During this quarantine, I had a lot of free time and was able to watch movies and TV shows that my friends had recommended to me over the years. Thanks to them, I had the pleasure to watch a huge variety of different movie genres, from gripping science-fiction movies to romcoms, I’ve seen them all. This particular movie, Ready Player One, released in 2018, and directed by the world famous director Steven Spielberg stood out to me. This Science-Fiction adventure puts a twist on the overused themes of video games and virtual reality. You think that you know what’s going to happen because you’ve seen it a thousand times in other films but you actually don’t. It’s creative, innovative and overall a really good movie. It keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times.
When I first saw this movie pop up in my recommended on Netflix, I thought it would be like any of those other movies about the technology of the future. I still gave it a shot since I had nothing better to do. And I’m glad I did because I was positively surprised. Although it still talks about futuristic technology, it does it in a way I haven’t seen before and the brilliant plot of the movie isn’t being pushed into the background. It has a solid story line, which is perfectly incorporated into the struggles of the future. The title of the film, Ready Player One, is inspired by old, classic arcade games. When you used to put money into the arcade, it would say “Ready, player one.” It’s the last thing you see before immersing into your video game. In this movie it’s all about the difference between real life and the two-dimensional world of video games. So I think calling the movie that is very well chosen because Steven Spielberg wanted to accentuate the fact that reality and virtual reality are 2 separate entities divided only by one tiny loading screen.
The movie takes place in Columbus, Ohio in the year 2045. Wade Watts, an orphan seeks escape from regular life through the virtual reality universe called OASIS. He plays there on a daily basis as his avatar Parzival with his best friend Aech. One day, they decide to try and find the golden Easter egg, placed into the OASIS by its now dead creator James Halliday. But there is a catch. Whoever, finds the 3 keys scattered around the universe opening the door to the Easter egg first, inherits the ownership of the OASIS and all of James Halliday’s money. However, the biggest competitor of Gregarious Games, the business which created the OASIS, Nolan Sorrento, the CEO of IOI, is after those keys and isn’t going to back down until he gets what he wants. When Wade, by chance, finds the first key, Nolan Sorrento is out for blood. He tracks down Wade in the real world and tries to kill him by destroying his home. With the help of his friends, he barely escapes the attack and tries to find the 2 remaining keys in order to save the OASIS from Sorrento’s power hungry clutches.
In my opinion, at first, Ready Player One sounds like any other movie you see on TV nowadays, but in reality it isn’t. This movie may have the same general theme as the others but the execution is very unique and the plot is a breath of fresh air. The focal point of the story isn’t solemnly on the video game aspect of the plot. Steven Spielberg also put a lot of emphasis on what those people go through in their life’s outside the OASIS. From abuse to love, this film tackles everything.
To conclude, if you have 2 hours of spare time and you enjoy Science-Fiction films, I highly recommend you watch this one. Especially if you’re tired of predictable plots and bad character development.
Docquier Helena, 5B
