“Wade Watts. My dad gave me that name because he thought it sound like a super hero’s alter ego. Like Peter Parker or Bruce Banner.” That is a horrible line, it just sounds so cheesy. Fortunately, the rest of the movie makes up for it. Ready Player One is a future-dystopian story based on the artificial world called the Oasis and the prize it contains if you win. The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and is from a book by Ernest Cline written in 2011. The movie is a fun joyride for lovers of video games and movies. Don’t watch the movie looking for an Oscar winner, but it is one of the most fun movies I’ve seen in a while.
Like the book, there is a plethora of references to movies, music, and more specifically, video games. Most of the references come from the '80s, but in the movie, there are a lot of modern references. Some of these include Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog, Tracer from Overwatch, Master Chief from Halo, and many more. I was able to notice them, but I thought it was a good experience to see it with my father because he did not notice all of them. However, these modern references were not critical for the plotline. These were more a nod to the younger audience watching to drag them into this world.
The biggest feature of the movie was all the older video game and pop culture references, most of them taking place during the '80s. There is an amazing race, a highlight of the movie, during the beginning that contains the T-Rex from Jurassic Park, the DeLorean from Back to The Future, and King Kong from King Kong as well as other references that I can’t even remember. There are also references to Dungeons & Dragons with the 20-sided die in the Orb of Osuvox. The Atari is a big aspect of the movie and games like Jouse, Centipede, Galaga, etc. are referenced as well. I would love to talk about all the other allusions, but they are spoilers and some of the best parts of the movie. One thing that the movie did well was the element of surprise. When something comes on screen that you recognize but were not expecting, it's the best feeling.
The plot is not the strongest aspect of the movie, but it's not bad. It’s a love story, a sci-fi action movie, a comedy, and a drama which somehow works. It follows Wade Watts who is looking for the hidden Easter Egg at the end of the Oasis after finding three keys. This is not a spoiler since it is said at the beginning of the movie. The characters are all fun and relatable, although some more one-dimensional than others. Even the villain has some good moments although he is not very complex, just a straight evil person with the common motives of greed and power.
Ready Player One has so much going for it while still being an entertaining movie. I’ve seen other reviews referring to the fact that it is just a pop-culture overload which takes away from the movie aspect. However, I would have to disagree. This movie does something that no other movie does so intensely while still having a decent plot, a fun story, and relatable characters. This is not an easy feat. Some of this could be attributed to the author, but Spielberg did a good job in translating that on the screen. Although I would have liked to see more than just the 20-sided die as a representation of Dungeons and Dragons, that’s just my personal complaint.
4.5/5 for an all-around fun and exciting movie. Although simple, anybody, that has not been living under a rock, can find something enjoyable in it. Watch it on the big screen; it's worth it.
