Since the first trailer for READY PLAYER ONE, I knew it was a movie I had to see. Besides being about real life versus playing video games in a virtual world, the fact that it was directed by Steven Spielberg, might have been a strong pull. Ha!

Note: I was invited as media to the movie screening by Warner Bros. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

But beyond that the movie has some other points going for it, that makes it an enjoyable watch.

3 Reason to See Ready Player One

Visual Virtual Worlds

The visual effects for READY PLAYER ONE were amazing! From the different gaming worlds to the scene where there was "live" interaction between a human and virtual character, you were pulled into the moment. One of the things I enjoyed was the colors and textures of the different world.

The character designs were also stunning but you kinda expected that. The background and surrounding visuals for the character being just as good was a major bonus.

Pop Cultural Call-backs

A lot of movie have pop culture references, which are sometimes cute. But the reference in READY PLAYER ONE are beyond cute. They are emotional. In a good way.

There's a great mix of gaming and movie related references. To be honest I was surprised how well the references fit into the overall story-line. There was a whole gaming part that was themed after The Shining movie and it was awesome. Yes a little scary but also a little touching.

Then there was The Iron Giant, who started out as a side project but became an important part of the adventure. Any fan of the Iron Giant film will cheer at that moment. I don't want to give it away but these are two great examples of how pop culture references tied in on an emotional level.

Balanced Story-line

Overall the READY PLAYER ONE story-line is about losing your self in the virtual world because real life sucks. It's something we can relate to. So many of us spend tons of time connected online. There's so many reasons for this. But there's also many consequences because of this. Being disconnected from real life offline interaction is an issue.

I was pleased to see that READY PLAYER ONE didn't gloss over this issue. While there was lots of action and adventure in the story-line, it was balanced with the reminder of the importance for real life human connections. All that we have and can be is based on being human, who's present in the moment.

That might be a little deep but it's a good message that READY PLAYER ONE leaves viewers with.

You can see READY PLAYER ONE in theaters nationwide.

SYNOPSIS



In the year 2045, the real world is a harsh place. The only time Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) truly feels alive is when he escapes to the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe where most of humanity spend their days. In the OASIS, you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone—the only limits are your own imagination.

The OASIS was created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who left his immense fortune and total control of the OASIS to the winner of a three-part contest he designed to find a worthy heir. When Wade conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends—known as the High Five—are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS and their world.

“Ready Player One” stars Tye Sheridan (“X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Mud”), Olivia Cooke (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Bates Motel”), Ben Mendelsohn (“Rogue One – A Star Wars Story,” “Bloodline”), Lena Waithe (“Master of None”), T.J. Miller (“Deadpool”), Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki, Hannah John-Kamen (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), with Simon Pegg (the “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible” movies) and Oscar winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Dunkirk”).

Three-time Oscar winner Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. It is based on the novel by Cline,

Produced by Donald De Line, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Spielberg and Dan Farah.
Executive producers Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris deFaria and Bruce Berman.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, an Amblin Production, a De Line Pictures Production, a Steven Spielberg Film, “Ready Player One.”

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