Ready Player One Review

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 140 minutes 

Directed by: Steven Spielberg.

What’s it about: Based on the bestselling novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One follows Wade Watts, a young gamer who spends his days in the OASIS - a virtual reality universe where people can escape the grim realities of the world. When the creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find an Easter egg that he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS. But just because the contest takes place in virtual reality, it doesn’t mean that the dangers aren’t very real...

The verdict: In a lot of ways I feel that it’s slightly unfortunate that I’ve read the novel that this film is based upon. This meant that I couldn’t help but compare the film to the book. So on a quick side note for those who’ve read the book - although I think the film mostly captures the spirit of the book, there are A LOT of changes. Personally I found these changes to be disappointing.

Ready Player One starts with explanations of the virtual reality universe called the OASIS. There is quite a lot of information jam packed into the opening and it felt a bit disjointed to me. I wondered if those new to the concept felt like they understood. Ready Player One is set in a dystopian future which they didn’t go into as much as I would’ve liked. The main point of the OASIS is to escape the horrors of day to day life which didn’t come across to me.

Main character Wade Watts is played by Tye Sheridan. I’ve enjoyed Sheridan in other roles but I felt that in this he was a bit lifeless at times. In fact I didn’t really enjoy any of the performances particularly, although Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance probably stood out the most as the creators of the OASIS. One of my favourite actors is Ben Mendelsohn and I almost felt a bit sad that he was a part of the film. His character is one of the most interesting, but his talent wasn’t made the best use of here. The actors were definitely in danger of being out acted by their avatars. I actually enjoyed the avatar scenes more.

Another massive problem for me in Ready Player One was the lack of an emotional pull and a lack of a sense of peril. The players are in a race against time to find the Easter egg which will ultimately have real world consequences, but unlike in the book this didn’t really hit home as much as it could have. I do remember feeling a bit like “what’s the point?” as I watched it. When something emotional and devastating happened to Wade, it was barely addressed and he showed almost no emotion about it at all.

There are some positives though. I enjoyed the music and some of the Easter eggs that they put in. You can’t deny that the film looks good - there’s a lot to catch your eye. The final battle looked particularly epic, and this is a film that is perfect for the big screen. Ready Player One is definitely a popcorn blockbuster - it’s entertaining enough and is fun to watch. And the rest of the audience seemed to enjoy it well enough.

Overall for me though, Ready Player One was just ok. It was enjoyable enough to watch in the cinema but it lacked heart. It did feel like a case of style over substance. And with no great character arcs, a lack of appealing narrative, and nothing that made me feel invested in the outcome - it fell flat. Add in an ending which was cheesy and cliched, and personally I found it one of Spielberg’s weaker films.

Should you watch this film? No. It might be perfect for the big screen, but I think you can save your money on this one and wait for the DVD.