Ready Player One

Steven Spielberg and the 80s - like peanut butter and jelly, they go together.  ET, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, etc.  So to give him the reins to do an 80s style video game movie, we say, Go for it.

In the year 2045, our hero Wade lives in the Columbus Stacks, a dreary ghetto.  To escape this existence, the residents play a Virtual Reality game in a place called the Oasis.  They choose anonymous avatars, he being Parzival, because the evil company IOI might hunt you down if they found out your name.

Sounds like Minority Report?  Stay with me.

The founder of the Oasis has created a game with a game.  If the player can reach the Third Level, a great reward will follow.  Five Avatars reach this first level and band together (Super 8)

While the first 2 levels are primarily in avatar form, the characters are cartoonish.  But their identities are revealed in Level 3 and that is where the movie really shines.  The end is pure Spielberg goodness.  He likes happy endings so to speak (ET, Schindler's List, Lincoln, BFG)

Speaking of BFG, Spielberg brings back his go-to actor Mark Rylance, who always does a fine job.  As well his D.P. Januz Kaminski.  Top talent, as they say.


* * * * of 5

This is a movie watchers buffet:  Here's some of the evocative movies played out:
Back to the Future
The Shining
RoboCop
Blade Runner
Dark Knight
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
A Night at the Museum
Stand By Me
The Terminator
War Games

Please add more in the comments!