We've seen a plethora of apocalyptic films that Hollywood has produced through the years i.e. "The Omega Man", "Silent Running", "District 9", "The Book of Eli", "Mad Max", "9", "Elysium" to mention a handful. "Ready Player One" isn't necessarily an apocalyptic film, however it portrays our future as though an apocalyptic situation had occurred.
In the year 2045, the real world is a harsh and grim place. The only time Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) truly feels alive is when he escapes to the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe where most of humanity spends their days. In the OASIS, you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone-- the only limits are your imagination. The OASIS was created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who left his immense fortune and total control of the Oasis to the winner of a three-part contest he designed to find a worthy heir. The prize? Halliday has left behind an Easter egg that becomes sought after by many including Parzival, the avatar of Wade and his nemesis Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn). When Parzival conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends, including Samantha and her avatar Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), Helen and her avatar Aech (Lena Waithe), Sho (Philip Zhao) and Daito (Win Morisaki)-- AKA the High Five-- are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS.
Others to round out the cast are T.J. Miller as I-Rok, Simon Pegg as Ogden Morrow, Hannah John-Kamen as F'Nale Zandor, Ralph Ineson as Rick, boyfriend of Alice and Susan Lynch as Alice, Wade's aunt.
This was brilliantly directed by the consummate veteran Steven Spielberg ("Duel" (TV movie) '71, "Jaws" '75, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" '81, "E. T. the Extra Terrestrial" '82, "Empire of the Sun" '87, "Jurassic Park" '93, "Schindler's List" '93, "Minority Report" '02, "The Terminal" '04, "Munich" '05, "War Horse" '11, "Lincoln" '12, "Bridge of Spies" '15, "The BFG" '16, "The Post" '17) plus many others and TV. Spielberg has the extreme ability to make the characters in his films simply come alive and his continued trademark of pulling his audiences through the proverbial keyhole by leaving them hanging is pure joy and entertainment taking us back to the matinee idol days of yore. This director has proved himself time and again. In fact, his remake of "West Side Story" is in pre-production right now, and if any one can make a remake soar, it would be that of Spielberg. It was entertainingly and astutely written by Zak Penn ("Behind Enemy Lines" '01, "Elecktra" '05, X-Men: The Last Stand" '06, "The Incredible Hulk" '08) plus others, TV and video games and Ernest Cline ("Fanboys" '09) based on the novel by Cline. Considering this is set in 2045, it's amazing of the 80's reference to the pop culture then replete with a homage to "Back to the Future" and it's director Robert Zemeckis. Even the car that Parzival drove was the Delorean that was used in that film. When a writer can make an 80's pop culture fit in a futuristic setting, this is talent. Of course, considering that one of the writers wrote the novel the film is based on, this certainly doesn't hurt. The script was tight, cohesive and is the quintessential escape film to entertain all who see it. The visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Digital Domain were seamless and enhanced this production.
When I saw my first trailer of this film, I felt it would be a good film, but I had no idea how entertaining, enjoyable and gripping it turned out. If there were any regrets to this, it would be that I should've viewed this in its amazing IMAX format. Seeing this on the large screen would be imperative, although the IMAX version is the format I would recommend. Grab the popcorn and enjoy this ride!
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 140mins.
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