First and foremost, let me just say that the amount of pre-release cycle of hatred for this picture has been absolutely ludicrous. The amount of snark and contempt tossed at this whole production is something I've found puzzling, headache-inducing and ultimately tiring. Seriously, has the world deteriorated to a point where we're all so jaded towards to pretty much anything (even something that's an obvious shoo-in such as a new Spielberg joint)? I understand why people are cynical towards the original source material. Even though I can't say it doesn't have its fair share of problems, I can say the novel by Ernest Cline (AKA the literary world's answer to JJ Abrams) is a fun read and had plenty of awesome potential for cinematic spectacle. Plus, this wouldn't be the first time the Wizard of Whimsy made a movie that vastly improved on what its based on. Need I remind you all of how Jaws and Jurassic Park were novels of questionable quality before they became icons of cinema?
Now, with all that complaining and preamble out of the way, comes the question of whether or not the film in question is deserving of hatred. Well, the answer is....not at all. Ready Player One is a ridiculously entertaining ride that immensely improves on the novel and may end up being a sci-fi classic one day. It has a lot of fantastic action scenes, the visual design is absolutely splendid and the references don't feel like they're getting in the way of telling a good story with good characters. Zak Penn and Ernest Cline's witty screenplay serves as a sturdy foundation for the fantastical theatrics (even if a few lines here and there sound a bit cringeworthy).
Tye Sheridan brings a certain sense of likability to Parzival that was sorely lacking in the original novel. Yeah, he's a fairly standard, wide-eyed Spielberg protagonist; but, he's decently written and charming enough to where that doesn't really matter. Olivia Cooke's Art3mis subverts expectations by being a female character with a palpable sense of urgency while having a sweet personality to boot. Ben Mendelsohn is marvelous as the film's dastardly CEO antagonist (even I'd say his character isn't nearly as interesting as the company he runs). I was pleasantly surprised by how effective IOI is as a looming threat. Simon Pegg sadly gets little to do in the film; but, he's still Simon Pegg in a nerdy adventure such as this. That's always a bonus in my book. Ultimately, Mark Rylance ends up giving the best performance in the picture as OASIS co-creator James Halliday. Far from the tech wizard the masses hype him up to be, Rylance portrays the character as a sort-of rockstar reinvention of Elon Musk with subtle gracenotes suggesting he falls on the high-functioning end of the spectrum. Where they take his character struck a personal chord with me that I found quite poignant (seeing how I may be too into the novelties this film wears like badges of honor).
Alan Silvestri's score is an emotional roller coaster, appropriately accompanying the film's dramatic peaks and valleys with seasoned precision. It's easily some of his best work since the first Avengers film back in 2012. Every action sequence is packed to the gills with top-notch thrills. Sure, it's chaotic; but, Spielberg is a filmmaker with a level of maturity to keep said havoc easy to follow and fluid. Much like how I'm keeping my mouth shut on all the pop-culture cameos that run rampant through the film's background, I find that I'd fail my readership if I were to spoil what the film has to say. Suffice it say, I highly recommend that you all go see this on the biggest screen possible because this is pure spectacle in the truest meaning of the word. Fitting for a film mostly set in a nearly infinite virtual void, Ready Player One feels massive and sprawling in the Oasis and cold yet familiar in futuristic Columbus, Ohio.
Lately, critics have been praising Spielberg's more grounded and realistic films moreso than what made him a household name. While I agree that he's been on a winning streak for adult dramas, let's not forget how this and The Adventures of Tintin are near-perfect reminders of how he's the best in the entire business at delivering top-of-the-line popcorn entertainment. He's essentially treating this film as his personal sandbox and I sure like the way he plays. Not only does it supply a good time at the cinema, it celebrates how awesome geek culture is while acknowledging that it has a place in life that shouldn't extend to consuming your life. I absolutely dug it and I'm sure you all will too, even if you haven't the foggiest idea what Buckaroo Banzai is.
READY PLAYER ONE gets an...
AWESOME EXPLOSIVE BLAST out of TEN
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