Ready Player One - Movie Review

I just got back from seeing Ready Player One and I have good and bad thoughts about it. Overall, I will tell you up front, that the movie is good and worth your money if you just want two-hours of fun.

For those of you that are not aware, Ready Player One is a novel by Ernest Cline that came out in 2011 from Random House Publishing. As a quick summary in 2045 the world is immersed with the virtual world of the OASIS and enthralled by the ultimate game the creator of the OASIS has made to provide the winner with complete control of the virtual world. Wade Watts and his clan, The High Five, race against time and the evil corporation I.O.I. to save the virtual world of the OASIS from capitalistic domination.

The book (to me) was very good. It was filled with many easter eggs for people who still have a memory (and perhaps some nostalgia) of the 80's boom in music, video games, comics and movies. At the time I read it, I was shocked that the author was even allowed to make references to all the works that he did. I mean, John Hughes’ movies and The Iron Giant references were pages apart from each other. And this book was not just a callback to the 80's. There was a real story there, and in my opinion, was worthy of the fanfare it had (in the past and even presently) received. So, I was more than excited that a movie was getting made. 

And the movie was getting made by no other than Steven Spielberg! What could go wrong?!

Well, the short answer is: A LOT! 

There were some glaring changes within the movie from the book that made anyone who was a fan of the book (or read the book before the movie) scratch their head in confusion. Some of the most drastic changes (without major spoilers) were:

1. i-r0k's character
2. Never mentioned or showed the schools
3. Wade's appearance 
4. Aech and Wade never got into an argument over A3rtemis 
5. The formation of the High Five
6. The challenges to get the Three Keys

That's just a few of the changes. Now, a lot of my criticism can be because I don't understand how or why stories change when they move from different mediums. I understand that a movie has less time for consumption so the adapted stories must do just that: adapt.  

I believe that a movie truer to the book could have been made if they expanded the film into two instead of one. This is a tricky move that is usually reserved for movies that was originally one film but too long per the studio’s request like Kill Bill (volume I & II), or the last film in a series split into two usually to extend the franchise like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but I believe the payoff would had been worth it.

What would that pay off had been?

Character development: A huge part of the book that I really enjoyed was the character development. Seeing Wade go through the trials and experience the conflicted emotions he felt about his aunt and neighbors (who he quite enjoyed) die in the Stacks explosion was  and a major driver for his character. Also, we had a chance to actually experience through him falling in love with Art3mis, and didn't feel like a plot device that it did in the movie. 

Greater audience engagement: The challenges in the movie were good, but compared to the book there was a feeling of lackluster behind it that bothered me somewhat. I definitely understand that they couldn't go through every challenge multiple times like they did in the book, and I also get the fact that the High Five had to come together quicker than in the book but the reasoning behind their formation was very weak. We know Art3mis' reasons for being a part of the "rebellion" but we are left to only assume that her reasons are mirrored by everyone else on her side as well.  

Discuss more sensitive subjects: All of the characters were played very well in my opinion. Lena Waithe being the stand-out to me and I was waiting for the "big reveal" between her and Wade... but it never came. Her character showed up at the right time and quickly revealed her identity and it had a heart-warming feel to it, but it really missed a chance to address some very prevalent and sensitive topics like being a woman in the gaming world. Or being a woman of color in the gaming world. Or being a queer woman of color in the gaming world. I was literally waiting for that scene because it was such a powerful scene in the book, and still a very much needed conversation that needs to be had in the gaming community.

Overall, regardless of my criticisms (which I have more than are listed here) I do think that this was great movie and would be enjoyed by the whole family. I also think that even people who read the book prior to the movie will still enjoy the film for its differences. Perhaps in the future, studios will take the chance (and spend the money) to tell a more complete story that is truer to the source material.