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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