By It has been a strange road to the cinema for many blockbusters over the last year. A number of different strategies have been employed over the course of the pandemic, from straight to streaming, to premium video on demand and simultaneous cinema and digital releases. A few have clung on to a cinema exclusive release from A Quiet Place Part 2, to No Time To Die and Ryan Reynolds Free Guy. In the case of the latter, it moved from an initial release of July 2020 to a still prime time summer slot in 2021, with everyone involved seemingly determined to ensure this came out on the big screen before anywhere else. On evidence of the film itself, it is very much the kind of effects-laden spectacle that was designed for the summer season, and while it may not be a flawless victory, there’s no denying the appeal.
Read my full review over at THN, originally published August 10th 2021.
Andrew Gaudion 