Free Guy takes place in a video game world where Ryan Reynolds' "Guy" is an NPC who gains sentience and finally starts to enjoy the world around him. Without getting into detailed spoilers, his story soon catches the attention of the real world, and people tune in near the end of the movie to watch him attempt to gain his freedom.
That involves a fight with "Dude," a formidable opponent Guy finds himself overwhelmed by.
It's during this battle that the NPC uses a familiar power-up: Captain America's shield! Alan Silvestri's classic Avengers score kicks in, and Reynolds wields the shield to deflect a life-ending attack. With that, Chris Evans is shown watching the fight on his cell phone in a coffee shop as he exclaims, "What the sh*t?!" We're not kidding when we say this has to be the year's best cameo!
Of course, this scene was only made possible by Disney inheriting Free Guy from 20th Century Fox during the Disney/Fox merger, and it's followed by Reynolds' Guy wielding a lightsaber as the Star Wars theme plays in the background. Neither moment feels forced, and both need to be seen to be believed.
There are other great cameos in the movie, including Channing Tatum in a memorable role, several popular gaming YouTubers, and voice performances from Dwayne Johnson, John Krasinski, Tina Fey, and Hugh Jackman.
In our review of Free Guy, we concluded by saying: "Hilarious, heartwarming, and action-packed, Free Guy is everything a video game movie should be, and sees Ryan Reynolds deliver one of his finest comedic performances in a blockbuster best played on the big screen."
Are you planning to watch the movie this weekend?