Wow, all I can say is just… wow.

Going into Ready Player One, I had expectations for this film since it was being directed by Steven Spielberg, but I wasn’t holding them too high. But I am glad to say that I was blown away. This film is a pop culture and modern day games extravaganza mix. Spielberg has proved once again why he is one of the most popular and award-winning directors of all-time. The balancing between the glorious computer-generated imagery (CGI – special visual effects created using computer software), of the movie and the live action parts were both treated delicately and handled with care. They both had their moments and they both didn’t outshine each other.

The story of Ready Player One, has its own rhythm. It follows more of an Easter egg pattern and you are along for the journey. An Easter Egg in a video game term that explains a hidden story or a hidden element in a video games. There are clues for you to follow, to unlock that Easter egg or find it. This is all essentially what they are doing in the movie. Spielberg takes this pattern and integrates this with movie, visiting various pop culture references while being able to compliment modern video games.

The characters were funny and memorable. The action sequences were entertaining and had me at the edge of my seat. And the story that had the characters hunting for a million dollar egg had me pondering as well, testing my knowledge as a gamer. And even if you are not a gamer or a pop culture Uber nerd, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy this film. Spielberg designed the film in a way where you can watch the movie and still understand what to going on and not get all the references but rewards those who love games and pop culture; so, to me it’s a win-win.

This Sci-Fi spectacle has one of the best CGI to date. This CGI has to be one of, if not the main highlights of this film. It made me want to go out and play in Oasis world that the movie discusses and invest my entire life into this. Of course, that’s when I realize that our society is not there yet in terms of technology and I came back to reality. The CGI was masterfully crafted, it is was what a lot of people came for in this movie and I believe it delivers even more than what viewers wanted. This is especially true for gamers like me, since this is what they are looking forward to this kind of future, and even if you are not as obsessed as I am, you can’t deny the heart that went into the film or the idea of how interesting this would be in the our world. CGI was the soul of this film and went beyond my expectations.

The cast itself was well chosen and did not disappoint. Tye Sheridan, playing as Wade Owen Watts / Parzival, did a great job portraying an introverted but determined player, his quirky nature can be endearing and wants us to like him, to follow him, and ultimately want him to succeed. Olivia Cooke, as Samantha Evelyn Cook / Art3mis, did a great job playing a her spunky, yet soft, character.  She starts out as tomboyish character but through the movie, we see that she’s more than just this character. Lena Waithe, playing Aech/Helen,  probably surprised me the most. Her character reveal was surprises and humorous as well, but it threw me in a loop. Her acting chops definitely had me going and she had various humor moments which had me laughing as well. Ben Mendolsohn, playing Nolan Sorrento, was an interesting antagonist. Usually it would be hard to take someone of his character seriously in the world and context that they are in but he did a convincing job. His portrayal as greedy corporate boss that’ll do anything to success, works well in this setting and plays a very convincing bad guy. The rest of the supporting class did a excellent job in their roles and were prominent in their short time.

The movie was a fun film to watch whether you understand the references or not, it’s definitely a film for the family to enjoy and remember, it actually inspire me to read the book to get a more in depth understanding of the story. But if you like Sci-fi, pop culture and gaming, you will enjoy this movie, and even if you don’t, I still recommend it as you will understand what it’s about and have a fun experience. Ready players one is definitely a win.