Ready Player One (12A)
The DeLorean screeches past as the Iron Giant stomps around and The Joker and Harley Quinn share a laugh.
If that sounds like a cinematic pipe dream then think again as Steven Spielberg’s take on Ernest Cline’s seminal, award-winning 2011 sci-fi novel treats us to a shared universe to make even Marvel blush.
It’s all possible due to fantastical virtual reality world the OASIS, where regular user Wade (Tye Sheridan) lives out his days among too many famous pop culture icons to mention in the year 2045.
Wade and others are drawn into a three-part contest where the winner gets to take total control of the OASIS following the death of its creator, James Halliday (Mark Rylance).
Having never read Cline’s book, I went into this intriguing-sounding blockbuster totally blind; and was all the better for it with several surprises taking me on a gripping adventure.
There’s a lot more to Spielberg’s latest – his second film this year after The Post — than playing spot the familiar face as the legendary director furnishes us with equal levels of drama in both the real world and the OASIS.
Sheridan handles his biggest role to date with great aplomb and even acting veterans would struggle to match the sizzling chemistry he and Olivia Cooke (Samantha) share.
What Ready Player One does lack, though,