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Ready Player One |OT|Us gamers, huh? (Unmarked Spoilers)
- Thread starter MMarston
- Start date
Just got back from seeing it, and it was honestly a lot more fun that I had expected. I read the book, and found enjoyable, not amazing but well enough worth my time reading it. But Penn and Spielberg (and admittedly quite possibly Kline himself) really turned a solid enough action story with a protagonist and scenes I was quite iffy on into something more fast, fluid, and workable. The character interactions were better, the key challenges were cooler, it was generally less in your face about pop culture (which allowed me to enjoy it more as they dished it out at a rate I was happy to indulge in), and the plot just felt tighter.
Not to mention of course seeing all this stuff in motion truly gives it what the story needed from the start. They handled the ending better overall, and Halliday's life and the sadness of it and lessons he built into the hunt felt more well constructed and meaningful than the passing notion it felt like they had in the book.
Also I really loved the relatively minor but excellent touch that
Not to mention of course seeing all this stuff in motion truly gives it what the story needed from the start. They handled the ending better overall, and Halliday's life and the sadness of it and lessons he built into the hunt felt more well constructed and meaningful than the passing notion it felt like they had in the book.
Also I really loved the relatively minor but excellent touch that
The thing Halliday regrets most isn't this wistful "oh the love of my life" jealousy of his best friend's wife (like in the book), it's actually that he regrets losing his best friend because of it. That story beat just felt so much more... right.
I don't know, it works in Isolation and 2049 because those two are direct continuations to sci-fi movies devised in the 70s/80s, and are keeping to the same aesthetic (and 2049 even has an in-universe explanation). I agree that a lot in RPO was visually conflicting. It has no clear identity. For me it was a bit of jumbled mess.
Agreed, that's what I said, that's a bit of a negative for me. I don't need it dwelled upon, as I said I didn't like how some of the references "had to" be explained. It's more of a nitpick than anything else, how most this stuff just ended up as window-dressing, instead of being used somewhat cleverly. With a few exceptions of course. Most of it really added nothing to the movie.
Which one was it again? This movie felt like an overload of visual information sometimes.
When the army of players shows up to help Parzival, iR0K says "No man is a failure who has friends." from It's A Wonderful Life.
It's better than I expected, but it's not good. I would be more appreciative of its restraint on fanservice if the general thrust of the plot wasn't so boring, or if Wade wasn't such an idiot. The conclusion the movie reaches at the end isn't earned (and is in fact contradicted by all the events in the film), and it foregoes any attempt at connecting to a grander theme.
It had potential, and I can see the edges of a better movie in RPO.
It had potential, and I can see the edges of a better movie in RPO.
Shitty they didn't get a voice cameo from Robert Englund.
That The Shining-part has me intrigued.
Went it not expecting anything, walked away having a good time. Enjoyed the movie quite a bit.
An empty orgasam of a movie.
With perhaps the most unearned romance in a Spielberg movie yet.
The low level exposition was dreadful.
As was said above, there could be a good story there. It just wasn't here.
With perhaps the most unearned romance in a Spielberg movie yet.
The low level exposition was dreadful.
As was said above, there could be a good story there. It just wasn't here.
Loved it, some corny parts, but boy was it good. It made me want to see that movie (spoiler thread), The Shining, just like the book made me want to look up things found in it. Not that much focus on old stuff like specific music, important old games, and things like The Shining but later today I guess I'll be looking up what streaming service The Shining is on.
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Asshole over at The Guardian did the same damn thing. I was SO pissed. Also saw a few reviews talking about Aech's identity. WTF?
What is particularly irritating is that Spielberg specifically pleaded with the SXSW audience to not spoil this part. And the guy then puts up his review the next day doing just that.
I stopped reading the review the moment I started to realize the writer gave zero fucks and was practically doing Wikipedia plot summary. But not before I saw the words "Overlook hotel".
Aech's actress was prominent featured in the trailers (making it easy to put two and two together) and they even had this poster too lol
I liked it a lot more than I had expected to. I don't really think it relies on nostalgia as much as some might claim. A lot of the references could be swapped out with others, or even just made up for the film, and it would still work. It's just set dressing like any number of crowd shots in Star Wars or some other sci-fi/fantasy environment.
My main complaint was that there was not a scene set in the 2600 ET game. Also, The Fly is a great date movie.
But that is a good message.
My main complaint was that there was not a scene set in the 2600 ET game. Also, The Fly is a great date movie.
But that is a good message.
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Yeah, but the movie is right. That is an accurate message.
Only Jurassic Park I believe. He didn't want to reference his own films.
Hey guys a question, did anybody see any Final Fantasy Characters in the movie? because I did not saw any and I was expecting at least see Cloud or Sephiroth in the last battle scene.
I didn't see any Square-Enix mentions in the credits so I'm assuming no.
Well thats a bummer, because I saw Lara Croft I thought that maybe Square lended their characters, so sad :(
Haha I haven't brought it up cuz I don't really want to dive into a whole thing about it, but the romance here was creepy. Dude goes from hanging out with her, like, twice, to saying "I love you". Even she at the beginning is wigged out by it, but he just keeps doing it until she's eventually like "okay fine, I'll let you cuz it's easier than pushing against how awkward this is". She never says it back, and he says it like six times haha.
Aech's actress was prominent featured in the trailers (making it easy to put two and two together) and they even had this poster too lol
Wow, I had no idea they put her on a poster. What a dumb idea. Oh well...
I'm pretty sure that Spielberg threw himself on this hand grenade specifically to scrub out all of the references to his movies.
Another thing, is it me or am I putting too much tought but the end of the movie when Parzy ask Halliday what is he I thought it referenced Sword Art Online the anime when Akihiko ask the same to the game's creator Kayaba Akihiko. What do you guys think?
5 more minutes of 'heart' and them actually enjoying each other's company would have sold the movie more than the jizz thrown mindlessly on the screen.
And that last shot of the two of them not kissing and pretending to kiss...
From a filmmaking standpoint, The Shining scene is super interesting to watch
A couple posters on here hated the book and liked the movie. It's worth watching for the visuals and spectacle.
If nothing else, it should excite you for the future of gaming. We're still years away, but something like the OASIS will definitely exist sooner than later.
The lead actor could definitely pass for a young Harrison Ford, could have played Han, even if no one should play Han.
I still think the Zemeckis Cube naming was pretty clever. Dunno if that was in the book or not but it was a neat tribute to Spielberg's partner and friend at Amblin.
A Rubix Cube was a huge toy in the 80s. (Still is?)
Not really sure what that has to do with Zemekis or BttF though.
Yeah and it played the BtTF theme when it was activated.
It's probably a cube due to an in joke between Zemeckis and Spielberg.
My gripes:
1. How does IOI have military grade weaponry and an army when they're an entertainment company?
2. How was IOI allowed to raid the building where Z and friends were hiding?
3. The movie takes place 5 years after Halliday died, and the challenge was issued upon his death. In 5 years, not ONE person out of the THOUSANDS playing figured out to go backwards in the race that was meant to find an Easter Egg? really? really?
4. After the raid, the group KNOWS they're being followed. In fact, at the end of the raid scene as they're getting away, Aech says "they're ID-ing my van!" So instead of ditching the ride or switching plates, or giving the van a new coat of paint to cover up the scanned markings, they park in an alleyway and then continue using the same van?! SERIOUSLY?! You're being followed, you KNOW you're being followed, you KNOW they've ID'd your van, and you're gonna keep using it without making any attempt to prevent being caught?!?! REALLY!?!?
5. The background references are cool and all, but man, such a wasted opportunity. Easily could've had guest characters help out during a quest, or even use some of their tools during some sequences. The final battle sequence did it right by using weapons from various games, but it would've been pretty cool to see Z use tools/gadgets/tactics from various games to figure out clues.
6. How do all members of the Hi-Five end up in the same general location? Five random strangers meet online, easily could be from ANYWHERE around the entire globe, but instead they're a couple of miles from each other? Really? Showing Artemis contacting the members that are far away and then seeing the faraway members taking a flight or something out to the States would've made it much more believable.
7. F'Nale's entire role felt empty. There could've been so much development if she simply had a moral compass or even an agenda of her own. Her character felt like another random henchman with no stake in anything that ended up getting a bunch of screen time for no reason.
Edit: My score: 6/10. Enjoyable, not boring by any means, but tons of flaws that keep it from being epic. It had tons of potential, but story beats, basic logic, and unbelievable character interactions/character logic hold it back.
1. How does IOI have military grade weaponry and an army when they're an entertainment company?
2. How was IOI allowed to raid the building where Z and friends were hiding?
3. The movie takes place 5 years after Halliday died, and the challenge was issued upon his death. In 5 years, not ONE person out of the THOUSANDS playing figured out to go backwards in the race that was meant to find an Easter Egg? really? really?
4. After the raid, the group KNOWS they're being followed. In fact, at the end of the raid scene as they're getting away, Aech says "they're ID-ing my van!" So instead of ditching the ride or switching plates, or giving the van a new coat of paint to cover up the scanned markings, they park in an alleyway and then continue using the same van?! SERIOUSLY?! You're being followed, you KNOW you're being followed, you KNOW they've ID'd your van, and you're gonna keep using it without making any attempt to prevent being caught?!?! REALLY!?!?
5. The background references are cool and all, but man, such a wasted opportunity. Easily could've had guest characters help out during a quest, or even use some of their tools during some sequences. The final battle sequence did it right by using weapons from various games, but it would've been pretty cool to see Z use tools/gadgets/tactics from various games to figure out clues.
6. How do all members of the Hi-Five end up in the same general location? Five random strangers meet online, easily could be from ANYWHERE around the entire globe, but instead they're a couple of miles from each other? Really? Showing Artemis contacting the members that are far away and then seeing the faraway members taking a flight or something out to the States would've made it much more believable.
7. F'Nale's entire role felt empty. There could've been so much development if she simply had a moral compass or even an agenda of her own. Her character felt like another random henchman with no stake in anything that ended up getting a bunch of screen time for no reason.
Edit: My score: 6/10. Enjoyable, not boring by any means, but tons of flaws that keep it from being epic. It had tons of potential, but story beats, basic logic, and unbelievable character interactions/character logic hold it back.
My guesses:
1. Given how massive The Oasis is, it's possible that IOI is a giant megaconglomerate that would have it's own private security forces/military.
2. See #1
3. There was a wall behind them, and if they crashed it's possible they would have 'zero'ed out' which they would lose everything they've gained so far. Big risk to take.
4. People are dumb yo.
5. Would have muddled the pacing of the film and brought in even more 'I GET THAT REFERENCE NOW STFU' gripes.
6. Columbus is the fastest growing city on the planet due to The Oasis. They all lived their by chance. It's like how a bunch of hackers somehow live in the Bay area in Watch_Dogs 2.
7. It's a Spielberg movie. Toth didn't have characterization. Neither did Mola Ram. She's merely a means to an end to add tension.