A Safe, Funny Level Up
SCORE: 68/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
I wasn't expecting anything with Free Guy. I knew I would get some usual Ryan Reynolds humor, with perhaps a few jokes at the gaming industry's expense, and maybe some unique action. This movie did deliver on all of those, and actually managed to surprise me.
Before I review the film, I need to address something that nearly ruined the experience for me. If you choose to go and see this movie, which I would recommend based on your love for gaming OR Reynolds, I would advise that you go to a late showing or an early showing. While it was fun to sit in a populated theater again, it was filled with kids. From 12 to 17, the exact age of kids that are unbearable to watch movies with. Their incessant cheering when their favorite streamer was on screen was horrid, and were loud up until the movie started. Please avoid popular showtimes with this.
Back on topic, let's talk some positives here. Biggest is Reynolds, who is clearly having so much fun while making this. His humor continues to be on point (in my opinion) and his lovable, dorky character brings a heart to this movie that I wasn't expecting. In addition, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, and Taika Waititi all stand out comedically here, from playing a disgraced developer, a clueless NPC friend, and a egomaniacal game developer respectively. The rest of the cast is fine, not really doing anything to stand out.
The humor in this movie is pretty on point given the material it's riffing. You don't have to be a gamer to understand the idea of non-player characters being treated horribly. The first time a bank heist happens, all of the characters just happily go along with it because its every day life for them. Most of the humor also extends to the background, where characters go through all sorts of hell because players are being jerks. It's the best part of this movie, and a lot of the humor comes from those moments. There are also cameos galore here, from actors like Channing Tatum and Chris Evans, to YouTube and Twitch stars like Jacksepticeye and Pokimane. Some of these are great, but others (like the no longer relevant streamer Ninja) feel forced to make the movie seem relevant. There's also a good deal of humor targeting big publishers like EA and Activision, with the latter in a terrible spot right now. Jokes about franchises and money over the art make for a compelling argument, in addition to a great joke. Speaking of references, there is a moment in the movie where you can tell is where the Disney buyout of Fox happened, as there are references made and items shown with the corresponding music. It works well enough, but you can tell they had the rights and went with it.
I do have some gripes with the movie however, primarily being the plot. There's a storyline involving Comer and Keery's characters that doesn't feel as impactful or as tense as it should, due to the more comedic nature of the film. If anything, it feels safe where a more nuanced and richer story could have taken some risks. In playing it safe, with both humor and plot, I feel that the movie suffers from having to pander to a younger audience instead of really pushing the envelope. But, it is an action comedy, so I can't expect too much.
Comedy movies are hard to review because everyone will come out of it feeling different. While I may have enjoyed most of the humor here, some won't and will feel lost or like they're not in on the references or humor. Gamers will find plenty to laugh at here, as will Reynolds fans, but if you're neither then it may be hard to find real comedy here. However, I feel tat the average moviegoer will find something redeeming here, regardless of their gaming habits.
Conclusion: A funny film that plays it safe but gives us a great video game related film, just don't expect any sort of game changing story.
Score: 68/100
Comments
Post a Comment