Spielberg Can Still Make The Popcorn Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2018)

At its heart, the story behind "Ready Player One" is a popcorn cinema thriller just waiting to be made. After reading the book, I remember thinking that it could probably be even better as a film, considering it is easier to see/feel being inside a video game than it is reading about it. Director Steven Spielberg proves himself more than capable of handling both those fronts, proving he still has the chops to make a terrific popcorn flick, and also make it even better than the source material.
For a basic plot summary, this film tells the story of Parzival (Tye Sheridan), who spends most of his time (like most people of this future) inside the OASIS (think of it like a massive multiplay online game that everyone is hooked into). On an Earth that has been decimated by plagues and riots, with many residents living in vertical ghettos, this digital realm is the closest to happiness that most people can get. Halliday (Mark Rylance), the creator of OASIS, has left three clues scattered around (based on his childhood nostalgia) that will give the winner of his little game essentially the keys to the kingdom. So far, no one has been able to crack even the first code, and that includes a team of nefarious drone-types put together by Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn). When Parzival, with the help of the mysterious Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), solves the first puzzle, it sets off a race to determine which faction will ultimately control OASIS.
Like I said, this is perfect fodder for summer action/adventure movie fare, and Spielberg captures it all perfectly here. The action/chases are pulse-pounding, the visuals are engaging, and the entire film is littered with "easter eggs", or callbacks to 70s/80s nostalgia. For anyone who grew up with that pop culture, this will be a real treat. Even younger viewers, however, should also still be interested in some of the technical concepts thrown around, while of course being amazed by just the sheer amount of things that transpire in every scene.
Even more impressive? Spielberg's take on the material is better than the novel source, and I honestly don't think it is all that close of a contest. Ernest Cline's book had some great ideas, but spent far too much time moralizing about them in the "real world". Here, Spielberg realizes that the real meat of the story takes place inside the OASIS, and thus that is where most of the movie is set. This makes for a much more engaging experience, coupled with video games/film being easier to replicate visually than via the printed page.
So, overall I was much more impressed by "Ready Player One" than I ever thought I would be (it's one of the best purely exciting films I've seen in quite some time). After a run of more personal or politically-themed epic films, this one proves that Spielberg can slip right back into "cool guy director" mode without a hitch!