Free Guy took over $25 million in the USA on its opening weekend and has garnered largely favourable reviews. Now, star Ryan Reynolds has tweeted the ironic announcement of a sequel:
Aaaannnnd after 3 years messaging #FreeGuy as an original IP movie, Disney confirmed today they officially want a sequel. Woo hoo!! #irony pic.twitter.com/85mMxW4owx
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2021
‘The world needed a hero. They got a guy.’
Free Guy is a 2021 released science-fiction action comedy film about a bank teller who discovers that he is part of a video game.
Directed by prolific Canadian Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum franchise; The Internship; Date Night; The Pink Panther 2006) from a screenplay co-written by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, based on a story by Lieberman. Produced by Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Adam Kolbrenner.
The movie stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi.
Plot:
A bank teller discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game. He decides to become the hero of his own story… one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way… before it is too late.
Reviews:
“Free Guy isn’t quite the lost cause that it might seem […] as it does manage some fun enough beats and a game performance from Reynolds. Sure, he’s once again riffing on the same likable, wise-cracking character he’s built a career on […] But it works. He pairs well with both Comer and Howery. And when Guy does move into the action, Reynolds is more than capable of making it engaging.” Film School Rejects
“Not every joke lands […] and the narrative doesn’t necessarily dive deep into the various themes it brings up (it’s also not subtle, and I can imagine plenty of “gamers” whining about the message of kindness inside online gaming). Still, the imaginative concept, dynamic action, and finger on the pulse grasp of the gaming industry’s greed make Free Guy refreshingly entertaining with more substance than meets the eye.” Flickering Myth
“Tweens and teens will embrace the pinballing energy, the gamer-vlogger cameos and the fact that there are more Easter eggs than Cadbury World. But the film’s reach is considerably wider. There are thematic parallels with everything from The Lego Movie to The Matrix, but key to its appeal is an unabashed sweetness and goofy enthusiasm that proves irresistible.” The Guardian
” …most of the time this manages to be an interesting car crash of a film. That’s partly because Reynolds is an actual movie star playing a clearly defined character and it’s amazing how far that can go to hold a movie together, and partly because this is a rare recent big-budget release that is actually about things, even if what it has to say is often muddled or kind of unsettling.” It’s Better in the Dark
“Every time that Free Guy threatens to become numbingly monotonous, a decision by writers Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, or one by Comer or Reynolds, brings it back into focus. Free Guy is more disposable than it should have been, but it’s a pleasant enough distraction. Gamers often turn to virtual worlds to escape their own. It’s fun to see the journey taken in the other direction.” RogerEbert.com
” …Reynolds is holding this entire movie up on his protein-shake shoulders, amping up his comically guileless line readings and trying to add as much action-hero mojo as humanly possible. If you also need him to fight a beefed-up, braindead version of himself, all the better. This is what you hire him for. We don’t have a great movie, you can feel him saying. But let’s at least try to have a good one.” Rolling Stone
“If it sounds complicated, plot-wise, that’s because it is, overly so, to the point that the film has to stop a couple of times to explain itself to some extent, although certain plot points remain unexplained, perhaps because the credited screenwriters (Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn) could not remember the narrative point […] Or, perhaps, narrative sense was jettisoned in favor of the busy, busy characters and the continuous action unreeling…” Screen Anarchy
Release date:
Free Guy was released theatrically in the USA by 20th Century Studios on August 13th 2021.
Cast and characters:
Ryan Reynolds … Guy
Taika Waititi … Antoine
Jodie Comer … Milly / Molotov Girl
Utkarsh Ambudkar … Mouser
Joe Keery … Keys
Lil Rel Howery … Buddy
Matty Cardarople … Gamer
Camille Kostek … Bombshell
Tait Fletcher … Viking Warrior / Security
Alex Trebek … Self
Kimberly Howe … Blue Avatar
Britne Oldford … Missy
Seán McLoughlin … Q*bert (voice)
Aaron W Reed … Dude
Owen Burke … Bank Robber #2
Filming locations:
Boston, Revere, Worcester and Weymouth (studio), Massachusetts, USA
74 Concord St., Framingham, Massachusetts, USA (bank scene)
Paramount Studios – 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (additional photography)
Filming dates:
14th May 2019 to 31st July 2019
Technical details:
Audio: Dolby Atmos | Dolby Digital | Dolby Surround 7.1 | DTS | IMAX 6-Track
Aspect ratio: 2.39: 1
Trailer 3:
Trailer 2:
Trailer 1:
Critics’ aggregated rating:
