Based Solely On The Film

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2018)

A lot of young people will miss the references, like Mayor Goldie Wilson campaign poster. But this film had to have been a joy to make...
Not sure how he was able to outdo the nostalgia he created, but much like the lame-wad t.v. series that try to ape the era, Spielberg not only created it, he showed them how it's done...again.
There is a fomula brewing in his head somewhere that must be tapped at some point. Though, he is up there in age, it is baffling how he was able to reach into that memory banks of emotion and re-boot for this generation using their own weapons. This film is THAT good. And yes, it treads very familar territory, but what lingers is the innocence our society once had. The fact that the society depicted had imploded and relies on some phony universe to provide our happiness. The lesson is deep, in terms of what we expect out of the "real world." So we distract ourselves constantly. The land, in this case is the OASIS, a virtual world to escape the drudgery of life. And EVERYONE is sucked in (cough, the internet...cough). The creator embedded a contest, ala Willy Wonka style to win the control of this virtual open world sandbox. And a gazillion dollars to boot. Enter Wade...a nerd who lives in stacked trailer home. He's been orphaned (ahem...Disney) so he lives with a, well, redneck aunt. Miserable, he spends a great deal in the OASIS. There is a competing firm, headed by Sorrento who wants control over everything. Apple vs. Windows...I mean, your choice.
Of course our hero runs into a female gamer named Art3mis (played by Olivia Cooke). She is that tomboyish nerd who guys like me have crushes over. In the OASIS she is a badass biker chick most likely influenced by "Akira." Her big anime eyes and skin-tight outfits suggest she has some self-esteem issues, similar to the rest of the world living in virtuosity. But there is something else about her that is revealed later.
Anyway, for my 40+ year old fringe nerd ass, this was a return to the ol' days of Spielberg. A little sweet and carefree, without the biting cynicism of our world today. Yes, there are really dark moments, but it's a Spielberg film man. And it was just a joy to hear Alan Silverstri with that marching orchestration I loved from "Back To The Future" or "Predator" It's a mix tape that I listen to with a massive smile on my face.