Ready Player One (2018)

'Ready Player One' could have been quite the epic fail for director Steven Spielberg and company. It doesn't leave without a few scars but this is by far one of the most fun movies I've sat through in a while and I've gotten to a point in my love of all things film that I've come to be a lot less harsh on films like these and I am hoping you'll do the same. Really the film's biggest issue is with the script, which like the novel on which it's based suffers from a thin 'Willy Wonka' like plot and our hero Wade is really not that interesting or unique in any way. I think that Olivia Cooke's Art3mis is a far more interesting character here and a lot of crucial plot points from the novel are given to her rather than Wade which helps benefit her character much more than in the book. The rest of the cast does well enough, but again they tend to have little time spent on them including the man who invented the Oasis which is a little odd.

So, the story is a little too thin for my tastes but I still think most folks will have a fun time watching 'Ready Player One' and that's due to the overall tone and celebratory feeling Spielberg has made here. Every little reference, music track, and the comedic moments are very well placed and fun to watch. I found myself laughing out loud more than once which hasn't happened in quite a while. The visual effects on hand here are all spot on, with the avatar facial and body animations being very impressive. The larger shots, such as scenes in the 'Stacks' tend to be of a little less quality but still this is a visually strong movie no doubt. The movie's references are overstuffed as expected and I'll have to wait for the Blu-Ray to fully pick out every little detail but it's really fun to sit there during some of the down time scenes and notice those little fun Easter Eggs. From the Glaive in 'Krull' to Chucky himself, you'll find yourself laughing or gleefully pointing at the screen.

Alan Silvestri composes 'Ready Player One' and other than John Williams, I can't think of a more perfect choice. Along with a few little references to his work on the 'Back to the Future' series, he produces a strong score that feels like an 80's era Spielberg movie. I'd check out the score on CD if you get the chance. Spielberg is a perfect match for a movie like this and even with it's downsides you get that same warm nostalgic feeling we all get when we sit down and watch that old television show or play that favorite childhood game or watch our favorite movies. 'Ready Player One' makes you feel all that and as a movie it makes you feel really good in the end. It may suffer the issues the novel does, but this is a pure Spielberg movie through and through and I'm being genuine when I say that we need more fun blockbuster movies like 'Ready Player One' to come back. I'm happy to see the fun Steven come back once again and bring me back to that excited little kid in the theater eating my popcorn and stuffing my face full of sugary soda and candy. This isn't a movie that should be so harshly judged but rather just let it make you feel good for a couple of hours and then you leave on a high. Sometimes, that really is enough.

7.9/10