Taika Waititi

[REVIEW] ‘Free Guy’ or A Charming Video Game Rom-Com Delight

| Rachel's Reviews

For some reason I seem to enjoy movies that dive into technology more than most. I liked Ralph Breaks the Internet, Ready Player One, Space Jam: A New Legacy…the list goes on. I even like old classics of the genre like Tron and the anime film Summer Wars. Maybe it’s just because I’m online so much that these movies strike a chord with me and make me laugh but it is true I tend to like those types of stories.

Well, add another to the list in this genre because I loved the new movie Free Guy! To be honest, at first I wasn’t looking forward to it because I’m not a huge Ryan Reynold gal; however, he did a surprise commercial during Hallmark’s Christmas in July that I thought was hilarious and I knew I had to see this film

I am the founder of the Hallmarkies Podcast so naturally this promo cracked me up! And what a clever concept to have a video game character become self-aware. I am not a gamer but watching this reminded me of a mixture of the innocence of Emmett from The Lego Movie and the fun of the recent Jumanji reboot.

Ryan Reynolds plays the role of Guy who is an NPC or non-player character in a game called Free City. In this game the bank Guy works at is robbed at gunpoint each day and he along with a security guard played by Lil Rel Howery put up with it the robbers each day. One day he sees a kick-butt female character named Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer) and he starts to ask questions about his world.

Meanwhile on earth Joe Keery from Stranger Things plays a man named Keys who works for a video game maker called Antwan played by Taika Waititi. He suspects Antwan of stealing his video game coding but can’t figure out a way to prove it. I won’t tell you anything else but both aspects of the movie really worked for me.

My favorite part of Free Guy is a surprising one. While I loved the humor (it’s hilarious) the romance is what sold me. It’s no wonder they had an ad on Hallmark Channel for the movie. It’s a dual love story! I loved the chemistry between Keys and Millie and I also loved the banter between Molotov Girl and Guy. I was invested in both relationships and wanted them to succeed.

As I said, I also really enjoyed the humor. There are cameos which are fantastic (and of course I won’t spoil) but it’s not just cameos. It’s a script that uses its cast well especially Reynolds and comments on everything from youtubers to overpriced coffee. I was laughing from beginning to end.

I loved the sore by Christophe Beck but the film uses its soundtrack well for some very good laughs. I don’t know anything about video games but all of the details of the game felt believable to me. It’s also a movie that has something to say about free will and what constitutes a valuable worthwhile life. The script does a great job of getting you attached to the characters and wanting them to succeed.

Some may find Waititi’s villain to be a bit one note but I was fine with it. He’s such a charismatic, funny guy that it worked. It does borrow from other films but it still felt fresh and enjoyable because of the cracking script and energetic performances. It does have some language and innuendo so I would check the parents guide before you go if that is a concern for you.

I left Free Guy with a big smile on my face. It’s one of the best times I’ve had at the movies in a long while. Let me know what you think if you get to see it.

8.5 out of 10

Smile Worthy

[REVIEW] ‘Jojo Rabbit’

| Rachel's Reviews

jojo

I have to admit I have been holding off on my review of Jojo Rabbit because I really loved it but it’s a hard film to properly put into words. A side of me wants to just close the review out now and say ‘go see it and decide for yourself!’ But alas, I will make the attempt to write a review of this weird, sweet, funny, crazy little movie.

As you have probably heard, Jojo Rabbit is a dark comedy by acclaimed director Taika Waititi. Some may only know him from his Marvel film Thor Ragnarok but he has done other wonderful films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows.

In Jojo Rabbit, Waititi takes his biggest swing by casting himself as an imaginary friend of a little boy during the closing months of World War II. The only catch is this particular imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler (a cookie zany version of Hitler as dreamed up by a little boy named Jojo).

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I think the reason this frankly bizarre concept works is because it is from the perspective of a child. We are all in many ways the product of our environment so of course he accepts the horrors surrounding him. The goal of the movie is then to help him realize his indoctrination is wrong until we get to a climatic moment where he literally tells Hitler to @#$# off. He is helped along this process by his Mother (lovely performance by Scarlet Johansson), Sam Rockwell as a snarky officer, and a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie who was great in Leave No Trace and is great here), among others.

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Jojo Rabbit reminded me a little bit of ‘The Book Thief’ which is my favorite novel. It is also set in Germany during WWII and is narrated by death with a dry, sarcastic look at the misery humans have created. ‘The Book Thief’ is not satire but it has a similar message about what we decide to believe and how we chose to treat other humans.

And that’s the reason why Jojo Rabbit works so well. It can be quite funny but the emotion and heart are equally strong. I cried multiple times. It’s especially poignant because not only are you seeing war and evil but you are seeing it through the mind of a little vulnerable child.

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Indeed, Waititi has said he kept the movie PG13 because he wanted to talk to young people. Just like Jojo in the movie he wants them to question what they have been taught and decide for themselves how they want to treat others. He seems to want to catch them when they are young and impressionable and steer them towards kindness and away from hate. That’s a powerful message, which deserves repeating over and over again.

I don’t know if what I have said has convinced you to see Jojo Rabbit but I did my best. It’s such a lovely, moving, funny, different, original film with a fantastic script! Go see it!!!

9 out of 10

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