Don't Bother Reading the Book, the Movie Changes 90% of the Story

Rating: 6/10 (31 March 2018)

This film is just the latest in a long line of films that are a way for storytellers to "redo" their stories. They write a book and then make a film that changes the story so they can look at it and go, "here's what I should have done" or "this is better visually". If you haven't read the book then don't worry, there's absolutely no reason you need to read it before seeing the film. There are only about three things they kept the same and it only takes them about one minute to go off bookI thought the avatar designs were fantastic and I understand how a movie like this could not have been made until now. However, the graphics alone are not enough to save this film.
I thought the avatar designs were fantastic and I understand how a movie like this could not have been made until now. However, the graphics alone are not enough to save this film.
The film starts with the basic world setup and then Wade enters the OASIS and that's when the book was thrown out the window (probably 2 minutes into the movie). They removed Wade being in school, which is not bad, except that his school leads him to the first key. So no school means the copper key challenge is altered. Instead, we get a car race where the winner gets the key and the clue to the next key. Yes, the car race scene is great. Godzilla, King Kong, and dozens of other film/video game references play obstacles the racers have to overcome to get to the finish line where Anorak awaits with the copper key and the clue to the jade key.
Though not in the book, I love the addition of the Delorean. What I did not like is that apparently, the first challenge is now to "drive backward" through the race so you can go under the obstacles and make it to the finish line. Since Parzival's driving a Delorean I was hoping for a reference to 88 mph, but alas, there was none.
They also sped up the storyline, which was easy to do when they cut out half the challenges. There's supposed to be six of them-three keys and three gates. They eliminated the gates all together and instead just made it three keys and the first person to collect all three can open the magical door that leads to the egg. But they didn't stop there. They changed every single challenge. There are pieces of the six, but only if you know where to look. For the most part, every single obstacle they have to overcome to get to the egg is brand new. It was like reading an entirely different book.
I did like how they added in a caretaker who is in charge of Halliday's journals which are like home movies people can watch in a "library". Since it is is a movie there are certain parts that require a visual conversion so that they work better on screen. I get that, but sadly, that is-I'm convinced-the reason there is no Flycsync. The first gate challenge is supposed to be a Flycsync of Wargames and the third gate challenge includes a Flycsync of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I was so looking forward to the Monty Python reference, but they removed it entirely. They also removed all references to Wargames. Perhaps it was a copyright issue, but more likely they thought it was too meta. Playing scenes from movies within a virtual reality within a movie was going to come off as boring. What were they going to do? Cut out of the virtual reality to give us clips of the films that they'd have to use graphics to update so they looked as polished as the OASIS?
On the other hand, that didn't stop them from adding a brand new second key challenge that involves entering The Shining. We get the ax, the twin girls, the sea of blood, and the hotel. I do not understand why The Shining was added in. Why bring in that movie when you already had two great movies completely related to the actual storyline to use? Wargames is about a kid who plays a game that ends up being real stakes and Monty Python and the Holy Grail is about knights (like Parzival/Percival) who are searching for the Holy Grail A.K.A. Halliday's egg.
Another plus that I will give the film is the Iron Giant addition. I loved that movie and his scenes were fantastic!
Some of the problems I had with the film are likely ones you might not care about. For example, there seems to be an emphasis on Citizen Kane with at least two "rosebud" references that I can remember. Though the film is a classic and I am all for a good "rosebud" reference, I thought this story was an ode to the 80s, so I'm not understanding why a 1940s film is being referenced. My other problem is completely personal. I have never been the biggest Superman fan for one simple reason: Glasses on and slicked back hair = disguise. I thought that was so stupid growing up and constantly argued with my dad about that.After Parzival wins the first key he becomes famous and Art3mis gives him the "Clark Kent disguise" so he can walk around in the OASIS unnoticed. Why? Because apparently in the movie his avatar is made public, while in the book, he's still able to walk around without people realizing who he is. Why not just dress him up as Spiderman or something?
You'll notice I said that Art3mis gave Parzival the disguise, and that's because they become allies immediately. They start working together immediately. He falls in love with her and tells her at the club within the first third of the film. I really have no problem with all of that. Avatars working with other avatars is fine. The problem comes halfway through the film-that is when I decided I did not like it and I actually started to get bored.
Though I found the message in the book cliche (see my book review for details), I still believed it was central to the storyline. I couldn't imagine the book any other way. Apparently, director Steven Spielberg and author/screenwriter Ernest Cline could. Apparently, what I thought was crucial was something they had no problem throwing out the window.Art3mis refuses to meet Parzival IRL. She makes a point about how he'll be disappointed and how they should never reveal who they truly are. Then when Ogdon Morrow comes to collect the High Five and bring them to the safety of his home, Art3mis still refuses to meet Parzival face-to-face until after the quest is complete. He does not meet her until the very last scene of the entire book.Cliche, yes, but I still thought it was a good way to end the book. It gives us the life-lesson about the pros/cons of virtual reality and how we can be whoever we want to be as our avatars.
However, in the movie, they meet about halfway through. After Sorrento blows up Wade's home, Art3mis's "guys" kidnap him and bring them to her "rebel base". She's leading up a rebellion against IOI, and there's some story about her father who was indentured to them and died while working off his debts. This leads to about half of the movie, or at the very least more than I would have expected, taking place in reality. All five are riding around in Aech's van, Wade/Parzival and Samantha/Art3mis have formed an alliance to stop the evil empire IOI.
I swear this whole film seemed more like an ode to Star Wars. Sorrento is the evil Emperor, Ogdon Morrow and James Halliday are Yoda and Obi-Wan. Art3mis is Princess Leia, Parzival is Han/Luke, and the Sixers are the Stormtroopers.During the final battle where all OASIS avatars rise up to battle IOI so the High Five can win the egg, Art3mis disguises herself as a Sixer and brings down the magical barrier Sorrento had put up to prevent anyone from entering the third challenge. That entire scene gave me flashbacks to Obi-Wan bringing down the gravitational shield in A New Hope so Han could fly the Falcon out of the Death Star.
I have no problem with Star Wars references, but I just expected so much more out of this film. Sure there were amusing parts and it is a good film, I guess. I guess they found the key challenges and gate challenges too "boring" for a film. I guess Flycsync is only cool to me. I guess the suspense of Parzival and Art3mis not meeting until the very end is not essential to the storyline, so I guess this movie is ok.
As a book adaptation, I would give it an F, possibly a D-. As a movie, I would give it a B. For a Steven Spielberg film I would have thought it would have been much better.