Never Read the Book

Rating: 6/10 (1 June 2018)

Pros:
I very much enjoyed the nostalgia I experienced in this movie. Quite the concept and executed well. The movie definitely thrives on its pop culture references and assumption of viewers knowledge of video games, but if that applies to you, then it's an easy movie to enjoy. The plot is simple enough and it's easy to follow so you can just have fun watching it. Personally I had a lot of fun watching this movie, probably because I'm easily entertained, but the point still stands that it was a nostalgic thrill ride that made me remember why I loved video games growing up. Perfect for the kid inside everyone.
Cons:
The characters did seem shallow and we were automatically supposed to care about the Asian characters without much of an emotional attachment when they were introduced in the real world. The villains are cut and paste corporate baddies who want the same thing as every other movie, money and power.
Last thing: Plot is a bit too simple. The clues that Wade and co. figure out are very simple and seem like things that more than one person should've figured out. And for IOI, they have a full team of analysts and scientists and they were only able to figure out one thing and do it too late. The movie makes everyone in the world seem kinda stupid besides one group of 5 people. At one point, one character says he had invested 10 years in his character. It makes no sense that not a single person would figure out Halladay's challenge within that period of time.!
Bottom line: great summer movie to watch with your buds or family to have fun with. Don't take it too seriously if you read the book, or else you'll waste your time from what I've heard. I would definitely watch again just to spot some more Easter eggs as this movie is packed full of them.