A thrilling and fast-paced experience that only a director like Spielberg could handle so well

Rating: 9/10 (29 March 2018)

Ready Player One is an action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Cline, it is a thrilling and fast-paced experience that only a director like Spielberg could handle so well.
In a dystopian 2045, the world has become hugely overpopulated and derelict. As a form of distraction from the real world, many use an online virtual reality software known as the OASIS where they can live out their fantasies using an anonymous avatar to interact with other "players". One particular player, teenager Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), uses the OASIS to escape his boring life in the slums of Columbus, Ohio. After Jim Halliday (Mark Rylance), the creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind one final challenge for players to find three cryptically hidden keys which will grant them his entire fortune and full ownership of the OASIS itself. Wade enlists the help of some of his friends to find the keys before an evil conglomerate corporation can do so for themselves.
In the hands of a lesser director, Ready Player One could have easily been a mindless mess of pop culture references and nostalgic gaming imagery, but thankfully with Steven Spielberg at the helm, the film manages to work remarkably well in its own right. Rather than revel in its own self-referential nature, the film for the most part keeps its nostalgic allusions to a minimum, though admittedly it is still fun to pick out anything recognisable at times. Multiple viewings may be required to spot everything. The fast-paced action and narrative allow the film to feel much shorter than its actual running time of 140 minutes and the story never drags. The film itself serves a commentary on humanity's over-reliance on using technology to escape reality from both a positive and a negative perspective. The one major problem I felt was that some of the important supporting cast were underdeveloped and during the third act, this becomes annoyingly obvious. Within a few years, I am almost certain that Ready Player One will achieve cult status among gamers and film fans alike.
I rate it 8.5/10