Based on the 2011 best-seller novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One is an intense movie, once again a masterful stroke from Stephen Spielberg, possibly the greatest American artist of these times. The graphics and visuals, though sometimes overwhelming especially in IMAX 3D, are incredible. The graphics and visual editing represent a new world for movies, and if Ready Player One is any indicator, the future of cinema shines bright.

While they were certainly incredibly, the graphics and animations would surely only be fanfare if it weren’t for the incredible story that Cline brought to life years ago. The story, mimicking the existentialism of the Cold War and 1980s, was masterfully crafted, and twists the definition of reality to encompass more than one could normally imagine as real. Pitting freedom against oppression in an Orwellian world, Cline further modernizes the ideas of dystopia, and in doing so, creates an amazing story containing the ‘under-dog’ and heroism, something the authors of the 20th century never felt compelled to include in their tales.

The novel and story themselves are certainly incredible, but somehow the film itself improves on them. The visuals and graphics seamlessly transfer words on a paper to the big screen. The shifting buildings and incredible graphics of the Oasis are reminiscent of a video game, as they should be, and improve the film exponentially. The amazing and complex visuals also mirror the central themes of the movie, which brought up important questions for the audience and viewers.

The themes of the film seriously caused an existential crisis, debating philosophical issues ranging from the nature of man to the future of the world to technology’s role in society. The film brings up important questions about the presence of technology and the advances of human civilization.

All in all, Spielberg, with his magnificent team that he brought on from his countless Oscar-winning films, created a magnificent film, though it had some flaws that showed up at the tail end of it. In the interest of spending your time as well as possible, I urge you to see Ready Player One, even if you haven’t read the book. No matter what you do, Ready Player One is surely worth your time.

FINAL GRADE:

A