300 Words on "Ready Player One" (2018)

One of Steven Spielberg’s greatest strengths as a director is his presentation of material which can only be described as epic. From the beginning of his career, Spielberg has pushed the envelope when it comes to the use of technology in his filmmaking; the results creating spectacles which can rightfully be called jaw-dropping. And though his latest, Ready Player One, may not showcase all the hallmarks which have come to exhibit a Spielberg production, that spectacle is on full display.

And my jaw was on the floor.

Any viewer who goes into Ready Player One prepared to embrace its fun, fast-paced glorification of popular culture is in for a fun time: from spotting the Easter eggs placed for sharp-viewed viewers to find, to it’s graphics and cinematography which feel just like something out of a video game, Ready Player One is a feast for the eyes. And the ears - the film’s retro soundtrack consisting of one ‘80s earworm after the other. It is so easy – not unlike the players of the film who enter the virtual reality world of the Oasis – to get lost in it all.

The spectacle, therefore, more than makes up for the cliched storylines and trite dialogue which drives the plot forward, and though some exposition is dropped like half-ton weights upon the audience, it was never long before we plunged once more into a set-piece which had me on the edge of my seat and grinning from ear to ear.

Ready Player One is unconventional Spielberg for sure, but it surely cements his place amongst the very best auteurs to step behind a camera. Though it may call back to the classic films of the past (The Shining, Back to the Future, and Spielberg’s own Jurassic Park just to name a few), I feel that it has potential to be considered a classic on its own someday very soon.