Steven Spielberg was the reason I wanted to get into filmmaking. I grew up with Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. His pure imagination lit up my own as a child and I embraced his view of what fun storytelling was all about. There was always a sense of wonder to his films, an escape from reality when I needed it. I followed the legendary director as he “matured” from his blockbuster phase to his more serious works like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. Like any filmmaker and artist, he changed over the years. Some believe he will never recover the magic of his previous work. But as long as Spielberg’s name was on the film, I would give it a chance.
Especially now.
I struggled with how I was going to write this review. It has been a tough time in my life lately, but that’s not my readers’ problem (All two of you). But I have always believed that writers and artists always include themselves in their work. So I’m taking a different approach with this review of Ready Player One. There will not be a score at the end of this review…I’m just going to write about what this film made me feel and what that meant to me.
Ready Player One has a simple story, a classic hero’s quest that emulates the video game pop culture it lovingly features. While it’s nothing special, the leads Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke make a somewhat cliched outcast’s fantastic journey work. And of course there’s Spielberg’s expert direction. But more than anything, Ready Player One feels amazing. I found myself smiling throughout the film because it reminded me of those days when Spielberg inspired me. It isn’t a perfect recreation of his classic style, but that’s why this film hit directly in the heart.
A (Pop Culture) Hero’s Journey
Tye Sheridan plays Wade, a young geek who doesn’t feel at home in his overcrowded slum of 2045. Like many of this depressing future, he disappears into the Oasis, a virtual world where he can be anything his pop culture obsessed heart could desire. His journey: To find the Easter Egg that Oasis creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance) left in this world that will give one lucky individual control of the game. Because Wade has an extensive knowledge of Halliday and his love of 80s nostalgia, he gets closer than anyone else…gaining the attention of several factions willing to do anything to control the Oasis.
There is something timelessly appealing about an outcast’s journey from nobody to somebody, and Ready Player One embraces that. The script by Zak Penn and original novel writer Ernest Cline is straight forward and doesn’t hold too many surprises. However, it never has a trace of cynicism towards its subject matter. They truly love pop culture and it comes through in their simple but appealing underdog story.
Sheridan is excellent as Wade, a likeable and awkward kid at the center of the story. You always root for the guy because he is imperfect. He stumbles in almost every interaction with Samantha (Olivia Cooke) like any awkward kid would. Cooke is charming as the more socially aware Samantha/Art3mis, though she seems a little too pretty to pull off the “I’m so ugly you’ll be disappointed by the real world me” aesthetic. She and Sheridan have solid chemistry though. Their likeablity makes their relationship work.
Ben Mendelsohn continues to prove he is the go to actor for the sleazy antagonist as Sorrento, a CEO looking to completely monetize the Oasis. He slithers around the screen so well you can never take your eyes off of him. He is the standout of the supporting cast, not because they are bad, we just don’t get a lot of time with them. Wade’s fellow gamers Aech (Lena Waithe), Daito (Win Morisaki), and Sho (Philip Zhao) have some great moments, but we don’t get to know them. It’s a tragedy not only because they are all very charming, but they are also the only people of color with speaking roles in the film.
Steven Spielberg’s expert direction pairs well once again with longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. He is in rare form here, taking the outlandish set pieces from the book (A race where players have to avoid King Kong and the T-Rex from Jurassic Park!?!? Yes, please!) and splashing them on screen with barely any restraint in spectacle and color. They both make sure our eyes see every detail during these imaginative scenes.
Nostalgia, Cynicism, And a Master’s Embrace of Of His Former Wonder
Ready Player One kept me smiling throughout. I have seen several criticisms that it relies too heavily on nostalgia. That the film and its source material are just another cog in the eighties nostalgia machine. Normally, I might agree…as someone who grew up in the eighties, even I’m getting a little tired of the nostalgia.
But this film feels different. There is not a trace of cynicism in the nostalgia here. As I stated above, the script is a loving tribute to those of us obsessed with this stuff. Many people who criticize the film’s embrace of fantasy and nostalgia seem to forget the film’s message. There’s nothing wrong with disappearing into your imagination as long as you keep a foot firmly planted in your present reality.
Steven Spielberg was the absolute best director to take on this film. This is a filmmaker who has gone from the fantastic blockbuster to the serious issue film several times, often in the same year. His early films, the ones we all embrace to some degree, are viewed with rose colored, nostalgic glasses. We can quote Quint’s monologue from Jaws, or giggle with tension filled glee at the raptors hunting the kids in Jurassic Park.
This film is a master director embracing his past wonder. Spielberg may never be the one who directed E.T. again. Filmmakers are human, so they change. What is important to them at a younger age may not be as important later in life. Ready Player One is Spielberg lovingly embracing that past while keeping an eye on present maturity. Embrace the past, just don’t be ruled by it. But he never does it in a heavy handed or mean way. Like the writers, there is never any cynicism in Spielberg’s approach. The film feels amazing because of this. It’s fun, and more importantly, it’s heart felt.
The Right Movie at the Right Time
Walking out of Ready Player One, I felt emotional. For other people, it will probably a fun blockbuster that won’t be remembered as one of Spielberg’s best. Recent events in my life have changed the way I look at my writing. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same writer from this point on. That intrigues me, and also makes me a little sad.
So seeing my film idol able to go back to a familiar style in a mature and heart felt way made me incredibly happy. Maybe I can go back to those stories I wrote as a younger man and have a different take on them. In general, maybe I can go back to the things I loved.
In the end, I can sum up my feelings on Ready Player One with one sentence:
Thank you, Steven Spielberg.