Shameless rip-off of Truman Show still worth mediocre theatre visit

After 18 months of dealing with COVID, we are all hoping to return to what used to be normal. That includes going back to the office, going back to school, going to restaurants, going to the gym – just simply going and getting out of the house. For many, that includes going back to a movie theatre, instead of searching for entertainment via a streaming service.

Well, unfortunately for many, going back to the cinema may not prove to be as rewarding as one might hope. In part, the problem is that the films being offered seem largely to be designed to appeal to only two groups of people: those who support the genre which can best be summed up in the phrase “Marvel Comic movies,” even though many of the blockbusters have a different provenance; and children. For those enthusiastic for something different, the result is that there are slim pickings.

Have the operators of movie houses forgotten their audience, or is it that there are few alternative films available, many recently produced having been released to streaming services? In support of the first reason, there is the inexplicable fact that the one new movie house in the Greater Vancouver area (Brentwood) has been designated as a 19+ venue – this although over the years family-friendly theatres such as the Dolphin, Park & Tilford, and Esplanade have closed.

However, desirous as I was to see a movie in a theatre, I determined to attend a showing of Free Guy at an actual theatre. Any thought that it might be a return to the past was quickly eliminated. The Saturday matinee I attended had only a handful of attendees; we all dutifully wore masks; we all sat in rows far apart. Any thought that this would be a community cinematic experience quickly vanished.

As to the promise of a greater choice of entertainment, that was rapidly ended when we were treated to a series of trailers for movies all of which (without exception) clearly belong to the Marvel Comics genre, with promise of a multitude of special effects, innumerable explosions, much destruction of property and, apparently, formulaic plot lines – not exactly promising.

As to the film itself, Free Guy is a shameless rip-off of The Truman Show, the brilliant 1998 film that satirized, among other things, the hold that “reality TV” has over an audience which is content to watch anything that moves. It is true that Free Guy introduces some major changes. Instead of the protagonist being captive to a conspiracy that forces him to accept an endlessly repetitive routine, in the case of the new film, the protagonist is a character created for a video game – though a character with some difference in that it is also a primitive example of Artificial Intelligence, making it less willing to continue with its assigned role.

What follows is clearly aimed at an audience of “gamers” who are more likely to be able to follow the complexities of the difficulties that a rebel character in a video game can pose. And here I must admit to being completely out of my depth, as the only video game I ever attempted was Donkey Kong. Does anyone else even remember the game? In fact, it caused me immediately and forever to avoid such entertainment as I rapidly discovered how addictive and time-wasting it can be!

More importantly, Free Guy has a decidedly complex and multi-layered plot. The title is both descriptive and imperative. This provides the opportunity to portray the world of gamers, game programmers, and gaming companies and allows the film to make relevant comment on such things as corporate greed and dishonesty, America’s proliferation of guns, and the violence that constitutes much of the world of video games – something which apparently may cause the players themselves to espouse violence.

On the way, as has been indicated, there are numerous references to The Truman Show, most obviously in the climax, as well as throughout the film. As with so many of these blockbuster films, there is all the customary use of special effects, resulting in an all-out assault on one’s senses. The film does have the advantage of starring Vancouver’s own Ryan Reynolds, who lends the film charm, comic delight, and verve. His performance makes the film work, giving it engaging entertainment value. However, if viewers are looking for real cinematic value, they should revisit The Truman Show (even though they may have to do it at home). It remains an outstanding, clever, gripping, and timely film in which Jim Carrey gives the best performance of his career.

For those seeking a theatrical film experience, Free Guy is an acceptable option. However, it may not be appealing enough to get one out of the house. So let’s hope that the cinematic theatre-going experience will soon hold real promise of a more wide-ranging program of things to come.