Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One" - March 30, 2018

I saw this the other night and really enjoyed it; liked the overall story, thought the CGI/virtual worlds looked fantastic and compelling, and had a good time overall. Sure, some cringy parts and dialog, but I like epic CGI, virtual worlds, and outworldly imagery when that's all done right. Definitely see this one in 3D.

Didn't know anything about the story at all before I saw this and thought the "Rush 2112" poster/easter egg/cultural reference was super cool. Reading a bit about the movie I was surprised to see that, in the book, acquiring the third key revolved around that albums' songs/themes, etc....love it.

 

Why do so many of Steven Spielberg's heroes look like a cross between Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford?

 

Saw it, didn't like it. I think it's a very shallow, superficial movie that's basically almost a 2-hour cartoon with roughly a half-hour of actual live-action humans in it. I get that it's a virtual world, I get that it's a video game, but I thought all the pop culture stuff was very "thrown together" and haphazard, and we didn't get any real depth from the characters. I read a synopsis of the novel, and that had a ton of detail that got left out -- this was very much the "Readers Digest" version of the book. And there were a ton of logistical problems that I felt had no real payoff, which is a tough thing to manage in fantasy. Even though it's a fantasy, there are still very strict rules involved, but I think the number of coincidences and just plain luck that happened in the movie were hard for me to believe. I also didn't like the casting, since the book specified older teenagers for the lead boy and girl, and they looked like they were closer to 30 to me (despite Tye Sheridan being 20 during filming).

I found it fascinating that Spielberg could not convince Sony Pictures to let him use references to Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the film (his own movie!), and Disney/Lucasfilm likewise would not allow Star Wars references. One of the key characters was Ultraman, but apparently that character is tied up in a bunch of lawsuits so that was out as well, replaced by Iron Giant (which only the nutty fans of the 1990s Brad Bird cartoon know about). The novel also touches on a lot of Blade Runner, but apparently Ridley Scott refused to allow any references to his movie, despite the fact that Ready Player One and Blade Runner are both Warner Bros. films. Sounds like a lotta politics went on. But the bits that were included were fun and energetic, particularly the Back to the Future Delorean, which has a big part in the film.

Maybe I'm a fuddy-duddy, but I like my virtual-world/fantasy situations with a lot more meat on it, and this was a very superficial meal for me. The original Matrix I got and totally dug, and I also liked the original 1970s Willy Wonka, but this high-tech hybrid between the two didn't work for me.

 

Thank you for your well-written review.

 

Why did Spielberg direct this?

Big fat cheque to direct 15 minutes of live action then hand the rest over to the assistant/2nd unit Director...

Easy money.

 

Agree. A lot of it felt like watching a CGI cutscene in a videogame. The dialogue referencing 80's pop culture was like watching the end point of western civilisation... the end of progress like a car crash.

Also what seemed weird about the entire concept is... a film presumably aimed at a young audience with young hero and heroine filled with references that surely only resonate with middle aged men.

The appearance of The Shining was incredibly weird. What's the story about this footage being used? Is this the future of recycling and rebooting? God help us!

 

I had a free IMAX ticket so I decided to see it again today in 3D. I found that the movie was a lot better then the first time I saw it, though I chock that up to not being bogged down by any trying to look for how different it was to the book. The first time around it felt like the movie really motored along at a ridiculous pace but the second time it felt about right. The scene where he figures out the first challenge is really quite energising and so is the end when he starts talking through the last challenge as well. I'm not usually into conversion 3D but I think their team did a really good job on this film and the OASIS bits being in CGI are probably real 3D so it makes up for the converted live action stuff. I think I'll look forward to picking up the Blu-Ray when it comes out and the soundtrack on vinyl since it's bound to have really nice artwork on the cover.

 

That segment made my night. I loved it.

 

Wow, this movie has so many references to pop culture I felt it was made for me. It is a family film but there are so many vague references that it would probably fly over the heads of newer viewers. If it had jump packs, spin discs, and a stone of jordan reference it would have near perfect for a 2 hour movie.

 

Steven Spielberg reveals secrets of 'The Shining' sequence in 'Ready Player One'

Keep in mind the age of those men who created the game. Those kids got into those pop culture references because of the game. We also have to consider who made th film as well. As far as kids, perhaps Spielberg saw it as an opportunity to expose them to other pop culture references that resonated with a different generation.

 

It has been released in 3D!!! Yay!

 

DAMN! I says it before and I says it agin! I want 3D!

I will buy an entire 3D system to watch "The Shining" sequence once a year! Kubrick lives!!

 

Watched this a week or so ago. Didn't get to the end. That rarely happens. Girlfriend fell asleep a few times. Just found it dull and didn't care about any of the characters. But y'know, it's got a Delorean in it. As mentioned upthread by Vidiot, superficial.

 

Rented this from the Redbox yesterday. Glad I did instead of blind buying it. It was okay, I admired the visual effects and such, but I'm not a gamer, I don't know the lingo or the references, and all this stuff was giving me a headache. I agree with much of what Vidiot said. I'd rather watch "Wreck It Ralph". I did very much enjoy the sequence which took place in The Overlook, though. And I was happy to see Atari's "Adventure" game featured, as it has always been a favorite of mine. But by the end of the movie I felt like I had ADD and was on the verge of having a seizure (how gamers commit their lives to this stuff, I will never know). Thinking back now I can hardly remember what I saw, it was just a bombardment of digital effects thrown at me all at once. It's hard to stop and think about things when everything is flying past you at such a break-neck pace.

 

After half an hour I was extremely bored. I read that the ending message is walk away from this type of escapism. Figured that out in 30 minutes.

That Halliday was as nerdy as you could write a "nerd".

 

That was part of the problem with the movie. The script was Spielberg by the numbers and I didn’t think it was very well written beyond that. It wa so predictable on so many levels and it could have been pretty good if it had shied away from all the cliches.

That’s part of the reason for all of those 80’s reference points for pop culture as well to have something for those who aren’t gamers and weren’t to latch on to.

 

My meta-pop culture movie review:

Don't Look Back in Anger

 

Another Spielberg over hyped film. Not really a fan of his, no one can argue with his box office pull though. I enjoy Duel & Jaws, similar themes is why I guess.

 

Boy, they sure can shove some "'80's" down one's throat, huh?
At least they used the original "Blue Monday", NOT the "'88" version, like they did on "Atomic Blondie"!

 

I really loved this flick! I was thoroughly entertained

 

Well, I hated it. The only reason why I even stuck with it for about 30 min was because it was Spielberg.