"Welcome to the Oasis."

Trailer Review 060 & Movie Preview 010

Steven Spielberg's

 Ready Player One 

Warner Bros.

[March 30th, 2018]

Trailer(s) Effectiveness = 90% for introducing the world and the main storyline.

This piece of literature by Ernest Cline is an imaginative premise giving the ultimate power to the best of the best in an online multiplayer game and those who is in tune with the creator's approach to the beloved games of yesteryears, reserved the best yet for an individual that's passionate and informative enough for specific intellectual properties to get the original creator's intention. That's the gist or the synopsis of it, and what better director that is more perfect to direct the live action adaptation than the one that had a number of his own being directly included and intertwined in the main storyline: Steven Spielberg. It's in the most capable hands for such a tricky project, being in the best position to excel. Here's hoping!

Chance of Success = 

85% with the might of Steven Spielberg and the ultimate nostalgia trip.

a case for the premise with trip down the memory lane:

+ Highlights +

Albeit farfetched (but not that impossible compared to the world nowadays), he did created a believable, living world that was full of imagination and peril, combining fantastical elements with science fiction (that's surprisingly echoing the real life advancement we've achieved) while molding it around the volatile nature of humankind. 

? Main contention ?

How much of the original material would survive the journey from the written to fully visual media, it is still remains to be seen ... with screenplay, the essence should be intact with just a change of properties to more recent ones to appear more 'trendy', for better or for worse.

- Lowlights -

The use of properties that were current at the time of the writing would not make the piece age as gracefully as it could as some of them will appear outdated to some, but that's the risk of writing about technology that was current around you, especially household names that are known across the world.

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a case for the leading multitasker of the industry:

+ Highlights +

One of the most respected filmmakers of all time that have proven his mettle over and over again with hits after hits for decades now, molding the industry in his image and paving the way for the evolution of cinema that is still evident until now. 

? Main contention ?

His past record suggests that he is capable in adapting anything under the sun across the genres and variety of premises, now with a virtual reality-focused premise a fresh new endeavour he could dive into.

- Lowlights -

Even the master are not susceptible to a few faults if his track record are to be concerned, but he is definitely responsible in creating beloved movies and solid outings throughout his career. Whether or not it's the twilight of his career, only time will tell.

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a case for the nostalgic near future game epic:

+ Highlights +

Gorgeous world and characters of the virtual world being 'brought to life' with high-end graphics or renders, showcasing the (already over a dozen of) cult and even current pop culture icons and characters (i.e. Akira's bike, Overwatch, Street Fighter, even Battle Toads!) in multiple scenes that are synonymous with MMORPG from casual hangouts to solo adventuring to downright war!

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With the first trailer introducing the world to newcomers, the second providing a preview of the main protagonist's journey through the world while teasing them with recognizable characters and vehicles, catering to those that are still not fully sold on the premise.

? Main contention ?

That car race scene is not in the original storyline although it could work if retrofitted into a race between the players and the evil corporation, providing a much more dynamic scene to obtain one of the Keys rather than the ones in the book that is comparatively less fast faced but certainly with its own charms. This is a possibility that we have to face for any reinterpretation but the diehard fans might not have been that inclined for change.

- Lowlights -

With a lot of fan favourite and cult hit gaming properties being used in the novel, the unfortunate consequences in trying to adapt it is the eventual prolonged property wrangling that would not come easy although some might have been overlooked or replaced on purpose by the adapter that deemed they might not deemed necessary to go through all the trouble for or could be replaced with a property that have similar traits that are easier to obtain i.e. Ultraman with Iron Giant.

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! Hover over the official images for some quotes !

- Synopsis -
The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger..

Cast

Tye Sheridan as Wade Owen Watts/Parzival
Olivia Cooke as Art3mis
Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento
Simon Pegg as Ogden "Og" Morrow
Mark Rylance as James Donovan Halliday/Anorak
T.J. Miller as i-R0k
Hannah John-Kamen in an undisclosed role
Lena Waithe as Aech
Win Morisaki as Toshiro Yoshiaki/Daito
Philip Zhao as Akihide Karatsu/Shoto
Ralph Ineson as Rick
Letitia Wright as Reb
...

(Steven Spielberg [E.T., Indiana Jones, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Lincoln], Genre - Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, VR)

- official - IMDb - wiki -

source: Collider [Easter Eggs] & comicbookmovie [pictures]

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