FREE GUY. Release your inner NPC!

For those less familiar with video game terminology, like myself, NPC stands for non-playable character, which is a character the player cannot control. There can be many such characters in a game – sometimes they are just part of the background, and sometimes they add something to the storyline. Guy (Ryan Reynolds), the main character of Shawn Levy’s “Free Guy,” is definitely an example of a background character in an online game called “Free City.” His reality is a real Groundhog Day – get up, buy coffee, go to work at the bank. But what if this particular NPC gained consciousness and became an autonomous entity? “Free Guy” seeks to answer this question.

In the world of modern technology, AI, or artificial intelligence, and ML, or machine learning, are arguably two of the most rapidly developing fields – they have certainly become an obsession for tech giants. Although these topics are nothing new in cinema, “Free Guy” approaches them in an interesting way. In a very “Truman Show” fashion, a completely transparent (well, aside from being extremely handsome) character begins to ponder the meaning of his existence, and the catalyst for these reflections is – surprise! – a mysterious woman. Armed, beautiful, and dangerous Molotov Girl (the somewhat uncharismatic Jodie Comer), who is actually a co-creator of the code behind Free City, turns Guy’s head and opens his eyes to the digital reality in which they exist. Initially, however, she is unaware that behind Guy’s handsome avatar, there is no player but… an algorithm.

The moment Guy gains consciousness marks the beginning of his true adventure. As a complete novice character, he has to earn experience points for such an advanced character as Molotov Girl to even consider spending time with him. This is where the subversive nature of “Free Guy” reveals itself, as Guy, previously an NPC in a game focused mainly on violence and mayhem, decides to become a full-fledged hero… by doing good. This quickly catches the attention of the media and influencers (the streamers appearing in the film are actual YouTube stars), as well as the owner of the company behind Free City (Taika Waititi in his typically over-the-top role). For a while, the experience-point-collecting Guy is just a charming curiosity, but when his alliance with Molotov Girl starts to threaten the company’s interests, the tech mogul will stop at nothing to eliminate the self-aware hero.

“Free Guy” is, on one hand, an ideal summer blockbuster, with great visuals, lots of humor, and a handsome star in the lead role. On the other hand, it’s an interesting, though not very deep, portrait of the electronic gaming industry – the creators of a great project are taken over by a “visionary” with the right resources, and then their intellectual property is unlawfully taken from them. The gaming community is absorbed in slaughtering nameless characters in a brutal game, and behind the muscular, heavily armed heroes are often insecure teenagers or thirty-year-old nerds living with their parents – a stereotypical depiction, true, but also an age-old moral dilemma in the world of online games. And finally, the topic of artificial intelligence – can a well-written and “fed” algorithm come to life, learn, and develop? All these threads, though presented rather superficially, give this blockbuster a bit of depth and allow it to be interpreted as a genuine commentary on today’s computer and online gaming industry.

Of course, it all boils down to a rather banal message – you have to fight for yourself and your freedom, even if that freedom is only apparent and digital. Let’s not forget that although “Free Guy” began production at Fox, its completion and distribution are now handled by Disney. This has left its mark on the film not only in the form of a certain product placement in one of the climactic fights (this isn’t just a wink, it’s a hammer to the head!), but also through a decidedly too sweet and not necessarily fitting finale that turns a smart blockbuster with ambitions into a rather shallow romance. The ruined ending doesn’t negate the fact that “Free Guy” guarantees a very enjoyable summer viewing experience.