Free Guy (2021) Dir: Shawn Levy
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I was recommended this Shawn Levy directed film because of how much fun it was. I had honestly forgotten about it until recently, but I figured now was as good a time as any to check it out. I have to say, unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it all that much.
It had its moments, sure, but on the whole, it was pretty mediocre. It felt like the kind of film studio executives love. It features something kids love; computer games, and something adults love; Ryan Reynolds.
The problem is that it feels so forced - all of it. It feels like a modernised reboot of The Truman Show designed to make money. There was no authenticity to it. I spent the whole time wondering when it was going to get original. There were sprinklings of sincerity, but these were all too brief in a rather shallow screenplay.
It was mildly funny, but a lot of the jokes were either forced or unoriginal. So much of the so-called comedy was the same punchlines, the same over-the-top routines, the same conveyor belt of heartless, low effort dribble.
Low effort really is the term to describe the writing - not just the comedy. The story felt like a rip-off of The Lego Movie and the aforementioned The Truman Show. I was greatly disappointed by this. I just wanted more - something that felt like significant creative energy had been put into it.
There were some admittedly cool video game and pop culture easter eggs, but definitely nowhere near as many as I expected there to be. What's more, the major references were all used in what amounted to about thirty seconds of relatively underwhelming screentime.
It is extremely ironic that Ryan Reynolds plays a hero who is sick of playing the same character everyday, because that's exactly what the actor does in real life, all the time. All I see from him is varying degrees of his Deadpool persona now - it's become awfully stale to me. This watered down, good guy version of the role was inoffensive, if dull.
Jodie Comer was a little better. Her accent was not good at all, but the other aspects of her performance were adequate. She had a few genuinely well acted scenes, but she really deserved a better film. I honestly think she's a lot better than this story and this character allowed her to be.
Joe Keery was arguably the most solid actor in the film. He had some fairly decent scenes, though not exclusively so. I wasn't blown away by his performance or anything, but I did at least enjoy watching him.
The same cannot be said of Taika Waititi, who, like Reynolds, has become somewhat of a copy-paste formula in these films. I love some of the comedy he brings to his characters, but it's all so rinse and repeat.
There were some pretty average performances from the likes of Lil Rey Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and, albeit briefly, Channing Tatum, but that was about it for worthwhile mentions. The small popular YouTuber cameos were fun though, I guess.
Overall, this is the kind of film that my dad calls a "leave your brain at the door movie" - if you don't think about it too much, and if you like the familiar comedy of modern Hollywood blockbusters, this is fine. But if you want anything more than that, you'll find yourself pretty unsatisfied.
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