie.
Guy has his best friend, Buddy (Lil Rel Howery), who works as a guard at their bank where they work every day. The thing is each day a robber of varying intensity enters and rips the place off raw. Employees just hit the dirt as if it is nothing. One day, Guy wonders if there is more to this life than getting robbed every day and providing the banking needs for the citizens of Free City.
One day, he has had enough and instead of hitting the ground with his BFF and chatting casually as the bank gets robbed, he gets involved. To his surprise, he is built for much more than being a bank teller patsy in a daily parade of violent acts perpetrated against his vocational establishment.
Suddenly, an entirely whole new world opens for Guy. There is a distinct difference in Free City between the sunglass-wearing and those without. He is one who is lacking in the cool specs. After his rise up against the robber, he takes his shades and surprise! It reveals the inner working of a multifaceted simulated city video game that possesses heroes, villains, violence, and utter mayhem.
In the middle of it all is a beautiful mystery figure who can handle herself better than any ninja. Mille (Comer) enters Guy’s life and the two form a strong connection that may just go deeper than saving Free City.
Meanwhile, Taika Waititi portrays the head of the video game monolith who is absolutely our antagonist. His Antwan is boss over programmer Joe Kerry’s Keys, which is clearly meant for much more than fixing bugs on Keys’ computer games that are sweeping the world. In the “real world,” there also is Comer’s Millie who uses an avatar in the game to get to the bottom of a scandal that is sure to rock the video game landscape.
Free Guy is all-encompassing. It is utterly fun from top to bottom. The film is suspenseful, heartwarming, and yes, even romantic. Levy is one heck of a filmmaker. What he does with what seems like the most simplistic or pedantic of topics is uncanny. Seriously, Free Guy is one of the most enjoyable moments you will have at the movies in 2021.
Also making his mark is an up-and-coming who will be everywhere soon–Utkarsh Ambudkar as Mouser, who works with Keys and whose desire to climb up the video game corporate knows no bounds. He is integral to the narrative and will play a key role in the outcome, even if his part is smaller. Again, there are no small parts—only small actors.
Levy has crafted a web that finds itself firmly at the intersection of video game cinema meets original product (which is a rarity these days) with a cast who is more than game for the most uniquely of premises. The helmer works from a well-rounded and balanced script by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn. The banter is comprised of smart dialogue, delivered in a manner that is compelling and not simply lip service to the “meat” of the dramatic turns of events. It is at this point that the storytelling mastery of director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Stranger Things, Real Steel) takes over and is a film that firmly sits in his ever-expanding creative wheelhouse.
Reynolds is firmly in his element. He was born to be Free Guy and the way he operates throughout the entire picture is an utter blast and pleasure. He plays Guy as innocent with an ever-increasing sense of the world around him and how it is absolutely not what he has spent his entire life believe it is. His chemistry with Comer is electric. What commences as polar opposite organically morphs into an utter blast to witness together as their connection feels as authentic as can be achieved in this format.
Comer is certainly everywhere lately and rightfully so. She is due in this month’s The Last Duel opposite Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Ben Affleck (from director Ridley Scott) and she shows her versatility in Free Guy in what is essentially two roles that she handles with impeccable aplomb. The Killing Eve breakout illustrates a command of the material that is simply uncanny and, in the process, has added her name to the list of folks whose movie we will witness simply because their moniker is attached.
When it comes to bonus features, there are a few deleted and extended scenes that are interesting. But the real fun starts with Welcome to Free City, which put s a spotlight on the video game world that is a titular city for the game with a tour guide that is none other than Levy himself, the cast, and the team that helped bring it to life.
One of the funnier elements could have been a one-off joke, but the manner with which it’s handled is achieved with such a perfect touch, it resonates…and it is utterly hilarious. Dude vs. Guy where a super-sized Guy-like Dude and Guy go at it, man-a-mano. What makes this scene so special is the special effects, yes, but it is the camaraderie between the two parts. Again, the word priceless comes to mind.
We’re particularly excited about the featurette Creating Molotovgirl. Giving Comer the featurette treatment is a stroke of genius. The actress shows how she transformers into the video game Molotovgirl, who is also a gifted programmer in addition to that intense game avatar. Hearing from her how it came to life along with the tech crew that made it happen is a cinematic education and actress study all on its own.
Don’t miss the Gag Reel, it’s Reynolds…come on!
Saving the best for last… well, maybe not the best—all the bevy of bonus features is terrific. But we are huge Taika fans, so It’s Taika’s World shows us that it is his planet, and we are trying lucky to live in it. Free Guy’s crazy villain inhabits the “real world” in such a matter that it’s hard to tell who is video generated and who is a product of engineering himself! His over-the-top turn is the stuff of legend and should further cement his place as one of Hollywood’s go-to guys for the creation of films (Oscar winner Jo-Jo Rabbit) to inhabiting characters that couldn’t be more unique if they tried.
Grade: A-