Hi
tech effects galore ramp up the fun in Ready
Player One, a best seller adaptation by Steven Spielberg and an
entertaining adventure in virtual reality featuring
more Easter egg references than any movie in history.
Set
in Ohio, 2045, The Stacks is a congested city of trailer homes literally piled
upon one another where the only recreation is escape in a complex game of
virtual reality set in The Oasis by recently deceased creator, Halliday (Mark
Rylance), who leaves as his legacy, a supreme scavenger hunt challenge to
locate three keys to win the game and inherit untold wealth and control of The
Oasis. Wade (Tye Sheridan), a teen whose
avatar is a top competitor in the games, meets other gamers including a
mysterious female competitor (Olivia Cooke), and together they try to decipher clues and archival footage of Halliday
to solve the game and beat an evil corporation led by Sorrento (Ben
Mendelson).
Part of the fun is
picking out the many pop culture references that are integrated into the plot as Easter egg visuals and sounds,
with everything from King Kong to TV’s Batmobile, the Iron Giant to a big homage
to Stanley Kubrick, and many references that lean heavily on 1980s icons. There
are thematic influences of The Matrix,
Wargames, Inception, and even a bit of Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
This film is like
cotton candy, sweet and satisfying fun with not too much substance. But that’s ok. It never loses sight of its storyline and
throws in so much eye and ear candy along the way, this film will be watched
repeatedly for its obvious and hidden treasures. Probably worth owning.
***
of **** stars (Add ½* for pop culture fans!)
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