Here's another "FYI before the movie review". I've already read the book by Ernest Cline, to which the movie is based on (long before I saw the movie) and I just loved it! I still consider it as one of the best books that I've read recently. So yes there will be book to movie comparisons (sorry, can't help it) but let me just say this off the bat-the movie is so much better than the book!
Steven Spielberg works his movie magic in this pop-culture filled adventure, even fixing some things from the book, which I didn't really like. There are some parts of the book which won't exactly translate well on the big screen and Spielberg made sure to fix that for a more exciting time in the cinema. I love how Spielberg brought back that good old movie feel of having a hilarious (bungling) antagonist (don't leave your password lying around!).
I realized how much I missed the good old movies with the "funny bad guy" because -you don't have to give all the bad guys a dark back story. They can simply just be a conflict in the story and if they were silly and funny at the same time-well then so much the better and Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento definitely delivers on that account.
What's interesting about "Ready Player One" is that it is also a social commentary, as much as it is a love letter to pop culture and an all around exciting cinema experience.
It's a social commentary as it reflects how we tend to escape from the real world; in the movie its through the virtual world of the Oasis (more on that later) right now - its through social media, games and basically what the world wide web has to offer. All we have to do is to look at kids nowadays who are glued on to their mobile devices and suddenly a future of adults trapped in a virtual world doesn't seem so far away.
I may not be the most physically fit person but I would like my son to grow up running and playing outside and using his imagination to play and discover life and not live it from behind a screen, that's for sure.
The movie serves as a homage to pop culture and while this meant staying indoors playing video games, watching movies, TV series and reading books (which are basically my hobbies) the story still revolves around appreciating what is real, the real world and real friends.
The year is 2045, and the OASIS, a virtual reality software is where everybody goes to for...basically everything...work, play...you name it (in the book, this is where the kids go for school).It should also be mentioned that a large part of humanity live in slum areas and the OASIS is a pretty good way to escape from the depressing reality of life. The premise that you can be anybody in the Oasis through Avatars has everyone rushing to satisfy their deepest desires. Of course, there is also earning money by killing off other avatars and grabbing their items and gold coins for your own. You can go on quests and adventures, you either succeed and become a stronger avatar with a higher level or you are killed off and all your hard earned gold and items are gone (you basically lose your sh*t, when that happens).
Things shake up when James Halliday, the founder of the OASIS passes away and leaves "Anorak's Quest" (Anorak is Halliday's avatar) in his will. A game which has countless of avatars searching for "Easter eggs" left by Halliday in the OASIS. The winner of the game will gain full control of the OASIS and basically become really, really, really rich.
Many have joined in the game to find Anorak's Easter eggs, from hopeful avatars to obsessed "gunters" (egg hunters) forming clans to help each other out and of course there is IOI (Innovative Online Industries) a company which manufacturers equipment for the OASIS and who seek to control the virtual reality software as well (talk about monopoly). IOI is led by Nolan Sorrento, who with his army of debt-indentured players *you see, those equipment are really expensive and when you buy them on credit, you tend to find yourself drowning in debt and before you know it, you are working it off in an almost slave like existence, yup, another social commentary right there* and a room filled with Halliday scholars will stop at nothing to win the game.
Wade Watts AKA Parzival (Tye Sheridan) is your ordinary boy next trailer living in the slums and poverty of "the Stacks" in Colulmbus Ohio. He's been constantly researching the life of Halliday and hopes to winning the game in order to leave "the stacks" and everything that it represents.
After Wade ingeniously solves the first challenge in Anorak's quest he becomes the most famous avatar in the OASIS, everyone wants to be his friend and IOI wants to recruit him. He has no idea that aside from his new found fame, he is suddenly in grave peril. Its up to his knowledge of Halliday trivia and help from his real friends (should he be able to determine them) to stay alive both in the OASIS and in the real world.
I'm not sure if movie goers will get it but much of the 80's reference in the film is because Halliday grew up in the 80's and his love for the video games that he played, the TV shows and movies he watched were from that time period. Hence the many references in the movie. For a big pop-culture buff like me, it was a treat to get to point out characters and items you know in the film. I can still hear the cheers and shouts from the audience when a certain "character" flew across the screen to save the day. Multiple viewings definitely needed!.
A love letter to geeks everywhere, Steven Spielberg creates movie magic with Ernest Cline's ode to pop culture "Ready Player One". Fixing problems from the original source material, Spielberg creates an unforgettable nostalgic experience, where the audience themselves becomes immersed in the most thrilling pop-culture egg hunt ever.
9.5/10 Best seen in IMAX 3D, "Ready Player One" acknowledges the movies, books, games and songs that we love but also teaches us that there's nothing like living in the real world-because its the only one we've got.
*The reason why I didn't give it a perfect 10 is because I wasn't happy about the setting of the last scene, would have preferred it outdoors, you know, just to make a point*.
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