Ready player fun

FILM LINDA MARRIC Ready Player One (12A) ★★★★✩

Adapted from Ernest Cline’s 2011 science fiction novel of the same name, Steven Spielberg’s latest film Ready Player One is the stuff of geeky dreams. Set in a dystopian future dominated by an immersive virtual world, and with endless nostalgic references to seventies and eighties pop culture, the film is a treasure-trove for nerds.

The action takes place in the year 2045 where overpopulation and a long-standing drought have turned the real world into a barren wasteland. To escape their daily struggles, people spend many hours in the OASIS, a game designed by billionaire genius James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who, just before his death, vowed to leave his vast fortune and control of the game to the winner of a contest designed using his favourite pop culture references. The fight to win the contest gives the film its story-line.

From frequent nods to John Hughes’ Bratpack movies, to a homage to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Ready Player One does a great job in remaining faithful to the source material, only occasionally losing its way by cramming too many references into an otherwise highly engaging story. At 140 minutes, the film can feel like an unrelenting assault on the senses. However, mixing nostalgia with a well thought-out, action-filled plot could make Ready Player One into a classic.