Ready Player One (2018)

Review

140min

Genre:     Action, Adventure, Sci-fi

Director:  Steven Spielberg

Cast:       Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn…and more

Writers:   Zak Penn and Ernest Cline

-Synopsis-

Set in a dystopian future where people escape society’s problems rather than solve them, and an era of fully immersive gaming where virtual is the new reality; a talented young player competes in a massive online extravaganza to find a priceless Easter egg buried by the game’s deceased creator, only to clash with the powerful who seek control of the future—in Steven Spielberg’s lavish adaptation of the bestselling Ernest Cline novel.

There are few directors who can regularly float between genres and storytelling techniques whilst keeping butts in cinema seats, and fewer still who have major Hollywood studios scrambling over each other to fund them, but the biggest name in cinema and the industry’s uncrowned heavyweight champion Steven Spielberg does it once again—changing pace from biographical journalistic drama in ‘The Post’ to sci-fi adventure here, crafting a hugely entertaining potpourri of pop-culture references, with something of a social conscience.

Tye Sheridan stars as young gamer ‘Wade Watts’ aka “Parzival”, native of a scrap-heap shanty town in 2045 Ohio, who like much of the world lives most of his life in the ‘OASIS’—a fully immersive online environment where you can be anyone or anything, do anything or anyone, and the only limits are your imagination . . . plus food and bathroom breaks. When the game’s deceased enigmatic creator ‘James Halliday’ (Mark Rylance) leaves behind a hidden Easter egg that grants control of the OASIS, Wade must join forces with fellow gamers ‘Samantha Cook’ aka “Art3mis” (Olivia Cooke), ‘Helen’ aka “Aech” (Lena Waithe) and others, to stop unscrupulous tech corporation ‘IOI’ and their boss ‘Nolan Sorrento’ (Ben Mendelsohn) from owning the OASIS . . . and with it the future.

Not long into ‘Ready Player One’, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re watching a madcap mashup video game that you can’t play, or a game of ‘spot the pop-culture reference’ that you most certainly can—featuring an endless stream of film, TV and video game references ranging from the overt to the subtle, including some of Spielberg’s own work . . . and so abundant you could spend the 140 minute runtime pointing them out. Yet the sum of the film’s parts is much more than a lucrative nostalgia fest, although it will certainly tickle those who grew up in the 80s, or the many youngsters who have an affinity for the decade . . . which seems like every millennial these days.

In what is essentially a part animated, part live-action Hollywood blockbuster, Spielberg crafts a lavish non-stop action spectacle where the characters embark on adventures through their colourful OASIS avatars in different games, worlds and even some iconic movie scenes.

As they engage with familiar characters and objects, from ‘King Kong’ to the DeLorean and everything in between, Wade and his rebellious allies try to win the coveted Easter egg by unravelling a mystery based on the life of the game’s creator James Halliday—an introverted figure who comes off like a cross between Jobs, Gates and Zuckerberg . . . only geekier, more humble and far more likeable. Meanwhile around them in the real world a struggle rages against an overzealous corporation and their quest to control the most valuable resource in this ‘brave new world’, by winning the egg themselves.

As most good sci-fi does, ‘Ready Player One’ also reflects the very real issues of our world today, and the narrative of the film does (to some degree) include the socially conscious foundations of the book. At its heart the story is a parable about corporatisation, and is by association a champion for an open web and net-neutrality, creating a not-so-subtle metaphor for the current battle over the online world—between us who use and depend on it, the tech giants who run and seek to own it, and the governments who try to control it all. But this a warning story about a ship which has probably already sailed . . . unless Facebook users and the like start to vote with their feet.

There’s also a more personal moral tale about how much time we spend in virtual worlds at the expense of the real one, and the dependence it creates, which has some parallels with substance and gambling addiction. ‘Ready Player One’ is undoubtedly an ode to gamers and dreamers, underlining the importance of creativity and imagination, but with an underlying message that nothing can or should replace reality.

Yet for all the film’s social commentary, it never really goes beyond skin deep or prove particularly thought-provoking, and you never get a real picture of the dystopian society in question that goes beyond the superficial. This is not profound or contemplative sci-fi by any means, and ultimately the film’s social messaging is just a foundation which holds up the elaborate adventure and spectacle built on top.

The emotional character arcs in ‘Ready Player One’ are also predictable and even saccharine at points, and there’s a distinct lack of any real edge or tension in the film, which isn’t helped by the fact that the story drags slightly and is overly long—and could have benefitted from 20 minutes of fat trimming, leaving a tight and tasty two-hour sci-fi adventure to chew on.

Yet if you accept the fact that you’re watching Spielberg in breezy, crowd-pleasing entertainment mode, there’s plenty to love about ‘Ready Player One’. Not only is it visually mesmerising and action-packed, but it’s so full of charm and humour that it could almost be a comedy. Yes there is an almost overwhelming amount of references to absorb, and no doubt Warner Bros. is reaching for the lucrative nostalgia dollar, but the story comes from true fans and devotees of the era they pine for—rather than just jumping on a current trend bandwagon or a corporate grab, which the film cleverly and self-referentially addresses.

‘Ready Player One’ certainly has its issues and may not be a modern blockbuster masterpiece, and aside from the visual spectacle it may prove a disappointment to fans of the Ernest Cline novel. But for us this is crowd-pleasing light entertainment at its best, from a true master—with more than enough going for it to make for an endlessly entertaining cinema experience. If you ever wondered what many of your favourite 80s and 90s pop-culture stuff smashed together in one crazy story would look like, then this is the film for you . . . your childhood playtime with a $175 million budget.

The Bottom Line…

An unexpectedly funny and endlessly enjoyable Hollywood extravaganza, dripping with genuine cultivated nostalgia, and with something to say about our world and how we relate to each other. ‘Ready Player One’ may have its limitations and may not be sci-fi at its best or most profound, but thanks to the cinematic craftsmanship of a master and plenty of millennial vigour, this is big screen escapism at its most entertaining.

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