Review of Ready Player One (2018) by Inopinatus — 29 Mar 2018

The director abandons the source material early on in favour of a nauseating litany of pop-culture references, overblown action sequences and cliched plot devices. Ironically, given the storyline, Mr Spielberg's artistic repertoire has not significantly advanced since the 1980s, and this is obvious in the appallingly stereotyped portrayal of the Bad Guy and of the Girl Interest - but most clearly thrown into shade by the cinematic quotations from the far more sophisticated Stanley Kubrick.

The actors are never given space to breathe, the character development is paper-thin, and every performance is therefore hackneyed to the point of cringeworthiness. If you have read the book, this film will appall you, and if you have not read the book, there is no reason to see this film.