Free Guy (2021) User Reviews

Actually really good.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 14 August 2021]

I did not expect that, this was chosen literally for convenience, I'd seen the trailers, and didn't think I'd enjoy it, it is so good. I'm sometimes hard to please with films, but this is definitely worth seeing. It's bonkers, it's crazy, but it's funny, and actually pretty moving at times, a more heart warming film then you'd think it would be.

Some pretty amazing special effects, it is never boring at any stage.

Ryan Reynolds is terrific, and fans if his will appreciate him being here, he's great, as is Comer.

I didn't expect it to be this good, 8/10.

The feel-good film for summer 2021 with a typically hilarious Ryan Reynolds

[JoelAlexanderr · 9/10 · 24 August 2021]

One glance at FREE GUY, the newest big budget offering from Hollywood's favorite action-star/comedy master Ryan Reynolds, will cause most to approach with valid skepticism. The plot seems like a cheap knockoff of films like Ready Player One or even The Matrix, but made in a crude fashion to make more money at the box office. The actual movie, however, could not be further from the worst estimates. Not only is FREE GUY constantly hilarious due to Reynolds and an inventive screenplay, and not only is this possibly the feel-good event of the summer, but it also has a considerable amount of thought put into the meaning of its premise and places a mirror in front of modern-day video game culture.

To put it simply, perhaps the main reason this movie comes together so well is because of Ryan Reynolds' constant charisma and hilarity. Most of his dialogue is clearly either written by him or created by him on the spot (I have no idea how he hasn't received a screenwriting credit for this and the Deadpool movies), and the film is that much better as a whole because of it. He also interacts with the other actors in the film very well, including Jodie Comer and Joe Keery, two underrated actors who prove here that they aren't just one-time stars from their respective television shows (Killing Eve and Stranger Things). The ensemble combines to create the most consistently funny movie of 2021 so far.

However, this movie isn't just hilarity and crazy antics, although it could easily get by on those aspects alone. FREE GUY has tons of heart and authenticity despite its virtual reality-based plot, and is about very human emotions such as disillusionment, the feeling of being trapped, and, of course, love. There are times where the heartwarming aspects of this film resemble a charming romantic comedy and others where it gets so existential that it almost feels like The Truman Show. It never dives quite as deep as the latter film, but the fact that it even has the guts to include these themes made this easygoing big-budget movie a far better watch for me. Sure, the last thirty minutes are very cheesy and contain a lot of clichés, but the buildup is so solid that it earns some dumb rom-com moments near the end.

FREE GUY is worth going to see because it is one of the few quality films right now that increases one's faith in human nature. Lately I feel as though I have lost my faith in humanity with all that is happening in the world, so it is refreshing to get a movie that feels confident in the human experience. Maybe I'm looking too deep into the message of FREE GUY and maybe it was conceived just so Ryan Reynolds could screw around for two hours, but either way the price of admission is well worth it for an amazing time at the theater.

A-

Free GTA

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 16 August 2021]

I reckon the future may hold a game like this for us ... where the AI is so developed, that NPC (non playable characters) live their own life in games, make their own decisions and so forth. Having Ryan Reynolds starring in this ... well it is a genius move to say the least. I called it the Ryan Reynolds show and I'm quite certain no matter if you like this or not, in this regard you will agree with me.

Having said that, there are other characters who give it their all, especially our female protagonist. Her counterpart in the real world is as overdrawn as he can be ... Taika does a really good job ... he is actually more comically and one sided that most of the characters in the game he developed ... well others did for him.

And then you have the ally in the real world ... a good guy who has to be convinced and who has to come around ... and who you may never feel as much sympathy for as you did for Ryan Reynolds. Even when you figured the "twist" in his character and where the story leads ... apart from the revealing a scam thing.

Having said all that, the movie boosts a lot of cameos "in game" and also real world ... has references galore (not just to GTA and apparently Fortnite, have not played the latter yet, but also to movies and persons/movie characters/franchises)! This can be so much fun if you spot them - not sure how some will play out in say a hundred years ... but you can never tell or guess the impact of something like that.

The movie is insane and a lot of fun and has even a moral message in it of sorts. You can detect some philosophical ideas in it too ... what is life and all that. But the main thing and the surface are there to entertain you ... so be entertained and have fun with this!

A cute idea...though the first 20 or so minutes is by far the best.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

For the first 20 or so minutes of "Free Guy" I was enthralled. As I watched the film on HBO Max, I called my wife over the watch and we both laughed and enjoyed the film. However, as the film progressed the movie lost some of its momentum...and this slowed to a crawl later in the movie. Why? Well, the same problem with "Free Guy" is the same with "Pokémon Detective Pikachu" (incidentally, both starring the likable Ryan Reynolds)....plot. Or, more like it, too much plot. Both films did great jobs world building but after that, they both seemed to insist too much on a plot involving a baddie...which is very formulaic but also reduced the magic from the story. I would have rather seen more of the exciting world in both...and less baddies.

The story is an odd one...one that is similar to combining "The Truman Show", "Pokémon Detective Pikachu", "They Live", and an online game that plays a bit like "Grand Theft Auto"! And, the main character, Guy (Reynolds), is an NPC (a non-player character) in a massive world created for online gamers. However, something odd happens.... Guy begins to develop consciousness...and it is driven home when he dons a pair of sunglasses. Suddenly, he can see power ups, health power ups and more! What's next? Well, a baddie...and one whose motivations were vague.

Overall, the film is still worth watching...it's good. But the momentum which is going so fast when the film begins just can't be maintained through the course of the film.

By the way, there are no extra scenes. When the movie ends and the end titles begins, the story is over...just in case you're tempted to keep watching.

Didn't see that coming

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 17 August 2021]

Blue shirt Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is an NPC that does the same thing everyday. When he sees a female player he goes out of character to meet her. It seems the program has an AI algorithm that allows the characters to develop. This turns his world upside down.

There have been films with characters in games interacting with humans. Tron was the forerunner to all of this. There were numerous low budget films and who didn't fall in love with "Glitch." This film was fresh and funny. And like all great films, it was also a love story.

Free Guy is popcorn movies at its best.

[Dunkaccino · 8/10 · 12 August 2021]

Ryan Reynolds is guy, a NPC living in the game Free City. He met Jodie Comer's character and discovers things about his world. There's also a real life part of the film, with Joe Keery, Jodie Comer again, and Taika Watiti.

These are all great names. And with amazing direction, an original idea and great execution is what makes Free Guy such an endlessly entertaining film.

This is a short review because i want to let you see it yourself and be amazed by how good Free Guy actually is.

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Is it a flawless masterpiece? Maybe not. Did I smile throughout the whole film just because how fun it is? Hell yeah.

Virtually a good movie

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 13 February 2022]

Much like the virtual world in which the people of Free City live, the movie Free Guy is virtually a good movie. Most of the elements of a good movie are there, but it feels artificial, and you can tell that something is off. It's entertaining enough, and I appreciated the pop culture references and action sequences, but frankly I preferred this version of the story when it was called The Lego Movie.

How likeable is Ryan Reynolds!?

[keeverj · 8/10 · 14 August 2021]

This movie was much better than I expected. It was enjoyable throughout, paced well, and cast exceptionally. The major strength of this movie is in how damn likeable this cast is. I'm not sure anyone could have done this other than Ryan Reynolds. I'd recommend a watch.

That's not how video-games work, my guy.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 4/10 · 2 October 2021]

'Free Guy (2021)' feels as though it's been made by people who have never actually played a video-game. It's the cinematic equivalent of those pre-rendered mobile game adverts that pretend to present gameplay but don't actually represent the game they're trying to sell at all. Though there are a couple of interesting ideas centred around the A. I. that makes Reynold's Guy able to go against his code, the piece just doesn't do anything with them. It doesn't really make sense and there's no semblance of cohesion or believability to the game that makes up most of its runtime. I mean, who is 'Free City' for and what do you do in it? It's not PvP from the looks of it, but everyone freaks out when an NPC actually presents a challenge to a player. God forbid a player gets killed by an enemy in a game, right? However, the fact that it lacks a proper sense of logic isn't its biggest issue, although it is undeniably irritating that a movie which is supposed to celebrate video-games clearly doesn't understand them and also partakes in the kind of banal 'gamer' stereotyping that perforates pretty much every piece of traditional media about the subject. No, the biggest issue is that, for me, it simply isn't fun. It's quite the opposite, usually. The amount of cringeworthy moments are nearly innumerable and its message is incredibly hypocritical considering that it lambasts big-budget games which are fuelled by mindless chaos and exist only to make money from a target audience that their developers clearly don't respect but it's a big-budget movie which is fuelled by mindless chaos and exists only to make money from a target audience that its creators clearly don't respect. Ryan Reynold's on-screen persona, which is essentially the same in every comedic film in which he appears, is also incredibly annoying and does the opposite of elicit laughter. There are some relatively impressive visual effects - even though nothing feels tangible and one or two are actually rather disturbing - and there are a couple of action sequences which are relatively well put together. However, the overall experience is just dull, despite all of its in-your-face noise. It's just such a corporate attempt, a movie designed by committee. It also has some incredibly disconcerting fan service, the sort that seems to be replacing actual content more and more these days. Sadly, a lot of people seem to be lapping it up. Of course, if you enjoy this film, then good for you; I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm simply saying I don't. Despite the occasional highlight, it's an uninteresting and uninspired affair overall. 4/10.

fun guy

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 27 September 2021]

Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is a bank teller and Buddy (Lil Rel Howery) is his best friend. He's actually an NPC (non-player character) in Free City, an online video game. He goes through every day doing the same thing and getting robbed multiple times. One day, he spots Molotovgirl (Jodie Comer) and his world view expands. In the real world, she is Millie suing Antwan (Taika Waititi) for stealing her code. She is in the game trying to find proof of that theft.

It's a good idea but it's Ryan Reynolds who makes this good. He is the fun guy. He makes this fun. I do have a couple of problems with the movie. The security guy at the secret stash should be an NPC. At that point in the story, he should start convincing the other NPCs to help him outside of their programming. Also, there's no reason why the evidence is stashed in a room in the game. I get that it makes it easier but it makes no sense. All that is a little besides the point, it's Reynolds and he's the fun guy.

When the Truman Show Meets the Lego Movie

[The-Sarkologist · 6/10 · 11 October 2021]

One of the biggest problems with movies these days are trailers. I say that because, well, it sort of kills some of the massive twists that could make the film much better. For instance, having a twists that Guy happens to be an NPC in a online shootem-up would have been pretty good. Then again, I'm not entirely sure if it would have worked out all that well anyway considering that the plot ended up being pretty predictable, and that we were accused of spoilers when in reality we have just pretty much figured out what was going on.

As the trailer points out, Guy happens to be this NPC in an online shootem-up, and he meets this character that he falls in love with. It turns out that the character is actually a PC, and in fact there is more to this character than meets the eye. The thing is that the world is going to be shut down because the company that is running the game wants to upgrade it to a new release, however, as I suggested, something has happened in this version which means they have to fight against having the game shut down.

It was suggested that this film was a cross between The Truman Show, and The Lego Movie, with a number of other things thrown in as well. Actually, this whole idea of living within a world oblivious to the fact that people are watching you is very much like the Truman Show, except that since Guy happens to be an NPC, nobody really pays all that much attention to him, that is until he decides to start leveling up.

This is the catch, because apparently NPCs aren't supposed to do that, only players, however he manages to get his hands on a pair of glasses that reveals the reality of the world around him. However, as I suggested, he actually isn't supposed to do that, so how is it that an NPC is not only able to kill a PC, but also steal the PC's glasses. Well, that comes out eventually, but the thing is that it is pretty easy to actually work out once you know what is going on.

Still, I did rather like this film, even though it wasn't anything that was necessarily original. One thing that it does is that it explores the nature of reality, and also the nature of consciousness (which has probably given a little bit too much away). Then again, this film doesn't dig too much into many of these issues, namely because it is a fairly light hearted film. On the other hand, especially with regards to the nature of reality, there is a lot of Trumanesque in this film.

I thought it was fun, and enjoyable, but then again it is Ryan Reynolds, and I don't mind the odd Ryan Reynolds film, though he can be a little dry at times. Mind you, the innocence of Guy, and also the fact that he goes around doing good in a game that is a less raunchy version of GTA, is rather interesting. Of course, watching all of the violence going on behind the scenes while the NPCs simply wander around isn't too bad, which does sort of sets it apart from the other movies that I have mentioned, however, I can't really say that it is all that original.

Hey, at least the Lego Movie left the big reveal until right at the end.

Really good movie

[stefanozucchelli · 8/10 · 14 November 2021]

This video is ridiculous but in a good way. There isn't a single thing that makes sense and that's why it's perfect. From the countless quotes to the characters' rambling behaviors, everything leads to situations outside the norm and for this very reason it makes you laugh.

The protagonist is an NPC who does not know he is and falls in love with a player who does not know that he is an NPC. The problems of understanding between the two start immediately but Guy quickly adapts becoming a crazy splinter for the company that manages the servers. Quite obvious ending with the final battle against a video game villain and love story with a happy ending, but everything is handled in such a way as to always leave you on the verge of bursting out laughing.

Among the countless quotes I found references to Inception, The Matrix, The Truman Show, John Carpenter's They Live, Avengers, Star Wars, Fortnite and Pop culture in general. In this movie the creators really enjoyed inserting references to the most diverse movies with remarkable results.

Half of a good movie

[jellopuke · 5/10 · 16 August 2021]

Parts of this were okay, with a few good gags and a premise that had potential, but it's overloaded with stupidity, needless youtuber and twitch streamer cameos, and a plot that isn't followed through on. Yeah it's cribbed from better sources, but it's not the worst thing ever despite being largely meh. Needed a bit more thought put into the overall concept but for what it was, it was okay.

Ryan Reynolds and great CGI, but everything else was amateur.

[mike-c-b · 6/10 · 12 September 2021]

Taika Waititi didn't nail down the villain character well enough, instead of evil ideas he went with "who cares", including every dialogue piece. So he breaks the 4th wall from fake acting when ever he speaks. His supporting characters come across patronising for no reason.

The other two main good characters are young and haven't developed their own personality - they mostly smile and say all the right things. Sometimes posing in hero shots, sometimes smoothly arguing with volume for no reason. - Totally the opposite of calm collected rebels letting off steam, which is what the Players in the game are about.

If you watch it for Reynolds, his character's best friend, and the CGI, it's worth it.

Its a really fun movie

[ariqakbar · 8/10 · 18 November 2021]

You don't have to understand game to watch this one, but if you do, this movie can be more fun.

It was hilarious all the way till the end, so it make some 'serious' scene feels more sharp at the other hand. Nothing can be seriously wrong about this movie, and that's good.

Alright. But Overrated.

[vengeance20 · 4/10 · 16 August 2021]

Thought this looked alright, but was in 2 minds as to whether I should go see it or not as it did look some what weird & wacky.

The film follows Guy, an NPC (Non Playable Character) living a controlled life in Free City (A Game Universe) in a Video Game under the same name. It is then that Guy starts to break free from the programmed life he's been living & starts to develop his own actions, feelings etc. However, he, the people & the whole city are under threat from permanent deletion as the game's sequel is going to take over & eradicate the original game, Guy must then fight to escape before he's pixels.

I found the film, story wise & graphics wise pretty good, not to mention unique & different, well it mean it did after watching suddenly occur to me that it was a modern version of The Truman Show, the concept was the same & similar. There's plenty of action scenes, eye candy & some interesting rom-com stuff going on.

However, the treatment of men in this film was bad, not to mention the snide dialogue added in for good measure from Hollywood as with films of this day & age typically do, it was highly unnecessary & uncalled for. Not to mention the stereotypes & cliches regarding gamers & of course, the runtime at 108 minutes & the pacing being too long.

Aside from that it was alright, but nothing amazing. I'd say it's pretty overrated for what it is & not exactly a great film.

4/10.

Free Guy

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 1 October 2021]

I did play GTA III on the PS2 many years ago. So the free wheeling world of Free Guy had some familiarity.

From the initial scenes where it is noticeable mainly due to lack of product placement and branding. Guy (Ryan Reynolds) a bank teller, Buddy (Lil Rel Howery) the bank security guard live in a virtual world.

Guy realizes that he is actually an NPC (non player character) in Free City, an online video game. His artificial intelligence kicks in when he meets Molotovgirl (Jodie Comer.)

In the real world, Millie (Jodie Comer) is suing software developer Antwan (Taika Waititi) for stealing the code developed by her and Keys (Joe Keery.)

Somewhere in the game is the evidence that Antwan is the software thief.

Free Guy is an action comedy that relies on the effortless charm of Reynolds. It riffs movies like Ready Player One, Truman Show even The Matrix.

Disney who now owns 20th Century Studios even mine their properties ranging from Marvel to Star Wars which is also reminiscent of Ready Player One.

It is a fun movie, although I'm sure Keys could had mentioned to his fellow workers much earlier that Antwan was a heel who had stolen the code.

Annoying

[PedroPires90 · 4/10 · 25 August 2021]

Total disappointment. After so many good reviews, I went to this with high expectations and it didn't deliver at all.

90% of the jokes didn't land; Ryan Reynolds is the same as in every other film, nothing special, nothing new; I'm still trying to find out that great actress called Jodie Comer, as - again - I find her really unnatural and forced; Lil Rel Howery looks like a male version of Tiffany Haddish, doing the black role white people like; a very childish approach with a pathetic romance and really lame situations...

Well, at least I liked the world created, most of the effects and Taika's role. Unfortunately, I think that's all. Ah, Dude was funny. A bit.

Meh

[chunkylefunga · 4/10 · 30 September 2021]

Heard good things about this movie but in the end it just ended up being very average.

Will be forgotten by the end of the year.

Free Guy

[henry8-3 · 4/10 · 31 August 2021]

Ryan Reynolds is Guy who doesn't realise he's a background player (NPC) in a violent video game owned by Taika Waititi who in fact stole much of its workings from Jodie Comer and Joe Kerry. Comer's avatar teams up with Guy and real Comer and Kerry unite to bring Waititi down.

Big, loud and spectacular - this has some enjoyable set pieces and the 2 leads are engaging and deliver witty performances. It is though an unrestrained mess full of endless impressive effects that ultimately win out in the battle with the story which is pretty slight. Like a cross between Ready Player One and The Truman Show, but not as much fun and accessible as the first nor as touching or real as the latter.

Some brilliant video game moments get lost in a trite story

[eddie_baggins · 5/10 · 19 August 2021]

There's been a long and storied history of bad video game movies, movies that tried to recapture the magic of pixelated form into something that was going to keep fans and newbies alike happy but for one reason or another failed in their mission to turn gaming greatness into a film of quality.

In what is a major win for the film, Shawn Levy's Free Guy thankfully does an amazing job of capturing the video game magic that many gamers feel when they log into their game/system of choice and enter into a world that provides endless hours of entertainment and there's no denying that when Free Guy is focused more around its video game origins this is one of the most enjoyable Hollywood films of the season but sadly the film is lumped with a trite plot line that feels like a poor man's Truman Show, one that takes away from all the chaotic fun it had at its disposal.

Creating yet another chance for its star Ryan Reynolds to bring out his Deadpool act for a more wider ranging audience, Free Guy see's the content to coast along actor bring NPC (non playable character) Guy to life as his happy go lucky bank teller finds out his idyllic yet repetitive life is in fact nothing but a program for a game he is only just made aware of and is very much a part of, its a familiar set up in a colorful and chaotic world yet while it roars along for the first act, Free Guy sadly becomes a lame and tiresome love/life affirming journey that in many instances is too preachy where it should have been pure sugar coated silliness.

There's moments within the film that are exactly what the doctor ordered, Guy waltzing the streets for the first time with the game around him made alive or a hilarious fight with a quickly programed muscle clad opponent ("catchphrase") are brilliantly staged and inventive but Guy's awkward romance with Jodie Comer's Molotov Girl/Millie is not what the film needed, especially when billed alongside the films insistence on providing life lessons or by somehow making Taika Waititi utterly unfunny and annoying as he gets little too do as the films shoehorned in villain Antwan.

Never the most original of directors, you wish a director with more willingness to stray from the usual had perhaps brought Free Guy to life other than Levy, while the action and spectacle is all on point, there's something wrong with what Free Guy wants to be and what it ends up becoming, a mix of brilliant video game to life moments lost in a terrible story with a bunch of characters and happenings that are instantly forgettable.

Final Say -

A frustrating experience that does a lot right bringing the video game culture to cinema but also a lot poorly when it comes to story and characters, Free Guy has some fantastic components caught up in a generic ride that isn't worth a second thought.

2 1/2 boiled turkeys out of 5.

Yuck

[darkdementress · 1/10 · 13 October 2021]

Great for kids and preteens. Not so great if you have a brain or are an adult. It's mindless over the top ridiculous nonsense. It's not even funny.. everyone i went with didn't like it and wanted our money back. Hard pass on this lame cringe.

"They Live" meets "The Truman Show"

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 23 March 2022]

Shawn Levy's Academy Award-nominated "Free Guy" is an homage to/parody of the whole culture surrounding multiplayer online games. The movie has gotten compared to "The Truman Show", but I also noticed a connection to John Carpenter's "They Live" (the scene where Guy puts on the sunglasses reminded me of it). There's also a sense of the underrated "Ready Player One".

Unabashedly over-the-top, you're sure to love it.

Continuing the trend, it is more of the same.

[jonasatmosfera · 1/10 · 24 September 2021]

People come up with a nice story.

They decide to make of movie out of it.

Then to make things look even better, they inject the script with the usual, not-so-subtle anymore Hollywood ideology.

Not knowing it, you decide to give this movie a try.

And after a few minutes watching the movie you have to leave the theather because you feel like vomiting.

You know what I am talking about, right?

Yes, Free Guy is one of these movies.

Everything has become so toxic (I am using a word Hollywood loves) that even doing something simple as watching a movie is not possible anymore.

I should have stayed home and watered my plants, it would be more rewarding.

Surpassed my expectations

[mostafaaboseif · 8/10 · 11 August 2021]

I entered the movie expecting to laugh out loud, and I did. Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi are comedic geniuses. What I didn't expect is the great chemistry between Ryan and Jodie Comer. Their relationship carried the movie.

Also, the trailer and the first act made us believe that it's the generic "we live in a simulation" movie like many others. But, as we progress, the movie becomes its own thing. And it's fantastic.