Better Late than Never: Brief Words on "Ready Player One"

 
   It is without question that Steven Spielberg is a living embodiment of a master filmmaker. As a kid of the 80s and 90s, I grew up on the adventures of Indiana Jones and the Goonies, I learned the importance of friendship with E.T. and experienced the characteristic whimsy of Hook and many others that helped to shape my love of movies and stories. Steven Spielberg has been behind some of the greatest films of all time, and even though his filmography over the last handful of years has been mediocre at best, his work will forever stand the test of time and continue to amaze and excite viewers young and old. His latest film Ready Player One, an adaptation of a beloved book by the same title, has been hailed as a return-to-form, a masterful epic, and a joyous time at the cinema. I stand here before you, having seen and experienced Ready Player One, as a witness that these claims are indeed true. People...this movie is straight up awesome!

   Set in the year 2045, the film tells the story of a young Wade Watts. Wade lives in a harsh world where everyone escapes the brutality around them by entering the OASIS, a virtual world where you can be anyone and do anything. When the creator of the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune and control of the OASIS. It's an extremely entertaining adventure story that has more pop culture references than you can shake a stick at. I haven't read the book (yet) but from what I hear this is not a direct adaptation. So, if you're a fan of the book, lower your expectations. That being said, those who have read the book and have seen the movie say that this is a worthy iteration. Criticism is subjective so experience it for yourself. Spielberg is known for his whimsical adventures, and this movie is a visually stunning escape worthy of the largest format you can find.

   The characterizations, overall, are a bit bland, meaning there isn't much in the way of character arc. Also, it would have been nice to spend more time in the real world, but what we get works fine. It's the OASIS that we're interested in, and it delivers in spades. The visual effects are stunning, the action is intense and entertaining, the story moves at a great pace, and the joyous feeling that is found in most of Spielberg's films is at the forefront. The principle actors do a fantastic job given that most of their performances are seen through the eyes of a computer-generated image. Luckily, it works. Like I mentioned before, there are so many little Easter eggs thrown throughout the film that multiple viewings will still leave you missing some. I was grinning from ear to ear throughout the entire movie, and I'm anxious to see it again. Honestly, it's one of the most entertaining movies of 2018 thus far.