READY PLAYER ONE
US, 2018, 140 minutes, Colour.
Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelssohn, Mark Rylance, Lena Waithe, T.J.Miller, Simon Pegg, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki, Hannah John-Kamen?, Susan Lynch, Claire Higgins.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Immediately after his intelligent political drama, The Post, based on the 1971 publishing of the Pentagon papers and the consequences for Richard Nixon, Watergate, the Washington Post, Spielberg went back into the atmosphere of the 1980s, the decade where he achieved such great success with the Indiana Jones films as well as ET.
This film is based on a book by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One, which is subtitled “a Pop Culture Odyssey�. While it is set in the future, it harks back to the music, films, computer games, atmosphere of America in the 1980s. In fact, the setting is Columbus, Ohio, 2045, said to be the fastest growing city in the world but, it has an ugly futuristic look, especially for those who live in The Stacks, crowded accommodation.
But, for many of the inhabitants of Columbus, that is far less important than their goggles which serve also as masks, which take them, almost all the time it would seem, into virtual reality – or, what seems virtual unreality.
It may be all right for computer game fans, but many of the audience may be thinking to themselves that Columbus, 2045, is not where they they would like to live. For those who know that the running time of the film is 140 minutes, something like an atmosphere of dread starts to prevail. (This probably applies to a rather older demographic.)
But, while the younger audiences will enjoy identifying with the central characters, their participation in the virtual reality, the competition and quest that opens up for them, the clash with an evil villain who wants to possess the main virtual reality, it does get more interesting for those older audiences.
The hero of the film is a teenager, Wade, played by Tye Sheridan. He is in the care of his aunt and her obnoxious boyfriend. His area of virtual reality, so popular in Columbus, is The Oasis. He goes there at every opportunity and has created an avatar, Parzifal, not entirely unlike himself. Theme: a Grail seeker. He has a number of friends in The Oasis, with avatars that owe something to Game of Thrones. One of the puzzles for Wade is wondering what the avatars that he has come to like, relying on, fight with, look like in real life. (Spoiler: not as good as their avatars!) The main friend is Samantha, avatar Artemis.
While there are lots of references to past pop culture, many movie buffs will enjoy an episode which recreates the hotel scenes from Stephen King’s The Shining.
It seems, that the creator of The Oasis, was a loner, living in his own reality which was created by pop culture. He also had a partner with whom he fell out. Interestingly, the creator is played by Mark Rylands (who won his Oscar for his appearance in Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and was also the BFG). Simon Pegg plays the partner.
The basic setup is a competition, the creator of The Oasis hiding three keys which will give ownership to the virtual reality paradise. There are clues, rather obscure. Wade and his friends decide that they will try to find the three keys. In the meantime, there is a villain. He is played by Ben Mendelssohn, ruthless in his decisions but something of a wimp in his personal character and reactions, compensating by a rather gigantic and fierce avatar and a tough henchwoman.
There is very little doubting about how it will all turn out. But, at the end, there is some reality-unreality moralising. The fact that virtual reality is virtual rather than real. Whether that will impress diehard games players may be debatable.
1. A film based on “a Pop Culture Odyssey�? Futuristic, science-fiction, science fantasy?
2. The career of Steven Spielberg? Imagination? Science-fiction and Minority Report?
3. Columbus Ohio, 2045, the most rapidly growing city? The homes, “the Stacks�, media offices, transport? The look, futuristic? The musical score?
4. The title, virtual reality? Prevailing over reality, for individuals, groups, society? The experiences of virtual reality? The real and unreal? The final moral of the film about reality and unreality – and two days off a week for Oasis?
5. The description of Oasis, the founder and his life, a loner, his imagination, films, games, fantasy? His associate and their collaboration, falling out? His death?
6. The visuals of Oasis, like a grand Theme Park – and beyond? Entry, the glasses as a mask? Actions in the real world, enclosed, on the spot? The range of imagination, games, avatars rather than human beings, and the shock of the reality of the actual characters behind the avatars? Achievement, conflicts, competition? The effect on the experiences of the characters?
7. Wade, in himself, his age, experience, family, his aunt and her care, her rough boyfriend and his hostility? The home, in The Stacks? Taking refuge in Oasis, his avatar looking more like himself? His group of friends? Comparison with the reality, plain looking people, ordinary, range of age, Asian backgrounds?
8. Sorrento, his leadership of his business group, focus on business, his control, his personal manner, with the board, the limits of his company, wanting Oasis? His tough henchwoman and her violent action? Ultimate failure? Yet his being afraid, cowardly? The brutality of his avatar? The threats, the confrontations? The ultimate battle and his defeat?
9. The competition for the keys? The role of the founder? The three keys and ownership of the company? Wade and Samantha, competitive for the keys, in themselves, and their avatars, the combined effort? The details of thinking through the clues? Moving backwards? The films, the nostalgia for the episode with The Shining? Getting the keys, almost dropping them? Ultimate success? The response of the founder, his handing things over?
10. The range of personalities, the team effort, defeating Sorrento? Their freedom?
11. The background of the founder, his personality, age, his apartment, adornments? Life, lonely? His passions? His being satisfied at the end?
12. The associate, the group meeting him, the bonds?
13. The future, reality and virtual reality? Oasis (and closed two days a week)?
