READY PLAYER ONE
1/2 PG-13, 140 minutes. Started Wednesday at Mystic Luxury Cinemas, Waterford, Stonington, Lisbon, Westbrook. Starts tonight at Niantic. On its surface, Steven Speilberg’s “Ready Player One” is a romp through virtual reality. Scratch a little more and audiences will receive a rumination on our connected society that questions what damage is being done to the social fabric by technology. “RPO” follows the adventures of Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan, Cyclops in “X-Men: Apocalypse”), a Columbus, Ohio-area teen, who lives in an America where want — want for food, want for suitable shelter, want for happiness — represents the norm. He lives with his aunt and her abusive boyfriend in a trailer park where the mobile homes are stacked above one another. Despite much of society finding itself in similar situations, everyone finds a way to log into the Oasis, a virtual world where you can be what you want to be and, mentally, you’re a million miles from reality. The masterminds behind this technological terror — James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg) — have little idea what they have wrought until it’s too late. Upon Halliday’s death, we learn there is an unusual solution to solving who will ultimately have control of the Oasis, one that ol’ Willy Wonka would be proud. He leaves three clues that lean heavily on knowledge of 1980s pop culture. Crack the code and control of the Oasis is yours. But it isn’t just individuals who seek to own the tech. Innovative Online Industries (IOI), a corporation with plans to completely monetize the Oasis, assembles an entire department dedicated to winning Halliday and Morrow’s creation. Wade, with the help of a group of friends, realizes it’s up to them to ensure that doesn’t happen. Ultimately, Spielberg’s ability to meld mirth, mystery and pop culture ensure that “Ready Player One” is a must-see. — George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal
TYLER PERRY’S ACRIMONY
R, 120 minutes. Starts tonight at Waterford, Lisbon. Tyler Perry’s latest is a thriller in which a loyal wife decides to take revenge on her unfaithful husband. A review wasn’t available by deadline.