Its not for everybody, but if its for you, then damn, what a time you will have.

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2018)

Full disclosure. I've never read the book. I am an avid gamer. I love RPGs. I love pop culture. I love Superheros. I love Anime. I grew up watching many of the references in this film. From the moment I saw the first trailer I was hooked and intrigued how this would play out. Would it be as shallow as it looked? Would it fold under the weight of its own ambition? Would it be played seriously or fun?
Going in blind but hopeful was probably a blessing in disguise. I really didn't know what to expect. I've long stopped trusting reviews (he says, writing a review) for our experiences of what we see on screen are so subjective, it doesn't really matter what other people think or feel or (allegedly) what they are paid to say. It really only matters what a movie does for you.
For the first time, perhaps ever, I felt the movie was written just for me. The geek in me cracked a smile from the very first scene and it never left. Yes, the pulp culture references were cool, but it was more than just a painting where you point out the cameos.
As a commentary on where we are as a society and where it could go in the future, it was interesting to see the widespread adoption of VR. Some of the themes are already happening, others not too far away. The question of "why do stuff in the real world when you can do it better in the online world" is one already being asked. There's a great montage of the real world inhabitants doing a wide range of activities in their own houses, looking absolutely ridiculous but not giving a damn.
The actual mechanics of the Oasis plays out like a cross between facebook, Warcraft, multiplayer first person shooters - basically anything that we have online. There really isn't a game there other than freedom and the hunt for the easter egg. You just try and gain as much stuff and experience to level up, whilst paying in real world money to get better gear and weapons. Pretty accurate as things go.
The main plot for the control of the Oasis and the hunt for the Easter Eggs is as simple as anything in Lord of the Rings. But its the journey we go through, both in the Oasis and the real world where the paradoxes are expertly played out. There is subtle touches that may be missed (the Oasis, where everybody goes to be social, yet nobody knows your real name), the deception of everything (you have a best friend, but you don't even know what they look like), the battle against the corporations who want to use the Oasis for advertising (ring a bell?) against those that just want to keep it free. These and more themes are constantly questioned but never really explored in any detail - they are background hints served as world building as to not distract from the spectacle of the action.
And what action. For once, a trailer hasn't spoiled the best bets, there are entire acts of the film that are simply mind blowing. The balance between real/oasis is almost perfect, and constantly the witty script had me smiling and laughing.
But...and it is a but...the reliance on pulp culture means its not for everybody. What I found hilarious, others may just stare at the screen in confusion. Its a toure de force of previous films and characters from all walks of life, across multiple genres and brings in RPG techniques that many people may not fully get.
But if you do get it, then boy, do you get it. An outstanding achievement in film making, and to be honest, one I never thought we would have the pleasure of watching.