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Free Guy Review: A Very Well Done Action-Comedy Movie

Free Guy does a great job at providing action, comedy, and a whole lot of Easter Eggs for geeks and gamers. Not to mention, a little heart.

free guy movie review

Free Guy starts off a little bit slow, but don’t give up on it because it ends up really delivering. It perfectly combines action, comedy, and even some heart. Ryan Reynolds is hilarious as the innocent NPC (Non Playable Character) Guy, but it is Taika Waititi’s over the top villain Antwan that steals the entire film. Gamers will have a blast pointing out Easter Eggs, cameos, and watching things explode!

In Free Guy, a NPC in the game Free City becomes self aware when he crosses paths with a player, Molotov Girl. He has always known that the sunglasses people are different, but in hopes that she will talk to him, he puts on sunglasses himself, which awakens something in him. What follows is a lot of insane action, silly comedy, and even a love story. 

free guy movie review

What Works In Free Guy

It has been a while since we have been given a really good action-comedy film. What this movie does is perfectly combine them, especially once it hits its stride about thirty minutes in. Gamers will be in heaven as they spot Easter Egg after Easter egg from their favorite game. 

The movie itself is visually stunning. It is clear that the CGI budget must have been INSANE, but totally worth it. Everything looks so bright and colorful, and like it ripped right out of a video game. They do a great job of combining real life and the gaming world — complete with cameos that will have viewers laughing, cheering, and over the moon excited.

This flick begs to be seen on the big screen because of the visuals alone, but the cinematography puts the nail in the coffin. All of the action scenes look incredible and the in game cinematography is fun and unique.

The plot itself, while predictable, is a lot of fun. There are some parts that don’t really make sense in reality, but can be passed over because there is a reason they are there — this is hard to explain without spoilers, but those who know code will understand. That said, who cares? This is an over the top comedy action flick and it is FUN! 

free guy movie review

Speaking of over the top, Taika Waititi, who plays the villain Antwan in Free Guy, steals the show every time he is on the screen. It feels like half of his lines were improvised, and if not, that just speaks to the writing of this movie. He is fantastic, hilarious, and it is very clear he puts his all into this role.

In fact, the entire cast is obviously having a ton of fun with this movie, and their roles. They take them just seriously enough to fit the story, but go over the top when they can making for more comedy and chemistry. Ryan Reynolds, of course, is great at Guy, and perfect at playing innocent and dumb. Joe Keery who plays Keys brings some heart to the story, and shines when on screen. 

Jodie Comer, who is Millie/Molotov Girl, also steals a lot of her scenes. She has fantastic chemistry with both Ryan Reynolds and Joe Keery, and her story will bring tears to your eyes more than once. She fully embraces both of her roles, and should be applauded for it. 

Utkarsh Ambudkar, Mouser, brings the comedy as well. He has great comedic timing and holds his own up against Waititi in several scenes. Their presence on screen together is comedy gold — especially in a few scenes towards the end. Lil Rel Howery plays Buddy, a security guard and Guy’s best friend. Shockingly, the two of them together deliver some of the most heartwarming scenes in the entire movie.

free guy movie review

What Doesn’t Work In Free Guy

The biggest issue with Free Guy is that it does take a little while to get going. Yes, the set up is there for a reason, and yes, it eventually pays off, but the first twenty to thirty minutes are slow. They drag on as viewers wait for something major to start happening, and for the plot to slowly unfold. It does get there, but the wait is a bit too long. 

The film clocks in at just under two hours and if ten to fifteen minutes were knocked off, it could have come together much better. This is a nitpick though as once it settles in, it is a wild and fun ride that flies by. 

free guy movie review

Overall Thoughts

Free Guy has an incredible cast, perfect comedic timing, and a lot of fantastic action. There are cameos that fans will scream over, too. This movie is a gamer’s heaven with all the references to classic, and newer games. There are items from all the hits placed throughout, and it is so much fun to spot them. 

While Ryan Reynolds is hilarious in this, and plays a great leading man, it is Taika Waititi’s over the top man-child of a villain that makes Free Guy what it is. Shockingly there is some heartwarming and emotional moments as well, and a pretty decent love story mixed in. The short of it is that Free Guy is a freaking good time. It is rare to get such a great action-comedy, and this one pulls it off.

free guy movie poster

About Free Guy

In “Free Guy,” a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story… one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way… before it is too late.

Free Guy is in theaters now!