In 2045, Wade Watts's (Tye Sheridan) reality is an overcrowded and poor Earth. He escapes the dreary existence of Columbus, Ohio into the VR world of the OASIS. As his Avatar, Parcival, he can do whatever he wants at anytime. There's an Easter Egg hidden in the OASIS left behind by its late creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance). The first person who gets all three keys to the Egg inherits Halliday's massive fortune and the OASIS itself. Wade spends his time deciphering Halliday's hints by exploring the man's virtual library.
Eventually, Wade finds the first key and gets the game going. He's soon joined by his pals, Aech (Lena Waithe), Daito (Win Morisaki) and Sho (Philip Zhao) and the enigmatic hacker Artemis (Olivia Cooke). The evil businessman Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) wants the Egg too for his own evil purposes. He'll even kill people to get it. The "High Five" will have to outwit Sorrento in both the real and virtual worlds to get there first.
The screenplay, by Cline and Zak Penn, is just as referential as its source. Most of the references take the form of the players' recognizable Avatars. You'll probably miss one or two references for every one you get in the film's massive crowd shouts. Your understanding won't live or die if you don't get every single reference. There's a meaningful story amongst the iconography. The key to the keys is understanding Halliday as a person and not repeat his mistakes. The film plays peoples' obsession with the OASIS for black comedy early on. But the resolution, which embraces the real world, is a strong one.
The human cast is a great one. Wade is a likable hero with an understandable goal to escape poverty. The in-game Quest and his time with Artemis helps him become selfless. His friends are a likable bunch of misfits in both realities. Rylance perfectly conveys Halliday as withdrawn, socially-awkward and warm. He's a great presence throughout the picture. Mendolsohn is a strong villain with moments of comedy. His henchman, I-ROK (TJ Miller), is wonderful comic relief and a formidable villain too.
The film succeeds on its technical promises. The OASIS and its Avatars are stunning CGI designs. The Avatars are as photo-realistic as the Orcs in Warcraft.. Even the most obvious CGI is forgiven due to its Virtual Reality setting. Its recreation of the Overlook Hotel lobby from The Shining looks like actual footage. The rest of the production design results in one impressive world after another. That even includes the dreary real world. The soundtrack, whether Alan Silvestri's score or the classic standards, is a memorable mix.
Ready Player One is one of the most delightfully geeky movies in years. It's another great film from the man who helped invent the modern blockbuster. A few elements could've used more depth but its 140 minutes were a satisfying adventure. This is another film that needs to be seen on the big screen. It's worth any price.
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