As you know, 2021 was a weird year. It was a weird year for movies unlike any other I can remember in recent years. I would say it was “better” than 2020, but that is subjective. One of the summer’s biggest blockbuster, “Free Guy” brought in $331 million worldwide. The film was released in theaters in August 2021, and now five months later I am just now seeing it.

Like I said, it was a weird year.

If you can’t tell from the trailer above, “Free Guy” was a different type of movie.

Obviously, it was as a comedy, but it was also a comedy about an NPC (nonplayer character) inside a video game. I can’t think of any films in recent history like it. Not only was the movie funny, but it was a feel-good, positive movie about love and AI (artificial intelligence).

Aside: That theme is kind of played out in recent years with the countless attempts to imagine what it would be like to fall in love with an AI-entity.

If you are looking to see a funny, feel-good, love story that is creative and unique, consider watching “Free Guy.” You can rent or buy the movie on Amazon Prime Video. It is also available at pretty much any other site you might enjoy streaming movies like Vudu, Apple TV, Google Play, etc. and you can even rent the DVD or Blu-Ray at Redbox.

Besides the original story, the cast is excellent. Led by Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, with Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and even brief cameos of Channing Tatum and Chris Evans, the cast did a great job bringing this movie to life. The film produced by 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox), which is owned by Disney, had some fun bits of co-branding including a couple of nods to Marvel and Star Wars.

The movie was well-received by audiences and most critics, and as a fan of fantasy, video games and comedy, I too was delighted by this movie. It makes for a nice pick-me-up on a rainy day or when a bit of sadness creeps in. The movie is rated PG-13 and it would probably be wise to screen it before letting your kids watch it with you.

The film’s director is Shawn Levy. The screenwriters include Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn.

The film won’t garner any attention from the Academy Awards or Golden Globes, but this film, in my opinion, was the most fun movie of the year.