Ready Player One (2018)

Written by jw on September 2, 2021

failing the splits

On one hand, this is a 1980s pop culture SciFi mash-up. On the other, it is a 100% true-and-tested formulaic David-vs-Goliath, by the (Campbell) books youth adventure.

There are movies which can be enjoyed by young, older, and old; some even achieve that effortlessly.

This movie tries to cater to two target audiences, and fails. It's too constructed, too obvious to be enjoyable. All the CGI fireworks, multi-medial cues and in-jokes can't help its main flaw: it is boring. It's the same tired young-hero-story that has been remade thousands of time, and often better.

Maybe younger kids enjoy it. But these days, even teenagers are media-savvy and will see the pattern.

Pity. I was ready to like it.