Steven Spielberg is arguably one of the most talented directors to ever direct a film. He has always been one of my all-time favorites, and when I heard he was directing a feature film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel, I was extremely intrigued by the cinematic possibilities. What audiences got is a mixed bag tonally, and lacked in character development, but the film was still a massive amount of fun. There is no avoiding the fact that this film is heavily laden with nostalgia for fans of 1980’s pop-culture, and there is an incredible amount of Easter eggs for viewers to dissect ad nauseum, but for someone like me, I don’t entirely dislike that fact. This is a film for fans of nerd culture, and Spielberg does not shy away from this.
Two of the most important assets any film can have are its story and the development of its characters. Ready Player One’s story is, for the most part, a surface level adventure story taking place in both the real world as it exists in the year 2045, and the Oasis, a virtual reality based massively multiplayer online game. The story is pretty straightforward; players must compete in a series of difficult challenges to earn keys to locate an Easter egg in the Oasis, which serves as the film’s MacGuffin, all whilst trying to outmaneuver the sinister I.O.I. and its CEO, Nolan Sorrento. A few twists and turns notwithstanding, that is pretty much the entire film in a nutshell. There are a few surprises along the way, but when it comes to the story alone, the plot is fairly vanilla.
When it comes to the characters in the film and the actors who play them, Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts/Parzival and Olivia Cooke as Samantha Cook/Art3mis are by far the heart and soul of the film. Although I could understand their motivations in the real-world setting, I was much more invested in their characters while they were playing as their avatars in the Oasis. This is almost certainly due to the fantastical nature of adventuring in a video game of that scope, but I will say, their journey does track even when the narrative switches dimensions. I wish there was more development in not only these characters, but with just about everyone in the film. Pretty much every character is the same at the beginning of the film as they are at the end.
Some of the supporting characters who stood out include Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento, T.J. Miller who voices i-Rok, and Mark Rylance as James Halliday/Anorak. Mendelsohn in particular really makes the most out of what he is given script-wise. Despite his character being fairly one-note, I really enjoyed his take on the character. Miller adds some great comedic moments to the film, and Rylance really brings a great warmth to the character of Halliday. Lena Waithe who plays Helen Harris/Aech, Win Morisaki as Toshiro/Daito, and Phillip Zhao as Zhou/Sho make up the rest of the “High Five” clan. I really liked their banter, but still wish we could have seen more in the way of development for these characters. Simon Pegg who plays Ogden Morrow/Curator and Hannah John-Kamen as F’Nale Zandor both play a part in the story, but once again, their characters really don’t do too much to affect the outcome outside of the extra life coin Curator gives to Parzival. On a side note, it is unfortunate that John-Kamen has played two villainous characters this year, the other being Ghost in Ant-Man and The Wasp, where she just isn’t given the material to flex her acting chops. I suspect she earned these roles for a reason, so hopefully we see her get the opportunity to portray more fleshed-out characters in the future.
Now that the major flaws with the film are out of the way, I am very excited to dive into what worked with the film. First off, the set pieces are fantastic, namely the key challenges. The race at the beginning of the film, the Shining sequence, and the Battle of Castle Anorak on Planet Doom are some of the most entertaining scenes I can remember watching in a long time. Something about watching the DeLorean from Back to the Future in an all-out death race navigating obstacles like the Tyrannosaurus Rex from Jurassic Park and King Kong just brings out the little kid in me. Aech not being familiar with the events of The Shining also made for a heap of entertaining fun, but the Battle of Castle Anorak at the end of the film really stole the show for me. Watching the Iron Giant and Gundam taking on Mecha-Godzilla is like some sort of crazy fan fiction I never would have dreamed would have been put to the silver screen.
I am not surprised by the more “high-brow” critical response to this film, because it certainly has its flaws in several aspects of its composition, but I also feel like this film was made for a demographic of movie goers that does not thrive on period pieces, melodramas, and deep character studies. This film knows what it is from the outset, and it really does deliver especially in the visual department. The CGI, cinematography, and shot selection are all on point, and the score by master composer Alan Silvestri is exceptional as well. This is a must see for fans of science-fiction and fantasy films, and I would definitely recommend watching this film for its entertainment value.
Final Grade: 6.4/10
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