Steven Spielberg stated he wants the audience to feel good after watching Ready Player One; he accomplished that goal last night at the promotional / press screening of the film in Tampa.
Ready Player One is the modern day Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory because of its similar themes and journey into the depths of imagination.
Spielberg took all the best parts of his previous films and added every pop culture reference Warner Bros. would allow to deliver the best argument in a very long time of why you should see a movie in a theater. Ready Player One has it all: the spectacle, the sound, the insane action, and the intimate touch that only Spielberg has. Ready Player One is a legacy film, to Spielberg’s legacy.
Everything that was fundamentally wrong with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is so on target in Ready Player One. Spielberg’s film isn’t shallow, and there is more than a few characters that the audience can relate too. The game world has rules that are quickly understandable. The most notable difference between the two films? You are not going to this movie to see The Rock; you are going to the theater to see a story unfold.
What is exceptional about Ready Player One is how you can watch the film two ways. The first way, turn your brain off and just let the pretty pictures entertain you for two hours and 20 minutes. This film is a popcorn flick on steroids. The second way, turn your brain on and look for the meaning in every frame and every line. Spielberg closes out Ernest Cline’s novel in a way that starts a conversation in the crowd and excites the audience of the future possibilities.
I witnessed action sequences last night that I would never have thought possible in my 41-plus years on this Earth as an extreme nerd. The rewatchability factor for Ready Player One is off the charts as it is almost impossible to catch every easter egg in the film your first watch-through.
The plot is a simple hero’s journey that’s been done a million times before, and there are cliche moments throughout the film. But with Spielberg’s vision and Cline’s source material, the two hit a sweet spot of nostalgia and comfort to where everything seems familiar yet brand new. When you like the characters, the journey becomes more enjoyable.
Ready Player One was written for Spielberg to direct, and we all benefit from his imagination and understanding of childlike wonder.
What did you think of Ready Player One? Comment below.
