Get ready for a new world that would be every nerd's dream as Steven Spielberg delivers Ready Player One, a visually exhilarating nostalgia-filled ride that could also be the most Spielbergian film to date. In a future Ohio where almost everything is in ruins, people escape to an advanced virtual reality world called the Oasis where they have limitless possibilities, and where the unlikely hero Wade Watts comes in, (and explains in narration) there's a contest to inherit the whole system. With friends by his side, Wade will begin the ultimate Easter egg hunt while a corporation tries to stand in their way.
Over the years, Spielberg pushed different boundaries in his films, and this one is another that can also relate to this generation. Gamers such as myself will get it, it's even to say this kind of VR isn't too far from our own future. It has some standout scenes, like a race sequence that would make the Grand Theft Auto races look like child's play, of course there's many pop culture references to point out, and it's the one reason why I went to see it again (Like seeing the Iron Giant on screen after nearly 20 years could really bring you back.) Okay, so every now and then there's the usual narration and exposition even when you get what's happening, but the film so often clouds itself with tributes to movies, games, and anime that you could forgive any flaw.
It's got good pacing and performances, even in motion capture they just seem real enough, and it's the kind of sci-fi wonder we may need. B+