Welcome to The Mundane Adventures of a Fangirl

I consider myself a Fangirl. What does that mean, you ask? A "fanboy" in the most common understanding is a hardcore fan of 'genre' based entertainment in particular. In my case - science-fiction and comic book based movies and television. Because I'm a chick - it's fangirl, not fanboy. There you have it! I am a big movie fan, however, not necessarily a 'film' fan. And now - I have the forum to present my opinions to the public! These will mainly be movie reviews -that will always be my opinion - repeat OPINION. Just what I think, and in no way do I present my opinion as fact. I hope you enjoy and maybe it will help you decide what to see at the movie theater this weekend!

Friday, September 10, 2021

Movie Review: Free Guy (PG132- 115 minutes)

 

Having played all the Batman Arkham games and the two Spider-Man games, I have a passing familiarity with NPCs.  These are the non-playable characters that populate an ‘open-world’ game. Basically they are the background folks, programmed to walk around and do/say the same things over and over. They provide filler to the game so that the ‘world’ of the game seems more real. In the Miles Morales Spider-Man game, there are a couple that you can high-five, which is of course, the best. 



Free Guy is a movie highlighting one of those NPCs in a popular game who is accidentally given Artificial intelligence programming and begins to evolve and get smarter and more skilled as he takes control of his own destiny.  While he does this, player Millie and programmer Keys work together to determine if game company CEO Antwan stole their game and code to build his empire.  Hijinks ensue.



Director Shawn Levy is the Canadian behind the Night at the Museum franchise and works the same level of action and comedy with just enough tender moments here. The world of the game feels familiar to anyone who has played an open-world adventure game, but the story is straightforward enough that even those who have not played one of those games will get the gist and be able to enjoy the movie.  The tone is just right, balancing the zaniness of the game world with the exasperation of the real world. The cast is perfect and elevates the material at hand.

Ryan Reynolds gives his all and proves once again that action-comedy is his sweet spot.  As the naïve and hapless Guy in the game, he is perfectly satisfied with the monotonous everyday drivel that he and his fellow NPCs are doing, until he meets Jodie Comer’s Millie and realizes that he is capable of more. Reynolds is perfect in this type of role, hilarious and genuine.  Comer is the perfect counterpoint as a woman focused on her own interests until she sees Guy’s potential. I also enjoyed how they played with her accent between her real and game personas. 



Lil Rel Howery is fantastic and slightly understated as Guy’s best friend, Buddy.  He is satisfied with their life as it is and cannot quite understand why Guy is beginning to look for more. But, like a true best friend, he is there when Guy needs him.


Joe Keery plays Keys, the programmer working for Antwan, who begins to suspect that Antwan may have stolen some of his work when Guy’s self-awareness becomes apparent.


Utkarsh Ambudkar plays Mouser, Key’s co-worker and not-quite-friend. There are also plenty of cameos, so keep your ears peeled for voices you may recognize, and if you follow Youtube gamers, you may catch some of them too.  No shock here, but Taika Waititi as Antwan steals several scenes. He is completely over the top and just this side of a mustache-twirling villain as he attempts to keep Keys and Millie from discovering the truth.  He is clearly having a ball being bad. 


Overall, the movie is very fun, and will satisfy gamers and non-gamers alike. It is perfectly charming and has a nice tight run time (no movie needs to be more than two hours long).  It is certainly worth checking out.

8 out of 10






 

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