inceneritoreintrepido

Very good fight scenes and visual effects but fails to engage. This movie is a very good example of the quality drop of the industry. Acting is mostly underwhelming, when Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal have the stage it's like fresh air for a moment. Most dialogue scenes have a low budget TV series vibe.

"Where we are, death is not. Where death is, we are not." is a clumsy and misplaced use of an Epicurus quote, usually translated as "When we exist, death is not; and when death exists, we are not" which is about consciousness and existence. And I had a hard laugh at the dude shouting "This is about survival! Survive!" Lol.....thanks for the advice boss! That's the best line they could think of?

And these are just examples of lazy writing that throw you out of the movie.

Paul Mescal is not bad but I think this just wasn't a role for him. The character has a weak and a strong side that didn't connect with him.

Connie Nielsen doesn't seem to care much about her performance in this movie.

Still OK to watch, but forget the intensity of the first (and only) Gladiator.

On the surface a very funny version of The Truman Show and to some respect it addresses the same questions: what does it even mean to be or feel real? Still, very original, and don't be fooled by its apparent superficiality as below the first silly layer there are actually some pretty good philosophical gems about life. Great VFX, great cast, cool story and if you are or have been a gamer there's extra humour to catch. As a plus, Free Guy also poses some moral questions about artificial life. Will we have to have a conversation about whether an artificial life has rights? At what point is it "alive"? The movie is an extreme projection into a far future but how far is it? Ultimately it's a movie about empathy with no boundaries. I'd watch this a second time rather than another boring superhero saving the world or the universe.

The show incipit gave me hope to see a story about a vulnerable old man who finds his ways out of danger, it became about how the man is NOT vulnerable. It gave me hope to see an original hero and an original plot but the story arc quickly became a template that chases the approval of John Wick's and 007's audiences. Too much prosaic explanation over action, too many filler scenes, barely any tension.

Excellent performance by Bridges and Lithgow. Good performance by Brenneman but Mrs. Dixon is an underwhelming character used just to throw some weird romance in there. Shawkat's acting seemed a little less believable to me but good performance from her too and all the other cast. Shame such talent went wasted to an inconclusive story with very little to tell but what struck me was the lack of emotions.

I'm glad I watched it, I liked the slow pace, the direction and I enjoyed seeing some of my favourite actors back in action but I would not recommend it.