Today on Reel Talk, I am reviewing “Ready Player One," a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and based on a book by Ernst Cline.
Wade, the main character, was born in 2027 in Columbus, Ohio, which is now a trashed slum. To get away from this rough reality, he plays a virtual game called "the Oasis," where he can turn into another person and have friends. The maker of this game dies and challenges players of "the Oasis" to find a hidden Easter egg within the game. Whoever wins the game will have complete control of "the Oasis" and $0.5 trillion.
The movie starts with almost no character development and an expositional voice-over that is way too long. The audience doesn't receive much information about the characters, so you can focus on the journey rather than the characters.
There was a little something for everyone in this movie. Whether you are a gamer or a pop culture nerd, this movie has enough for both. Halo references abound, "The Shining" plays a huge role and the Delorean from "Back to the Future" makes an appearance. All of these references kept you engaged and constantly searching for more.
The fake versus real aesthetic is prevalent here because Sam, Wade's ally in the game, is always saying in the game that she only lets Wade see what she wants him to see.
This reminds me of social media and how we only let people see what we want them to see, just like in a video game where you get to totally recreate yourself and show people what you wish you were.
There is a real “stick it to the man” message in this movie. The evil corporate villain played by Ben Mendelsohn is obsessed with winning the money so he has control of "the Oasis."
He and his company are there for all the wrong reasons while the youth are there for the right reasons. This acts as a parallel to all of the leadership we are seeing in youth activism today that is sticking it to the man.
Steven Spielberg explores all the possibilities a movie about a video game has to offer. He takes you into the future while also including hints of the modern era to add nostalgia. This movie has something in it for everyone, which is why I rate it a 4 out of 5. It is definitely worth your money to see on the big screen at least once.
