Free Guy (USA, 2021): There is a good movie inside Free Guy, one that takes place entirely inside an open-world video game and digs deeper on the ontological conundrum of discovering you’re a supporting player in someone else’s existence.

Unfortunately, Free Guy wraps that idea on a pedestrian intrigue and an uninspired love story. The outcome is predictably uneven, a mix of Ted Lasso-like earnestness and ostentatious demonstrations of corporate synergy.

Free Guy is a rarity by a number of standards: An original creation not opening simultaneously in streaming services that was developed by Fox before it was acquired by Disney. The high-concept comedy not only survived that, but also three postponements due to the COVID pandemic.

Ryan Reynolds lends his off-kilter charm to Guy, a non-playable character in a Grand Theft Auto-like videogame called Free City. Guy is content with his never-ending, cyclic existence until his path crosses Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer, Killing Eve), a striking player visiting his corner of the game. Inspired by her, Guy starts acting independently and gains fans from across the globe while at it.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Molotov Girl a.k.a. Millie is engaged in a covert campaign to demonstrate Free City not only is based on a game she developed, but her code was stolen by the nefarious Antoine (Taika Waititi), an entrepreneur bro that embodies the worst traits of the gaming subculture.

The setting allows for Looney Tunes violence and cameos galore, absurdist and undeniably entertaining. The problems begin whenever the movie steps out of the video game. Millie’s investigation is dull and wastes Taika Waititi considerable comedic chops in a character both over the top and archetypical.

Granted, nobody is going to watch the movie because of the plot, but Free Guy’s resist no analysis. Never mind the winks to gamers, I’m not sure the writers have ever written a line of code in their lives or know how computer servers work. I’m not asking for social realism but a little verisimilitude. As a piece of entertainment is fine, but the potential it hints at goes unrealized. 2.5/5 stars.

Free Guy is now playing in theatres.