Movie review: Ready Player One

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

As a kid, i always dreaming to see a crossover film in theater, but when i grew up and doing a research, they're plenty of examples back then, like the famous "Who framed Roger Rabbit?", which a crossover live action/animated film with Disney and Looney Tunes, which it sounds a kid's fantasy dream, but it got us. Or perhaps my personal favorite is "Wreck-It Ralph", which is a crossover of video games, along with real video game characters (without Mario, i guess it was a copyright infringement from Nintendo).

But then, everything changed when we saw a trailer it easily blow our minds...

"Ready Player One" is a 2018 Sci-fi adventure film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, produced by Donald De Line, Dan Farah and Kristie Macosko Krieger, and written by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline.

When i saw the trailer, i lost my words that i really want to see this movie to see how it goes in the future and a virtual world with advanced technology. I mean, i like the concept of virtual reality, since we're in new level with VR goggles that we can play or even chatting. Its also worth noting that it was based on the book with a same name by Ernest Cline from seven years ago. And, this might the first time i review a movie by Steven Spielberg.

So, with that out of the way, will this movie holds up to visiting OASIS, or is this film we're probably being kicked out of online?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

It takes place in the semi future of 2045, where the population live in slum-like cities, despite that, everyone has their virtual reality equipment to travelling in digital world known as OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), which the digital world was created by a late man named James Halliday. However, it is said that in OASIS has a secret treasure to finding three rare keys, whoever wanna find the egg, it will known as "Gunter". And OASIS was given to "Innovative Online Industries" with an A-hole CEO named Nolan Sorrento who's in full control of OASIS with security players as "Sixers". Our main hero name "Wade Watts" who nicknamed himself as "Parzival" along with his friends Aech and Art3mis. However, he was fascinated about Halliday's story, which he was researching of Easter eggs to collecting three keys. But IOI heard about Parzival collecting keys along with his friend in rebel group as "High Five". Its to Wade and his friend to more keys in order to win the game.

I find the story itself i rather a bit simplistic, but since this is video game, it has to be secret ways to win, much like in real life, kinda. Its a typical story to finding mysterious pieces to unlock a secret treasure from the end, but it has some cool parts to find some in racing, obstacles and others. But the once thing that i like, is the subplot for how James Halliday was fascinated of video games, which he wanted to making the idea for what if we can go to the digital world known as Virtual Reality. We always make intention to visit there. Though in nowaday, we still have virtual reality, but much better than "Virtual Boy". But we better customize our computer in advanced if we want to go in VR, but i digress.

The story is good, but the subplot is rather well-written to feel realistic for again, how we fascinated about video games and VR.

The Production

Wow...   Where do i begin for the presentation of this movie?

All i wanna say is, it looks fantastic in our imagination of VR, which is no wonder how many people (including me) went nuts after the trailer. Lets start off for OASIS itself, it looks beautifully, with colorful looking, imaginative and so much more. They did a great job for the concept of sci-fi world in VR. For the characters in OASIS, its like a main deal of the movie, we can see other players as a characters from various cultures like movies, video games, cartoons, comics and more, its like playing a game of "Spot the characters" if you're familiar with. The most notable example is The Iron Giant from...  Well, "The Iron Giant", which we see him in construction before he was active in the third act, and even Tracer from "Overwatch", which you can see her almost everywhere, even though its obvious that most of them are probably done on motion-capture or even CG. But sometimes, some others can be questionable design or perhaps low quality, which i know its a big budget movie with over $175 million.And a movie takes about nearly 2 in a half hour, i guess its a worth of time to watching. But it considered by Spielberg as a hardest development he's ever done since "Saving Private Ryan", i know how he felt for this movie, like a lot of cultural stuff, CG and concept of location in OASIS and real world.

The presentation of this movie looks fantastic, despite some has a teeny tiny flaw.

The characters

We expect to see the characters to have a good personalities, right? Well i hate to tell you, a lot of them aren't as likable for the lack of personalities.

First is Wade Watts, aka Parzival (played by Tye Sheridan), though i never heard of Tye, but his role is good, but he's basically dream kid who likes to win online game to finding three keys.

 Samantha Cook aka Art3mis (played by Olivia Cooke) is not only Wade's love interest, but she's also a sorta leader of the "High Five" for freedom.

Nolan Sorrento (played by Ben Mendelsohn) who's not only a typical evil boss of IOI for full control of OASIS, but he's also an A-Hole for anti-freedom of Easter Egg. Don't give me wrong, Ben did a nice work, but i think his role would've been better.

But the one character that i think who's likable is James Halliday aka Anorak (played by Mark Rylance), he has a similar fascination of video games with new level like VR, thanks to his enjoyment of playing old school games like Atari. Especially he secretly creating Easter Egg. Despite he may not has personality, but Mark did a pretty good job for his role.

Another one that i like is I-R0k (played by T.J. Miller), he's a bounty hunter and item dealer of IOI, but he has a sense of humor, thanks to the performance of T.J. Even though he's rather hit or miss, but i think he did a nice job for his role.

While the rest is pretty much nothing new or special for the characters, its pretty lame that most of actors did a nice work of acting, including Simon Pegg.

Like i said, the characters are probably the weakest part in the movie, its just they use them to entering VR world, since most of them have any special personalities. 

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, "Ready Player One" is a fun ride to watch this movie, with good story, fun action, a great presentation and i think its enjoyable to watch. Though im not considered it as a perfect film with some flaws of designs and the characters isn't that great to show who they are, though some that i like. But, i've the movie itself is more improvement than the book for adding modern cultures, i haven't read the book, but maybe il find it for my curiosity, even though im not a huge fan of novel, im more of a comic book man. If you're a fan of crossover of cultures, i highly recommend to watching it, even if some characters are flat out forgettable.

Do i consider it as a "Great film of 2018"? Depends on your opinion. But for me, its a mixed bag that i loved it, but it has a problem, which i have to wait for some movies il consider for my top list of movies of 2018.

I give this movie an 8/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on Pateron.com/Blackevil915 for your big request.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.