Have you seen Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One yet? I wasn’t in a rush to but events transpired that I ended up seeing it twice within a week. A rare thing these days, but no regrets because it’s a complete romp! Definitely one for a younger adult audience, but not too young – The Shining crops up for a chunk of the film in all it’s axe-wielding glory – but it will also appeal to Mums and Dads given the plethora of cultural references on offer. I found it a little hard to take it all too seriously and like any Spielberg movie there is a strong moral to the story, but it’s easy to forgive a corny ending because its a really fun film which explores the possibilities Virtual Reality has to offer, and the potential influence on our everyday life…
STEVEN SPIELBERG’S READY PLAYER ONE
2018 arrived in an age where most of what you see on screen here (set in 2045) is possible right now with online gaming, drones and bitcoin but the film pushes the idea that all of that becomes the sole purpose of modern life. It’s probably not a bad prediction and is in-keeping with the tone of the novel.
I guarantee you won’t regret giving your time and money up to see this, just don’t expect too much from it. It’s a shame the crossover thing is such a thing these days as this is one of the better ideas and they appear in context and with good effect. There’s so much to take in so I thought it might be a nice idea to break it down a little. No spoilers to the plot here, I’m focusing on Spielberg alone, here are his greatest self-referential moments from Ready Player One. It’s worth noting he isn’t just being self-indulgent here, Spielberg is name-checked several times in the original book so let’s begin with those delicious posters for the impending release, beautifully executed:
The Goonies (Director)
Back to the Future (Executive Producer)
You’ll have seen the DeLorean here and in the trailer but listen out for a familiar sound at a pivotal moment in the film that will make you tingle…
Jurassic Park (Director)
A teeth-baring T-Rex joins the party…
Indiana Jones (Director)
Spot a classic movie poster for Indy’s first outing on Halliday’s bedroom wall.
Gremlins (Executive Producer)
Easy to miss but they pop up when it all kicks off!
But did we miss any others? E.T. must be in there somewhere…?
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