Spielberg's back, but for the worse

Rating: Null/10 (6 April 2018)

2/4
I got the pleasure of seeing Spielberg's first "crowd-pleaser" in over a decade in theatres. The veteran director is characterized by works spanning the 80s and 90s, and his name was recognized by both buffs and casual movie-goers alike. Now, he's the center of attention again with his comeback: Ready Player One.
I enjoyed it for what it was, but I was very disappointed. There were many plot holes, and (for me) many questions left unanswered. As far as the book, I haven't read it and can't criticize the story itself.
The special effects are the best I've ever seen in a Spielberg movie. He truly brought it to life in a unique way. Another theme prevalent in the cinematography was dimming the colors in scenes not in the OASIS. Also, the background was blurry whenever Parsival and Art3mis we're together in the OASIS. I thought these were very nice touches. The nostalgia, however, was as abundant as it was obvious. (especially The Shinjng sequence) It called for a far more subtle, less in-your-face type of throwback. In addition, the references could be very forced or out of place (the race at the beginning with the T-Rex and King Kong). In short, it was tired and overbearing.
Our protagonist, Wade, is a resident of Columbus, Ohio in the year 2045. He lives in a ghetto known as "The Satcks" (trailers stacked on top of one another) in a world so filled with problems that all anyone does is escapes reality. This is done in a virtual world known as the OASIS. Halliday, the creator of the OASIS, made a contest to find an Easter Egg. Whoever found it would gain control over the entire OASIS. While this isn't a drama, one can't help but wonder what exactly these problems are, as most of what you see outside of the OASIS is the small trailer park community.
In the OASIS, Wade is among the elite, which is the opposite from his real-life status. This is where his best friends are, in this virtual world.
In the OASIS, you never truly know what's going on. You have to fill in way to many blanks, because the OASIS feels like more of an unfinished concept. Also, since most of the movie takes place here, in this mystery world, the blanks become plot holes rather rapidly.
Secondly, since the movie jumps between Earth and the OASIS, the character development aspect felt lacking. It's a shame, these were relatable characters, and you'd want to know them in a deeper, more complex level. Instead, it felt like the 2 hours that they were on screen equated their entire life-span.
The OASIS is where Wade's entire life is, except for his tough-love aunt and uncle. One definite negative was the light-hearted manner in which the movie took into account their death. When Wade learned his "stack" was going to blown up by the IOI, he called home to have his drunk uncle pick up the phone. When he doesn't listen, the stack toppled over and they both die. The scene cuts, and there is no sign that Wade is conflicted emotionally (as would be the norm) until almost half an hour later. He confronts the perpetrator with a very weak blow: You killed my mother's sister! This is another example of weak character development. Spielberg should have established emotional connection between the characters. On the contrary, Halliday was overly developed compared to much more pivotal characters. These proportions ultimately felt shallow.
The IOI felt more like a government agency than a private organization. It gave one missable scene of clarity what would happen if they found Halliday's Easter Egg. The OASIS under the control of the IOI would be flooded with subscription fees and micro transactions. Considering they killed everyone in Wade's stack and practiced forced labor, you think they would do a bit more?
This movie doesn't resonate with you the way Jurassic Park, ET, Jaws, or Indiana Jones did. It feels like Spielberg's last goodbye to the movie industry, in which he did so much good for. At the same time, this didn't feel like Spielberg. This movie is more in the spirit of Linklater, only more haphazardly crafted. This movie is proof that Spielberg has another epic movie in him. As opposed to reliving the 80's, he only reminisces them.