Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains minor spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Free Guy’. There was a time, where video games were considered nothing more than a fad. For owning a console involved shelling out a serious chunk of change and few adults saw the value of spending money to get one so their kids could spend their time in front of the television, running around in a fictional world when the outdoors offer so much. But those very adults eventually gave into their kids and provided them with that console and well, that changed everything. For a generation of gamers grew up and endeavored to make video games the next frontier of storytelling and they have been quite successful in their efforts. Because games these days are nothing short of an immersive cinematic experience, one complete with powerful visuals and stellar acting and stories written by some of Hollywood’s finest scribes. Plus, they’re so beloved and of such high caliber that in some instances, there are games out there that are complete worlds of their own. To the point where they have eco-systems and weather and people meandering about, and they also feature endless corners for the player to explore and that really does leave one wondering… how far are video games going to go in their world-building? Because this genre of storytelling has the potential to do some bold things, to the point where even Holllywood is beginning to ponder upon its potential. In fact, there’s a brand-new movie in theaters today that opts to explore the possibility of what might happen, if the digital people that populate these worlds, had free will and thoughts of their own and that makes Free Guy one of the most intelligent comedies of the year. Now in this particular film, we are introduced to an everyday and overly perky guy named… Guy, and he lives in a wondrous place known as Free City. Where the coffee is perfect, joy is in the air and superheroes that wear sunglasses tear through the city and do whatever the heck they want. But while Guy is happy go about his life and deal with the everyday robberies that happen at the bank where he works… he does desire more. Specifically, he’s hoping that someday he will meet the woman of his dreams and enjoy a love affair for the ages and one day it seems, he’s about to have that dream fulfilled. For an encounter with a mysterious and beautiful woman, awakens something within and his newfound desire to be near her, is going to unlock a powerful truth for Guy. In that, he’s a video game character that has achieved sentience and this revelation is going to change his digital life in ways he never thought possible. Which is a plot that at first glance, appears as though it doesn’t reflect any notions of comedy in the slightest. In fact, it seems to be nothing more than a video game re-telling of The Truman Show since we are watching the mediocre life of a video game guy play out before our eyes. But the instant Ryan Reynolds turns on his comedic chops, you’re treated to quite the boisterous comedy. One that quite frankly, is far funnier than one might expect. For there are moments when the jokes just hit in a rapid-fire manner, leaving one wiping the tears from their eyes and that really does make this movie quite the delightful ride. Because you can never go wrong with a lighthearted affair that knows what it is about and what it stands for. But while the comedy alone could have carried this story from beginning to end, what’s truly amazing about this film… is that it really does feature a fascinating plot. One that is shockingly plausible in nature since notions of artificial intelligence come into play here, as part of the reason as to why Guy is able to see his world in a different light and injecting that here, really does pose some fascinating questions about video gaming and how we perceive entertainment. Because a sentient and thoughtful digital character would really give us pause in regard to how we treat them and what kind of stories we write about them and well... this is a wildly original idea that hopefully is explored further in fiction and if by chance that’s handled by way of a sequel to this movie… well that’s just fine. Because this particular tale is a true delight and in this age of sequels, a follow-up that expands a world as rich as this one and still keeps us laughing, would be welcome for certain. Especially when one considers that this movie serves as the perfect anthesis to the tension of the world. For there is no grit or darkness to be found in this film. Just fun for the whole family, and jokes that work basis and it features a stellar cast as well. Since Ryan Reynolds (Guy) is balanced out nicely by Jodie Comer’s (Millie) and Joe Keery’s (Keys) wonderfully earnest performances and of course, you can never go wrong with Taika Waititi (Antwan) just doing his thing. So, if you’re looking for a lighthearted and fun comedy, one that takes you on an epic ride, then swing by your local theater this weekend and give Free Guy a look.
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