Sutton Reviews: Ready Player One

In the infamous words of the fictional character Ernie Calhoun from the TV show, Video Game High School, “It’s all about the game.” This statement is the central idea around the action-packed and reference filled movie Ready Player One.
Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the book by Ernest Cline, is a tale of a digital utopian society called the “OASIS” where citizens go to escape a fallen and dystopian Earth.  Everyone seeks shelter in the OASIS, because it’s easier to have everyone play a myriad of video games than to restore a society not based around the world-wide market. The story truly begins after the death of the creator of the beloved OASIS, where he releases a set of challenges to obtain his net worth of the
game. The competition to get it is between two almost cliché groups, a company greedy for money and power, and some unlikely-heroes who are casual players trying to make the best out of the game.
The screenplay was displayed quite well, with many scenes focusing and relying on CGI to drive certain events crucial to the plot. The transitions were very smooth going into the fictional world and coming back to the movie’s form of reality. Many times, action would take place in the digital world then echo back in relation to real life events. There are some plot holes, however, which gives the story some Deus ex Machina moments. Plot holes aside, if you are looking for an action packed movie with some classy references to the 80’s, “Ready Player One” is the movie for you. It has a decent plot line, dashing CGI moments, and is truly a first step into making better video game centered movies. Not a movie for everyone, but still a great movie to spend a night out with friends.