The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
Fim Review
WITH most of the so-called big blockbusters set for release at the tail end of the year, some statements remain premature or even wrong at the moment.
However, since he got the green light to proceed and release his much-cherished “Deadpool” project, Ryan Reynold seems to be doing no wrong.
The movie “Deadpool” and its sequels released in 2016 and 2018 have made the Canadian a bonafide star.
And his latest offering, “Free Guy”, could possibly be among the best films of the year.
Yes, there are still a couple of Marvel releases in “Eternals”, “Spiderman: Far from Home” and the latest chapter in the James Bond movie catalogue, “No Time to Die”, to look forward to, but this comedy has set the bar high.
Sometimes I just want to switch off, immerse myself in a far-fetched reality and have a good time.
Not every movie has to be rooted in reality or offer some commentary on life and today’s society.
This is what “Free Guy” offers.
We are introduced to Guy (Reynolds), a non-player character (NPC) in a video game called Free City.
His everyday life revolves around waking up in the morning to wear the same plain-looking outfits, getting himself the same cup of coffee and meeting up with his best friend and co-worker at the bank, Buddy (Lil Rey Howrey).
The bank in question is part of a game in which actual players take up characters and rob it for points every day.
However, one morning, Guy notices a girl (Molotov Girl) and is immediately drawn to her. He decides to follow her, picking up a pair of glasses on the way. The said glasses open his eyes to the world around him. It turns out Free City is actually a game full of players converging from different other games.
All this, including the reality that he is nothing but an NPC, shatters Guy’s view on life.
He decides he wants more out of life and starts changing his routine.
Meanwhile, the Molotov Girl is later identified as Millie (Jodie Comer), whose stolen algorithm was used to create the now-popular Free City game.
She enters the game in the hope of finding the proof she needs to take down the owner of Free City, Antwan (Taika Waititi), and reclaim what is rightfully hers.
She then enlists Guy, who is also revealed to be an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI), and comedy ensues.
There are plenty of reasons that make this movie a hit.
Ryan Reynolds does his best throughout and easily proves why he is a standout character.
Add into the mix a slew of talented and funny supporting acts like Lil Rey’s Buddy, Waititi and Comer’s leading lady performance, and you have a well-rounded cast of performers.
The jokes and gags come thick and
fast.
At the top is Waititi, who is more of a supporting act but steals the show in every scene he features.
His over-the-top performance is more like a cross between Nicholas Cage and Jim Carrey, and a joy to watch.
The same goes with Channing Tatum’s brief but memorable appearance.
There are also a couple of notable voice cameos that include Tina Fey, Hugh Jackman, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Krasinski, among others.
To be honest, I missed about half of these and had to look them up.
If I am to mention the many Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the movie, I would be nearing spoiler territory.
Shawn Levy does an excellent job in the director’s chair and I hesitate to shower him with too much praise as most of the film is CGI (computer-generated imagery).
All in all, this is a fun family movie and one of the few films to really live up to expectations. The film has grossed over US$300 million globally, becoming the fifth Hollywood movie to achieve the milestone this year.
