Ready Player One

Want to see a really fun movie?  Go see Spielberg’s new film, Ready Player One.   And see it in 3D for the full effect.

The year is 2045, and life in Ohio has become very dreary. People escape to the Oasis, a virtual reality video game:  put on your visor and your avatar can enjoy all the pleasures unavailable in real life.

The Oasis was created by James Halliday, a nerdy geek with stunted social skills and a passion for 1980’s pop culture.  Halliday dies without heirs, but there’s a twist.  He has created a game within the Oasis, and the winner of the game will inherit the Oasis and all that goes with it.  

To win the game, a player must collect three keys.  In order to do so, the player must follow clues that require a knowledge of 1980’s pop culture and the events of Halliday’s life.

Our hero, Wade, has created an avatar called Parcival.  When Wade becomes the first player to find the first key, he comes to the attention of the greedy corporation seeking to acquire and monetize the Oasis.  And the race is on.

I especially loved the “Easter eggs”, the dozens of pop culture references woven into the fabric of the movie.  Some are quite obvious — Parcival drives a DeLorean — while others are more subtle, like a poster on someone’s wall or a song playing in the background.

It’s like being inside a video game.  Get out the 🍿 and enjoy.