Ready Player One is to put it frankly not only an extremely fun ride, but also one that's build on nostalgia that's aimed towards those who lived and breed during the 1980's and 1990's era. For those who grew up during those decades, this film is for you as Spielberg delivers the ultimate love letter for his audience. That's not to say the film can't be enjoyed by persons who grew up after those decades such as today's generation of young audiences and gamers, but it won't hit them the way this film will hit the audiences it's intended for. Setting the obvious facts aside, this movie is visually striking much like Spielberg's other films with him once again using technology as a tool that propels the story he's delivering to the audience, not the other way around. Spielberg is one of the rare visionary filmmakers that knows how to perfectly balance action, storytelling, drama, and amazing visual effects. Watching Ready Player One shows a director in full control of his craft, and only needs to bring the story to life as it's already mapped out with the novel it's based on as well as the clever and witty screenplay brilliantly written by Zak Penn and Ernst Cline, who also wrote the novel the film is based upon. The story for Ready Player One centers around the death of a virtual reality world creator, who releases a video in which he challenges all users of the program OASIS to find his Easter Egg, which will give his finder their fortune. With Ready Player One's story, the opportunity is there for Spielberg to deliver a visceral rollercoaster ride for audiences familiar both with the novel and the eras the film pays tribute to really deliver a unique type of blockbuster, one that is full of heart and will evoke powerful feelings of nostalgia for members of it's audience.
On a technical aspect, Ready player One is one of the years most visually stunning films as it boasts fantastic visual effects as well as beautiful cinematography, effective music, brisk pacing that never makes the film feel too slow nor moves too fast, and strong performances from the cast particularly Tye Sheridan in the lead role of the young gamer, who is essentially Charlie in a virtual reality version of the classic Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory story except searching for the golden ticket is swapped out for an Easter Egg in this film. Both stories essentially are about a young boy, who stumbles upon a great opportunity that takes them on an unusual adventure. Olivia Cookie does a strong job playing Wades love interest Samantha along with Lena Waithe as Helen. The films main antagonist Ben Mendelsohn delivers a strong and likeable performance as the businessman and gamer competing for possession of the Easter Egg. Mendelsohn delivered a notably strong performance in Star Wars: Rogue One, leaving a positive impression upon audiences and doesn't cease to do the same here. As a film, Ready Player One comes across as being both a mixture of being a thrill ride as well as a groundbreaking video game. Some of the films finest moments are the race at the beginning, a brilliant key sequence involving the main characters blending with Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and the final climactic battle. The key behind this movies success is that it's fast, spectacular, and always fun. Since his breakthrough hit with Jaws, Spielberg has continuously proved himself to be a master of entertainment, as well as being one of the rare directors that can evoke emotion from the audience by striking the right chords with his storytelling capabilities. The soundtrack also drives home the nostalgia by playing a mixed variety of old 80's tunes, that will go a long way with adding nostalgia to the audiences experience in the theater.
Ready Player One's moments are easily those that bring nostalgia to it's audience such as the inclusion of characters such as Robocop and The Iron Giant in the film as well as blink and you'll miss moments such as the car from Back To The Future and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The film's message as a whole says that it's not about winning but that it's about playing. The presenting of the nerd trivia is done tastefully in a subtle way in which it never feels forced nor excessive as every familiar image brings out the excitement with audiences. If there is one criticism that can be directed at the film, it's that some of the minor characters could've been developed more as the films pacing is so quick it doesn't leave much room for true character depth for the minor ones. Despite the films minor faults, it still manages to end up being one of the years best films thus far along with serving to be a great nostalgic thrill ride for pop culture fanatics of the 80's and 90's era. Ready Player One is not one of Spielberg's very best films but it reaffirms the notion that he is without a doubt one of the worlds greatest storytellers as well as a director who pushes the technological boundaries of storytelling much like George Lucas and James Cameron. For those who adore the eras the film pays endless homage to, this movie is a treasure for those audiences. The film is a faithful adaptation of it's bestselling novel along with being a thrill ride that aims for the young inner child in its audience representing nothing but heart. For those who crave solid popcorn entertainment with brains, solid acting and stellar direction, this film is for you. Just don't expect the characters to be developed to their full potential, this film is made for the audience to experience the spectacle of the story. Two major thumbs up.
Final Verdict: SEE IT
Final Verdict: SEE IT
