Free Guy (2021)

Free Guy (2021) 

Watching the Movie:

Really sleek and stylishly produced, especially when adding the video game elements once Guy puts the sunglasses on. Ryan Reynolds does his usual thing of playing Ryan Reynolds in a slightly different way than any other Ryan Reynolds character. This is not an insult at all, as I actually really enjoy his work. The biggest problem with Free Guy as a movie is that it does not even pretend to hide how derivative of other works it is, as many of the scenes in the movie remind you of corresponding scenes and ideas from other movies.

Screening the Film

Cultural norms. The individual's role in society. Regime authority and where power is derived from. Perception vs reality. The illusion of free will and choice. Personal ownership and decision making.Violence and human nature. Good vs Evil. The role of mass media and influence on population on the populace. Male and female platonic vs romantic relationships and how they influence and change one another. Creativity and creation vs plagiarism. Business law, especially as it relates to trademark and intellectual property ownership. Systems creation and maintenance. Time relative to other events and itself. Free will vs subjugation.

Best Dialogue/Quotations: 

"Life doesn't have to be something that just happens to us."

The Bottom Line:

This is another offering where mileages may vary. People who really enjoy the work of Ryan Reynolds or consider themselves part of gamer culture may get much different experiences from this flick than those who are not. However, that's not to say that criteria is a requirement to like Free Guy as it is a really charming and fun two hours, even if it is not particularly new or ground breaking. It's a bit of an oversimplification to say that Free Guy is the bastard love child of The Truman Show (1998) and Ready Player One (2018) but it's also not a completely unfair criticism either, especially as it relates to the later film with only 4 years separation between them. Overall though, it's a fun movie and because it cribs heavily from really good films, it also has some value as an expression of film.

3.5 out of 5

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