Item: Katie's Review of Ready Player One
Rating: 8.3
Author: Katie Buitendyk

Thin on surprises only because the film gives you exactly what you want.

You’ll be about 3 minutes into this intoxicating adventure film before you realize that you know exactly where the whole plot is headed, but that will be the same moment you realize that you don’t care if you know. A group of underdog teens will outsmart the endlessly-funded-and-inexplicably-evil corporation to save the world from corruption and financial slavery. The guy will win the girl, everyone will live happily ever after. And you want them to. Anyone who has ever played a video game can relate to the trap-ridden quest they embark on, and to their determination to beat it.

The film is about finding Easter Eggs so it is unsurprisingly full of them, but don’t worry if you miss any; they’re meant as a bonus that is unrelated to accomplishing the main questline… er, I mean plot. If you liked or engaged with the games, books, films, and television shows that dominated nerd culture from the late 80’s through to the early 2000’s, expect this film to reach out and offer you a validating high-five every few minutes.

The film stars Tye Sheridan as the hero Wade Watts, and is rounded out by Olivia Cooke as Art3mis and Lena Waithe as Aech. Author Ernest Cline teamed with veteran film-writer Zak Penn to adapt his 2011 novel by the same name, and the film is directed by Steven Spielberg. Ready Player One is currently playing in theatres.

Katie's Review of Ready Player One

9/10

Predictability - 9/10
8/10

Nostalgia - 8/10
10/10

Nerd and Pop-Culture References - 10/10
6/10

Adherence to The Book* - 6/10

8.3/10

Summary

Thin on surprises only because the film gives you exactly what you want. The guy will win the girl, everyone will live happily ever after. And you want them to.

*Even if you’ve read it, each of the 3 quests have been re-invented for the film so it will feel totally new.

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