The summer blockbuster has already surprised many

The first reactions for Free Guy, the summer blockbuster starring Ryan Reynolds as an NPC who doesn’t realize he’s in a video game, are in.

While most early critical responses generally tend to err on the more positive side of the equation, it’s still maybe a surprise for some to see just how revered Free Guy (which also stars Jodie Comer) is at this moment in time.

Collider’s Steven Weintraub says it “might be the best video game movie ever made.” While the medium has had its fair share of disappointing adaptations, it’s certainly interesting to hear that its best work might be an original movie that only riffs on video games rather than slavishly follows source material.

Critic Scott Menzel continues the praise, saying it’s “the most fun I’ve had watching a movie all year. Wildly entertaining & hilarious from beginning to end,” while adding that “It deserves to be seen on the big screen.”

Writer Kristy Puchko shouts out director Shawn Levy (best known prior to this for his acclaimed work on Stranger Things) for the “hilarious visual comedy” throughout.

ComicBook.com’s Jamie Jirak points out that “gamers will certainly appreciate it the most”, though draws particular attention to both Reynolds and Comer for their lead performances.

The Nerds of Color might present the most compelling argument for watching it, however. Free Guy is described as “the biggest surprise of the summer. Funny, charming, and downright likable… It’s Tron meets Truman Show.”

The hits keep on coming. Actor Wendy Lee Szany says she “can’t wait to see it again”, while Rotten Tomatoes’ Joel Meares is feeling fresh about Free Guy: “One of the freshest-feeling, genuinely funny, and surprisingly moving big-budget adventure movies in years,” he said on Twitter.

Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rey Howery, Utkarsh Ambudakar, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi is set for cinemas on August 13.

For more from the movie, be sure to check out our sister publication Total Film’s blowout feature on the August release. It’s all part of our Back to the Cinema season, which also includes a comprehensive look ahead to No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007.

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