Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!
Free Guy is a Good Guy
The long-anticipated Ryan Reynold’s vehicle Free Guy is the latest geeky offering to have escaped a pandemic holding pattern and make its way to wide release. It features Deadpool, himself, in the role of a videogame NPC.
Early reviews hit the internet yesterday and they are skewing positive.
In “Free Guy” — an inventive, much-better-than-you’d-expect 2020 summer tentpole that’s finally being released post-pandemic — Ryan Reynolds plays a video game character who doesn’t realize that his world isn’t real. Guy is what’s known as an NPC, or “non-playable character.” In a realm of ones and zeros, he’s a zero: just another of the generic background sims who serve as collateral damage for carnage hounds in a game called “Free City,” a “Grand Theft Auto”-style free-for-all where players are encouraged to wreak havoc, joyriding and blasting their way through a virtual metropolis.
… fro the Variety report makes it seem like the potential to be the tentpole event of the summer where Black Widow and Space Jam have not run away with.
And The Hollywood Reporter chimes in with:
Anyone who’s seen any of Hollywood’s many previous efforts in the genre will know what that means. I’m not referring to the myriad direct film adaptations including the Resident Evil, Lara Croft or Street Fighter films, but rather such labored cinematic meta-commentaries on virtual worlds as Tron, Wreck-It Ralph and Pixels. Shawn Levy’s new adventure-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds rises above the latter camp, and passionate gamers will delight in its non-stop delivery of in-jokes and Easter eggs. Those unfamiliar with such terms as “open-world” and “NPC” (non-player character) are likely to be less amused, although Reynolds’ boundless appeal, the frequently witty screenplay and expertly rendered technical aspects make the film enjoyable summer frivolity.
Ironically, Reynolds, most known in our geeky circles for playing the smartmouthed Wade Wilson is the quiet innocent in his real as the eponymous “Free Guy”.
Best video game movie yet? We will know soon!
The Suicide Squad is Here!
Spoilerties, by the time you read this Warner Bros’ The Suicide Squad will have been available to stream and in cinemas for 9+ hours depending on your timezone.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD – Official “Rain” Trailer
Our only hope to save the world is a bunch of supervillains — what could go wrong? Check out the new trailer for James Gunn’s #TheSuicideSquad, in theaters …
Margot Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn for the fourth time in the second installment in the Suicide Squad franchise (is that a phrase you ever thought you would read!?). If you want to know more about the origin and history of Task Force X before you watch The Suicide Squad may I suggest the latest Major Spoilers Podcast episode? Or the latest episode of Geek History Lesson? All of which are available in the Major Spoilers Podcast Feed!
Sound off in the comments if you’re watching The Suicide Squad this weekend.
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She/her. Canadian actress. Bi Queen. Canadian co-host of Geek History Lesson. Canadian comic book writer: Witchblade, Apollo IX, Jupiter Jet series, Science! The Elements of Dark Energy, Aurora and The Eagle. Award-losing: actor, writer, podcaster. https://linktr.ee/AshleyVRobinson