Where’s Wally?

From its compelling ability to reflect our world back at us through to the outright spectacle of the latest effects, which makes us perceive a particular feature in a different light, the realm of cinema has always drawn-off from the advancement of technology. From the fantastical star gate sequence that resides within Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey through to the grim and downtrodden dystopia that’s projected in the context of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, the projection of technology throughout cinema’s history has both been celebrated and questioned and has often explored the potential repercussions of technological change and what it may bring. While its visual routes lay bear in Steven Lisberger’s Tron, virtual reality (VR) has never been more pertinent than it is today – from the Playstation 4 console adopting its over-worldly majesty to the said device being used experimentally in niche projects – and is more commonly being projected and catechised in today’s media; as seen in the anime of Sword Art Online and the acclaimed T.V. series of Black Mirror. As much as it can be argued that the illustration of VR within Steven Spielberg’s latest cinematic feature of Ready Player One subtly scrutinises video-game addiction, it’s a thrilling science-fiction adventure film that flexibly presents a myriad of loveable film and game references in an infinitely malleable universe that makes you gleam with elation. However, as much as Ready Player One’s lifeblood consists of these references popping from the silver-screen, does the said film have enough contextual substance to warrant multiple viewings?…

Based on Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel of the same name, Ready Player One sets its precedent in the year of 2045, where the world depicted is on the brink of chaos and collapse following a series of seismic catastrophes. Residing in one of the many slums that culminate Columbus, Ohio, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), named to sound like a super-heroes alter-ego, spends his time roaming and playing within the OASIS; a virtual space, created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance), where seemingly everyone on the planet connects to in order to escape from the harsh realities of the real-world. Seen as a mystic avatar named Parzifal within the OASIS, Wade, along with another fell Gunter (egg hunter) named Aech and another highly-skilled player called At3mis, together venture into this limitless fantasyscape to finish Halliday’s competition in finding three keys and an Easter egg; a prize that is once found by a single-player, will be granted a trillion-dollar fortune and full-ownership of the OASIS itself. However, as deliciously investing as this may seem to Wade, his friends and the rest of the millions of the players that spend their time within this digital world, they are all hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt once Nolan Serrento (Ben Mendolsohn), the nefarious CEO of rival software company Innovative Online Industries (IOI), attempts to claim the golden prize for himself; by any means necessary…

Admittedly, whilst I’ve never gone ahead and read Cline’s well-received novel, one of the fears when watching the array of trailers and going into Ready Player One was the films obvious inclination to encompass references stated in said novel and in other well-versed films and games and how these eye-gasmic innuendo’s would ultimately incorporate with the central context. Indeed, would this balance work? Or, would Spielberg’s take-on this accepted story fall in-line with the many pre-apocalyptic utopian YA drama’s that have been hit or miss in the contemporary cinema scene? To put it simply, Ready Player One never once obliges itself to exhibit a story that’s of the same ilk as The Hunger Games or the Divergent series of films, and instead displays a one-off concept that’s purposefully providing wholehearted buoyancy and nostalgic intimacy. From the subtle appearances of Ryu, Chun-Li and Blanka from the Street Fighter game franchise to the more obvious presence of the Iron Giant or a Mech from the Gundam anime series, the innumerable amount of references that are threaded within Ready Player One are conveniently impactful to the more tense sequences and moments of the story are never imposing to the point where you’re constantly surveying the screen looking for fictional character that you may recognise. There’s certainly a strange joy in scanning the screen, particularly in the films early and visually-pleasing race sequence, when searching for an obscure character that you may recognise. While many accomplished directors could get bogged down in this, licking their lips with ripe opportunity to fully mask a multitude of scenes with allusions of fictional characters conversing with one another as if they’re in a Where’s Wally? book, Spielberg favourably strikes the perfect balance. His film-making experience in when to exactly pull back the focus towards the story/characters is telling here and there aren’t any moments when you feel as though the inclusion of certain character nods are overbearing to witness. The switch between the real and virtual worlds is done with a dazzling tact; seamlessly melding the peril that the central characters are faced with in both realms and necessarily upping the tension once the film reaches its climatic bout between iconic characters fighting for the three keys and Halliday’s prize. If there’s one negligence to be had in regards to Ready Player One’s contextual approach, it’s the manner in which the exposition and descriptive narration needlessly halts and rushes the events that are depicted. As detailed and partially necessary the narrated exposition is from Wade in describing the world that he’s currently living in and how people escape their real lives to earn what they can by playing within the OASIS, the manner in which this story-telling device is utilised fairly hastens the events that transpire; which results in the real-world sequences being seen as uneventful compared to what’s seen when the central characters are traversing through the imaginarium that is the OASIS. Unlike the portrayed virtual world, what’s exhibited in the real world never quite gets to grips with the ramifications of its own future. Although the notion of a generation lost within a expansive VR simulation is an intriguing one to ponder over, but is inevitably side-lined in the wake of the fantastical set-pieces seen throughout. A clear example of this is with the introduction of Samantha who we never really know why she’s personally rebelling against IOI in the first place, other than being involved with an anti-corporation that never gets explained as well. The audience can understand why Samantha detests IOI, but there’s never an explained justification for her actions unlike Wade (of which I won’t spoil). Then there’s the specific 80’s references, including a segment within the film where the characters explore through the world of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, which provokes questioning considering when the story is depicted; being set in the year of 2045. Why is the character of Halliday initially enthused by 80’s phenomena? Yes, although we see a child-version of Halliday growing-up in a room that looks like a retro theme park, the aforesaid question still bears fruit. Not much is explained within a time-frame that could have explored these story-cruxes in detailed fashion.

With the real-world events not capitalising on the severity of the scenario and not fleshing-out certain parts of the story that would have added an extra incentive to the proceedings, leaving us with scenes and plot-points that are reminiscently comparable to many other contemporary YA sci-fi of recent past, where Ready Player One truly excels is within its technical master-craft and the dazzling CG sequences that play-out within the OASIS. The virtual world that Spielberg displays on the screen is a visual marvel and although the construction of this digital microcosm is obviously computer-generated, it’s execution in presenting the many digital faces and varied locations feels realistic enough that it doesn’t just feel as though you’re watching either a cut-scene from a video-game or an expensive Western-made cartoon feature. Along with the many pop-cultural references that are genuinely a delight to behold, the dramatic sequences in which these licensed individuals are featured within are sweet and pleasurable to perceive and further shows why Spielberg is one of the masters in providing visually stunning chase sequences. In similar vein to the many chase sequences depicted in his previous films, such as the truck scene in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and in the Falcon chase scene exhibited in The Adventure of Tintin, Spielberg has a knack in crafting tense chase scenes where the character seamlessly meanders around the frame and the imaginary space. Here, he shifts massive hordes of characters, vehicles and weaponry in and out of frame; coherently melding figures and camera shots into a singular thing. One early race sequence, where we have Parzifal racing in the DeLorean from Back to the Future and Art3mis riding in Kaneda’s bike from Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, is a potent example of this where swaying camera movements and lightning fast imagery fill the screen. Indeed, the technical mastery delightfully lingers long after the film ends and considerably eclipses the feeling that you’ve witnessed a roller-coaster ride that you’ll want to experience again.

Much of the same can be said in regards to Ready Player One’s characters and how the major players of the plot each have their moments; similarly to how the pop-cultural references pop-off the screen. In attempts to tower over everyone else both within the real-world and in the OASIS, Nolan Serrento, portrayed boldly by Ben Mendolsohn, is displayed simply as your typical corporate villain who doesn’t have any remote fascination for the OASIS unlike Wade and his friends. Yet, as conventional as his character may appear, it’s Serrento’s infatuation with Halliday’s Easter egg that makes him a dangerous villain to be reckoned with and rather, contrasts well with Wade’s persona. Where Serrento has money and IOI workers at his disposal, ‘slaves’ trying to obtain the three keys, Wade has his encyclopedic knowledge; thus making himself to be a geeky superhero in a scenario where knowing all the secrets is everything. Seen as this rather Pagemaster yet Akiko Kayaba-type of character, Mark Rylance acts as James Halliday, the creator of the OASIS and secret-keeper of all things pop-culture related. However, rather than being seen as flat all-knower that provides wisdom and answers when necessary, Halliday is seen to be a more sympathetic and innocent individual that is shown to have vulnerabilities. It’s to Mark Rylance’s credit that he bestows a gentle yet poignant account of someone who serves to be one of the more complex figures in the film. This can’t be said however for the character of Samantha who never gets the necessary development that she deserves, which is a shame. In terms of performance, Olivia Cooke does a good job in providing a character in the form of Samantha/Art3mis that’s ultimately likeable and with Ready Player One having a total run-time of two hours and twenty minutes, there should have been more development from her point of view; thoroughly explaining her background, similar to Wade. 

Where many acclaimed directors would falter and be enchanted by the opportunity in continuously producing forever loved video-game and film character references to the fore-front of every-single seen, it is to Steven Spielberg’s credit in taking-up the mantle in adapting Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One that he seamlessly balances this sugar-rush nostalgia with an apt and involving Charlie and Chocolate Factory-esque story to create a pure and charming cinematic ride. Although there are moments to perceive that needlessly quickens certain story-elements that should have been included within a lengthy run-time, Ready Player One is an entertaining thrill ride that upholds well-constructed scenes of grandeur that lingers long-after the film is over. 

On that note, it’s time for me to end this week’s Film Review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest Film Review in the form of Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One and I hope you’ve all enjoyed the read! 😉 If anyone has an opinion on either the film or on the review itself, you’re more than welcome to comment your thoughts down below in the comments section. For next week, I will present to you a Film Review of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs or I’ll do a T.V. Review of Netflix’s continuation of Lemony Snicket’s: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Thank you once again for reading this week’s Blog Post and I hope you’re all having a good a week! Adieu! 😀😎👀

★★★★ – Alex Rabbitte