Nostalgia, Individuality, and Human Appeal at Work

Rating: 7/10 (30 April 2019)

"Ready Player One," directed by Steven Spielberg, is a film consisting of a combination of live action and CGI animation to convey the plot of a virtual reality universe. Main character Wade Watts is on a mission to find an Easter egg hidden by the universe's creator. Using various nostalgic references, such as "Back to the Future", "Jurassic Park", and "The Shining", the film captivates its audience and evokes feelings from an earlier time as the action plays out in the film. Specifically, the scene referencing "The Shining" appears as an entirely different movie in it of itself as the setting is identical to that of the original movie. I think the use of 80s pop culture references combined with the virtual reality setting has the potential to captivate multiple groups of audiences, such as those who grew up with these references and those that are growing up with advancements in technology. Set in 2045, the world is in shambles as overpopulation and global warming have stuck the earth. Though the OASIS is the virtual reality universe, the style of this setting is so realistic that is can cause some confusion, only adding to the film. The CGI animation used to create the avatars in the OASIS gives the film a video game aesthetic, allowing the audience to view it as though it were a video game. It is easy to tell that the characters portrayed in this universe are fictional, but the way they appear and travel make it seem as though you are walking in their shoes along this journey. There are various different types of characters, ranging from human-like avatars to alien-like beings and robots, all of which add to the diversity and individuality expressed by each of the characters. Though the plot of the story consists of a group of players on a journey to win the creator's fortunes, it also stimulates recognizable human emotions such as love and friendship as Wade Watts develops a crush on Art3mis. He then becomes more focused on pursuing relationships rather than his own success. This could serve as a moral of the story as he becomes inspired to actually live his life rather than be consumed by a virtual world. This movie also shines a spotlight on the captivating aspects of virtual reality that can essentially consume one's life. Overall, the film appeals to audiences through the use of nostalgia, individuality, and human emotion, connecting to people from different backgrounds and age groups.