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Free Guy Starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi Screenplay Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery Directed by Shawn Levy • Sam North review

At last a big screen experience and a real fun movie.  Free Guy is about bank teller who discovers he’s living inside a violent, crazy worldwide video game.  His name is Guy.  And during one of the routine bank hold ups he spots the girl of his dreams outside the bank and that’s the trigger for an unfolding consciousness.

It’s most definitely a Truman Show reboot but no one under thirty-five has seen that, so they won’t know and won’t care. It's funny, you care a lot about the characters – not so much about the bad guy who ripped off the software but so much happens and so fast you probably need to see it twice. As the baddie tries to shut the game down you can feel tension rise in the whole audience. It's that good.

Ryan Reynolds does his usual stuff, but with a nice layer of innocence. Jodie Comer is a good smart partner for him and they seem to enjoy each other’s company.  The great thing is that this is not just a shoot ‘em up movie, although a ton of that happens. When Guy decides to be a Good Guy in a bad world, it transforms the movie.

Joey Kerry (From Stranger Things) is good casting and fits the part of lovelorn coder. There are lots of little cameos and well GO TO THE MOVIES to see it. You’ll have a great time.

PS Somewhere there’s a 3D 4DX version playing if there’s an IMAX in your city. 
And PPS It’s nice to see Vancouver look so sparkly.

© Sam North August 17th
Author of A Cure for Sceptics

 

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