Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
This movie is very, very recent; it was released this year! So if you haven't seen it and don't wish to be spoiled, I suggest you go see it before reading this review, as I reveal everything that happens. I make comparisons with the book as well. You can skip this review if you don't want to have the film spoiled to you.
On the topic of VR: I haven’t tried it all that much.
My first attempt at using VR was last year, and the game was Surgeon Simulator,
but at the time I didn’t know the procedure to beating the first level, so I
didn’t get much out of that. I played some more VR this year, at a convention,
and tried Job Simulator. It was a lot more fun, and I kept coming back to play
it some more. Would have played again, but other people wanted to try it as
well.
These two short experiences haven’t changed my mind on three things I believe regarding virtual reality gaming:
-That the price tag is not nearly approachable enough
for a lot of players, considering the growing yet still limited library of
games that can be played with it (though maybe I’m not up-to-date on that). Also, not every VR game can be played on every VR set;
-That VR takes a LOT of prerequisites (computing
power, a large empty room, maybe someone monitoring as you play so you won’t
trip or fall);
-And, most importantly, nobody looks cool playing VR.
Silly and dorky? Perhaps. Cool? Not at all. I’ve yet to see someone play VR and
look cool doing it. This meme is basically me:
Ready Player
One, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from the novel of the same name
by Ernest Cline, prominently features VR gaming. And I can’t imagine the mental
gymnastics required to give some semblance of coolness to that form of gaming,
but they make a damn good case for it.
Now, on the topic of the story: I haven’t read the
book. I have, however, been told that it’s really not that great. The base
concept is interesting: What if one video game became the only solace for a
mankind that refuses to acknowledge the state of the real world as it stands?
It’s interesting because, like a lot of science-fiction stories and other
futuristic satires, we’re actually coming closer every year to this situation.
It’s a worrisome thought, and science-fiction has always explored humanity and
society through its stories, which can be framed as cautionary tales or
allegories.
However, a great concept can be brought down by poor
writing. A key element of the story is that the creator of the video game in
question had immense nostalgia for the 1980s, and as such has peppered that
game with thousands of elements of that decade’s pop culture. From the DeLorean
to Stayin’ Alive, passing by the old arcade games… And Cline describes each of
his passions from the ‘80s in grand detail. There’s geeking out, then there’s “spending
pages and pages talking about old media just because you can”. The author also
uses the book to rant about other things, such as how religions and their
believers are stupid and there’s no God. So he sounds like the worst kind of
atheist. The book also seemed to revel in the gatekeeping and elitism that is
all too present in many fandoms nowadays, a sickening trend in my opinion.
And the less I say about this the better. This post is
just plain awful.
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| Even if it's a joke... it sucks as a joke. |
Adapting the story of Ready Player One for the silver
screen had this author working with one of his idols, Steven Spielberg. The
director himself was quite prominent in the pop culture of the 80’s, so working
on this adaptation allowed him to revisit some of his older works. Has
Spielberg managed to turn a mediocre book into a good movie? This intro has
been long enough, let’s get into this already. Just be aware that I will talk primarily about the film, but I will occasionally talk about elements I have read about the book.
