Ready Player One (2018)

[Webslinger]

2 hours ago, K1stpierre said:

Saw this last night at the big screen, the IMAX3D screen in Providence, which is a rare treat as I hardly ever go to providence.

I just moved out of Rhode Island last summer, and man have I missed seeing movies there. The parking garage is a nightmare, but it's worth braving the wrath of five floors of angry RI drivers to see something that belongs on that gigantic IMAX screen.

[Rorschach]

Basically my review from Letterboxd. I'm too lazy to type up another response to it.

 

Overall, this was a really fun and entertaining film. There's certainly a lot I can gripe about but there's also a lot of fun stuff that I can shower praise on.

 

Positives:
-Most of the performances were really great. Cooke, Rylance, Waithe, and Mendelsohn, in particular, stood out among everyone else
-The whole Shining sequence was fantastic. A great nod to one of my favorite films
-Alan Silvestri's score
-The first challenge was a blast to watch unfold on the big screen
-The comedy injected throughout was fairly solid
-The world of the Oasis is pretty cool.
-I thought the CG was a little iffy in the trailers but its a whole other experience watching it on the big screen.
-Of course, catching all the major references throughout was a lot of fun.

 

Negatives:
-Tye Sheridan wasn't bad in the film but he didn't really sell me on his character. I like him as an actor. I just don't think the script gave him much to chew on.
-The climax, while entertaining at first, starts to drag after a bit. Seeing all these CG characters fight with the camera moving constantly was a bit much on the eyes.
-The pop culture references aren't too in your face but sometimes they can be. Yes movie, I know that's mecha-Godzilla. You don't need to point that out to me like I'm a clueless idiot.
-Some bad dialogue in places.

 

Despite my gripes, Ready Player One is fun and entertaining for all the right reasons. It's nice to see Spielberg go back to his blockbuster roots, amidst his current obsession with period dramas.
3/5

Edited April 2, 2018 by Rorschach

[K1stpierre]

48 minutes ago, Webslinger said:

I just moved out of Rhode Island last summer, and man have I missed seeing movies there. The parking garage is a nightmare, but it's worth braving the wrath of five floors of angry RI drivers to see something that belongs on that gigantic IMAX screen.

Oh my god SERIOUSLY! The garage was packed when we went, literally took us 20 minutes to find a spot. Plus I felt super Claustrophobic. As for a theater it was okay, but I know better ones with better seats (though, it's not an IMAX screen).

 

[Webslinger]

1 hour ago, K1stpierre said:

Oh my god SERIOUSLY! The garage was packed when we went, literally took us 20 minutes to find a spot. Plus I felt super Claustrophobic. As for a theater it was okay, but I know better ones with better seats (though, it's not an IMAX screen).

 

Yeah, that garage somehow got worse after the extensive remodeling they did on it a couple summers ago.

 

This would have been fantastic to look at on a huge IMAX screen. If only IMAX DMR had been feasible when Spielberg was making blockbusters on a more regular basis.

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

Positives

 

- Great action/set pieces (the race, the shining sequence and final battle were really well done)

- The world of the OASIS really captured the look and feel of an MMO (clans, leveling up, even Ben Mendolsons character trying to push the pay to win model)

- Enjoyed the performances by Cooke, Rylance, Waithe and TJ Miller. Loved all their characters/avatars.

- All the Easter-eggs/references were great as expected (some a little to in your face but it I guess they had to explain the ones that advance the plot to the general audience a bit more so wtv)

- Soundtrack was great

 

Negatives

 

- Ty Sheridan was ok playing the cringy gamer type but I really didn't buy his transformation into the badass leader of the rebellion at all. His speech at the end was unconvincing. Should've had Cooke's character do it. 

- Ben Mendolson was a boring villain. 

- Don't really understand the world outside the OASIS at all. How does the government react to all of this? All the gamers live in Ohio? Too much plot conveniences. No other company aside from Mendolson's is trying to win the game?

 

Overall its a fun movie full of great action/set pieces, pop culture Easter eggs and looks amazing in IMAX. (7/10) B

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by EarlyDeadlinePredictions

[DAR]

Saw it this afternoon.  I thought the first 2/3rds was a lot of fun, especially the first race and the Shining homage.   The last third was somewhat saved by Mark Rylance.  But much like watching someone play a video game I did get a little bored towards the end.  Probably won’t be something I rush out to see again.  But when it pops up on cable it’ll be a fun rewatch some rainy afternoon

Edited April 5, 2018 by DAR

[GroceryGuru]

I went in with high hopes, and the film did deliver exactly what I expected. some of those sequences require a big screen to sizzle the viewers. The story with a key searching mystery was where things fell short. Keep in mind I liked this film. I'm just being critical. we only have a few people searching We only know of these archives after most people stopped looking there, but we never really see any one else doing any competitive looking. Just the love interest and the evil corp. 

 

The climatic game, which involved a secret ball in a secret room was not nostalgic to me at all. It was plot convenient to have that, and for that matter finding keys and knowing quotes and history make the whole search uninviting to Atari-familiar nostalgia seeking viewers. that left me with a few cool graphics when they are in the zone/matrix/world. and the climax had him standing with a console in the boring arctic world going room to room. the ending had to be better than the race scene or the dance scene or the shining scene (unexpected, not in previews, Bravo). it ended flat. 

 

a little time getting to know the interface tech and how to upgrade, connect, block others, etc would make things more involving and complete. 

 

some knowledge of the economics of the time, which lead people to this world would be nice, as this one corporation is trying to keep control, perhaps other corps caused the trailer park industry to house the population of consumers. Some message about how the world will change along with the game would make this epic in scope.

 

Not being epic enough is the start of my biggest concern, It felt a bit like it was rushed to make the date the film marked 2 years ago as tent pole films mark territory in advance. now they tend to disappoint when the timing doesn't work.    still a great film that I enjoyed. 

[Goffe]

Disappointing that Spielberg didn’t make gamers the villains like they are in real life.

 

Sorrento pop culture hater bad. Halliday awkward nerd worth worshipping good. I guess not all corporate dudes are created the same. Did I mention the protagonist, the hero of the story, self-titles himself a fanboy?

 

Only thing that works in this dreck of a movie is the romantic relationship between Samantha and Wade.

 

Movie is really, really bad & no good. Easily one the worst Spielbergs.

 

3/10

Edited April 12, 2018 by Goffe

[Avatree]

23 hours ago, Goffe said:

Only thing that works in this dreck of a movie is the romantic relationship between Samantha and Wade.

Really? I thought it was super weird. Dude falls in love with her on the internet... just thought it was cringey, the only people who fall in love with internet girls are neckbeard virgins.

[Goffe]

🤷🏻‍♂️ I thought it was nice and the only moments where the movie engaged me. Cooke and Sheridan surely had plenty of chemistry together.

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

It’s kind of a mess in a lot of places, and it’s a situation where more interesting ideas and aspects get pretty overlooked (mainly the stuff with IOI and what else may be going on in the real world), and a lot of the emotional beats kind of fall flat.

 

Still, it’s pretty passable as sheer popcorn entertainment. The setpieces are fun to watch, even if they drag at parts, and the characters are decent for what the script gives them. Need more Sho and Aech though. It’s kind of forgettable as a whole, but I wouldn’t say it’s too bad.

 

C+

 

P.S. I have to say, this may be one of the Berg’s least visually appealing movies to date. So much of the Oasis is just so bland and visually overstuffed that it almost becomes excruciating to watch at points, and yet we never get a real sense of what’s possible there. Summer Wars does MUCH better world building with this regard.

[MrSinister]

On 3/28/2018 at 10:11 PM, 75Live said:

just got home so still processing but really good and fun movie.

 

I'll try to type more later but the second gate with the Shining was so awesome.  The whole theater was really into that and most of the movie.

 

I give it at least an A- for now.

 

so many little throwbacks/easter eggs even down to the Gremlins box that held the orb.  I could write forever to try to fit all of them in.

 

I liked the Chucky as weapon part and that they kept the MechaGodzilla part from the book and even used the Godzilla theme for it too.

 

Ok, I have to stop now or else I'll keep going on and not get some sleep  

I feel you captured my feelings exactly. Never read the book but it’s my kind of film. Especially liked some of the avatars- battletoads, tnmt, iron giant etc was all believable. MechaG and Kong were awesomeness for a Kaiju fan. I guess WB is making the most of those rights even outside of live action legendarys like Skull island and Godzilla 2014. Wish they could get some more ifukube themes for G2.  Probably the best I’ve seen Mecha G handled since the original. Looking forward to RP2

[ddddeeee]

About a third of it was fun, a third was boring and a third was really annoying. 

 

The action in the last act just wouldn't stop. Lead character was painful.

 

Silvestri MVP.

Edited April 21, 2018 by ddddeeee

[Captain Craig]

Grade: A

 

This was the first movie I used my new MoviePass card on and even if I hand' had it, I'd have paid to see it anyway.

 

This late to the Review thread I can't really add much to this conversation. I loved the Shinning 2nd level and have since read that in the book it is Blade Runner. Weird that it was changed. Getting BR rights should've been easy and the article I read gave possible reasons of conflict with BR2049 but if that is true it was a dumb reason.

 

@Baumer - I also thought Sho was a nod to Short Round. His name and ethnicity all work in that manner.

I caught the Iron Giants nod to T2 with the thumbs up finale sinking into the flaming lava.

 

I felt they need a Tron bike in the race sequence. Creating walls of light would be a great way to knock out those ioi goons out. 

 

So many moments deserving of freeze frame on a BluRay this summer. 

[John Rambo]

This movie was fun! My first Spielberg movie after Tintin (in theaters) and i wasnt disappointed.

 

Movie started off very well showing the reality in future with amazing visuals if u watch it on IMAX 3D. It lags a bit in the 2nd half once the real life characters real identity (lead) is revealed. But nevertheless it entertained me and made me feel worth watching it in theater.

 

Tye Sheridian lacks the charisma which a lead actor requires. Olivia Cooke offsets my disappointment of lead actor. She was great and confident. Rest of the cast were good too especially Aceh, Sho, Daito (all in real life).

 

Definitely a summer popcorn flick! 

 

7.5/10

[MrSinister]

On 4/23/2018 at 12:18 PM, Captain Craig said:

Grade: A

 

This was the first movie I used my new MoviePass card on and even if I hand' had it, I'd have paid to see it anyway.

 

This late to the Review thread I can't really add much to this conversation. I loved the Shinning 2nd level and have since read that in the book it is Blade Runner. Weird that it was changed. Getting BR rights should've been easy and the article I read gave possible reasons of conflict with BR2049 but if that is true it was a dumb reason.

 

@Baumer - I also thought Sho was a nod to Short Round. His name and ethnicity all work in that manner.

I caught the Iron Giants nod to T2 with the thumbs up finale sinking into the flaming lava.

 

I felt they need a Tron bike in the race sequence. Creating walls of light would be a great way to knock out those ioi goons out. 

 

So many moments deserving of freeze frame on a BluRay this summer. 

I would say licensing for bR, but WB has the rights to both so it does seem odd they couldnt get it. Still the shining scenes were among the best in the film so i wont complain too much. Knowing Sberg, he'll throw it in RP2.

[WrathOfHan]

This was pretty messy. The film surprisingly has very little soul and doesn't feel like something Spielberg made at all. When the main dude's aunt died, there's no emotion whatsoever. All the action in here is sterile and never got me engaged. Some of the book's cringe is still in here, and the main character is a goddamn doofus. The pop culture references aren't so bombarding fortunately, and The Shining scene was the highlight of the movie. On the bright side, I can't say I was ever bored watching Ready Player One, but it's such a bland movie to say positive things about. 6.5/10 | C+

[Jake Gittes]

23 hours ago, WrathOfHan said:

When the main dude's aunt died, there's no emotion whatsoever. 

Well he himself didn't even care about her enough to call her his aunt. She was his MOM's SISTER!

 

 

[Jake Gittes]

It turns out that watching a crowd of actual flesh-and-blood people pretend to be amazed by Ernest Cline's stand-in's knowledge of dumb ancient video game trivia is even more embarrassing than reading about it from his POV. Whoda thunk. 

 

The only good thing I have to say about this is that Rylance, Mendelsohn, Pegg and Cooke all gave it much more than it deserved and it's a hell of an irony that simple old-school human acting is the only appealing thing about a movie that tries so ridiculously hard to impress you with its effects. 

[Morieris]

Chills on the incel vibes of the book, but the out of the game sequences aren't impressive on an emotional front.

 

Spoiler

Except when Wade realizes he's talking to Aech.

 

But it's stylish and thrilling, and good enough for me.