Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
When the creator of a popular video game system dies, a virtual contest is created to compete for his fortune.
Ready Player One is a visually energetic spectacle built on nostalgia, but its plot is formulaic — a classic underdog quest with predictable beats and thin characterization. The acting is serviceable at best; Tye Sheridan leads a cast that lacks depth, and the characters feel more like archetypes than people. Cinematography in the real world is drab and washed-out, though the OASIS sequences are visually inventive and kinetic, especially the Shining sequence. Novelty is moderate — the pop-culture mashup concept is distinctive in execution even if the underlying quest structure is well-worn, and Spielberg's direction gives it a singular energy. The ending is rushed and emotionally unearned, resolving conflicts too neatly and leaning on sentiment the film hasn't built toward.