I have been very excited to see Ready Player One and it has been difficult for me to keep my excitement in check because I am a big fan of the book. I discovered the book, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline earlier last year when it was recommended to me by a librarian when I was looking for something new to read. I feel in like with it immediately and read through it in one day. It had been a while since I found a book that I immediately loved so much and I have read it several times in the last year. Because I am a big fan of the book, I tried to not expect too much because movie adaptations of books tend to change a lot and this can be really frustrating. Overall Ready Player One was a great movie, visually stunning, with a good pace, and amazing production value. The majority of my critiques about it are the changes and deviations it made from the book. I will go into this in more detail in a later review that I will link here once completed (this will include spoilers). Anyone who hasn't read the book will probably really enjoy this movie and I think that those who really like the book or are fanboy/girls of it, will get frustrated with the changes.
Ready Player One is based on the 2011 book by Ernest Cline, it is set in a future would where basically everyone in the world spends the majority of their time in a computer game called the Oasis. This is a simulated multiplayer world that has become the escape for people and most lives are centered around their time in the Oasis. It was created by James Halliday, played by Mark Rylance, who upon realizing that he is dying and doesn't have any heirs, creates a quest within the Oasis which is hunt to find a hidden "Easter Egg" where the person who first finds it will become the owner of the Oasis and inherit all of Halliday's money. Wade Watts/ Parzival, played by Tye Sheridan is one of the "gunters" or egg hunters who have dedicated their lives to understanding Halliday, all of his interests (which is basically anything 80's), and finding the egg. Parzival must work out Halliday's puzzles, find the three hidden keys and open the three secret gates. Also hunting for the easter eggs are fellow gunter's Ache, played by Lena Waithe, who is Parzival's best friend; Art3mis, played by Olivia Cooke; Sho, played by Phillip Zhoa; and Daito, played by Win Morisaki. The stakes for finding the egg are high because IOI a corporation run by Nolan Sorrento, played by Ben Mendelsohn, has created a division of the company where all the "Sixers" are working together and will do anything to win the hunt to take over the Oasis. Also starting Simon Pegg as Og, Halliday;s old partner; and T.J. Miller as I-R0k another gunter who is helping Sorrento.
This movie starts with quite a lot of explanation and exposition, but this is required to understand the world of the movie and set up what is going on. I think it would be very confusion to understand what was going on or how the bits fit together. if this time wasn't spent on set up. Although the movie makes lots of changes with some of the components of the movie the basic structure of the plot carries on over into the movie and because of this the movie makes sense and moves from one thing to another in a streamlined way. The first key must be found before the second, and that one before the third. What is happening makes sense and there isn't a whole lot of other things focused on. There is a bit more added, as the book follows the point of view of Wade so anything not with him in it is added to drive the movie forward. The movie didn't follow a Wade point of view so it makes sense that some of the things he has to deal with are shown from the other side, as well as needing to bring into the story items/ plot points that are needed later on. It seems like enough information is given that even if you don't know anything about the book or the basis of what is going on beforehand you will be able to follow and understand the movie.
I am finding it very hard to separate my complaints about the changes to the book (which I think many were pointless: come on why change the name Shoto to Sho) but from my sister and friends who attending the movie with me, none of whom have read the book, all of them said they really liked the movie and therefore it is my conclusion that the frustrations are just it being different from the book. Trying to take away this frustrations, I liked what they did and enjoyed the movie. It was good and fun, and the spectacle was great to watch.
There were moments that I felt like they kept small details the same but changes big details, and there where moments where they kept bigger things and changes pointless little things. I know I said I would keep the ranting to a minimum, but I would settle in for a few minuets where the movie was doing good with the changes and them "wham" change. Oaky I think I'm done now.
The CGI was amazing in this movie, if you have read any of my other reviews, you will know that I am very critical and quick to judge CGI. It was done and used fantastically in this movie. I went and saw it in 3D and I thought it added to the movie going experience. This is definitely a movie worth watching on the big screen and I believe one of just a few I would recommend to see in 3D. Although the CGI when it is one is mainly CGI on CGI and it is obviously CGI, this works well with this movie because everything is happening in the Oasis, which is a computer game. Everything came together and I really, really liked the shot where Wade first logs into the Oasis and you go through the tunnel. I was thinking, YES they are going to do this right, and I continued to think that through the entire movie. It was easy to enjoy those moments that looked fake because I knew they were suppose to look fake. The only thing that I found a bit distracting with the CGI were the drones in the "real world" of the movie, and this could have been made better with changing the color of their lights.
There wasn't much character development in this movie or growth, and the connection between Parzival and Art3mis felt rushes as the time frame of the movie happens over what feels like just a few days. With trying to put so much into the story and spending time on each individual action sequence this went out the way. There were some nice points thought-out the movie, I especially enjoyed Aech and Sho. Except for at the very end I liked Sorrento and how he was used in the movie. I liked the casting of the movie although some of the people where not how I would picture them. Wade could have been a bit less dopey feeling but I liked him when he was Parzival.
Overall this was a pretty good big budget, family friendly, big budget movie and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys these types of movies. If you are a fan of the book and will be disappointed about significant changes (that feel pointless as the original world have worked) you are warned to check this at the door as there are changes to almost every single location and task.
My Rating = 2+
My Production Rating = 3
