Review of Ready Player One (2018) by Lucas Q — 08 Apr 2018
Funko Pops: the Movie! Recognizing Things: the Movie!
Yeah, I've heard the jokes. Some of them are funny. Thing is - I liked Ernie Cline's novel quite a bit... NOT for his prose (which I'll defend, to a point) and not for the copious pop culture references - but for the UNIQUE flourishes. The distinctive aspects of Ready Player One, as a concept, do exist. Spielberg finds them, and wisely brings them to the fore.
Granted, he completely reconstructs the book's narrative in the process. This is a film very much based on the characters and situations of the novel - not so much on its plot. That's fine, though. Many will find the nods to other intellectual property much more palatable as they flash by on the screen, as opposed to their paragraph form. The rest - the main cast and their motivations, are brilliantly realized. This film - strike that - MOVIE - is visually sumptuous and inventive. Speilberg is having FUN, and it's nice to see that paying dividends at the box office.
Especially delightful: The nods to Robert Zemeckis, The Iron Giant, and The Shining. Good Lord, that 'Shining' sequence had my jaw on the floor.
This review of Ready Player One (2018) was written by Lucas Q on 08 Apr 2018.
Ready Player One has generally received positive reviews.
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