Ready Player One: A Virtual Reality with Iconic pieces

It has been years, I watched a Spielberg Movie in Theatre. And when a Spielberg film comes to fruition, there is nothing stopping it from becoming an Epic. The genius has created some of the most spectacular films of perhaps all time in the past and of the future. 

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You name it; Jaws, War of the World, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET, Indiana Jones, Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, AI, Minority Report, Saving Private Ryan , Munich, Tintin.....and many more...all EPICS to the core. All his movies have transcended so many boundaries and genres. When I was a kid, I knew Spielberg as a Science Fiction and fantasy Director, gradually I saw his Earthly inclined movies like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan and Bridges of Spies and the recent, The Post. And boy, time after time, he has shown his prowess not only in high profile imaginative movies but also to the grassroots-grounded-hard-hitting real life believable movies. After a short hiatus Spielberg returns to his Sci-Fi genre.

Now comes the Ready Player One based on Ernest Cline's novel. The last time I saw a movie which can match Spielberg's Fantasy and Animation effects standards was Sucker Punch by Zack Snyder.

Ready Player One is a larger-than-life-once-in-a-decade movie.

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The Song "Pure Imagination" in its orchestral version is a musical piece to hear for. It has all the ingredients which define the movie. It's thumping music, vibrating vocals and a mix of so many musical instruments is an adrenaline for the ears.

The latest Technologies on offering by some tech giants, the film takes the role of Virtual Reality aka VR into its timeline. Yes those Big, Heavy Head Gears you yearn to wrap around your head and feast your eyes to pure imagination!

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Ready Player One has VR software OASIS where people of Year 2045 AD engage with, day and night after day and night. Public life is leaving the Real life towards a better and sweetened Virtual World where players can search for heart's desire. A grand fantasy-immersed-reservoir of fun.

James Halliday, the Co-Founder of OASIS hides an Easter Egg. The one who finds it after undergoing a rigorous contest will inherit some of his wealth and complete control of OASIS. So the race is on, players are for years, running to find the egg inside the OASIS. 

The Hero Parzival and his smoking hot heroine Art3mis with their team are dedicated to win it. Each has different agenda to win, hero wants to move out of his modern day slum while Art3mis wants to stop rival Video game CEO Sorrento - through his troop of Sixers- to stop of winning the game.

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There are three keys retrieve to get the Easter egg. the keys are hidden somewhere in the huge confusing maze of OASIS. Clues are there. It is for them to find them clues to Solve it. The story is for you to watch. I will put light on some brilliant and powerful aspects of the movie.

The virtual world is so full of impossible-imaginations that will keep you spellbound for hours. The animation is so perfect, so juicy and so full of detail that it feels like you are a member of the OASIS. The eye catching and mouth opening cinematography and composition of the visuals are sure to strike a mind boggling chord.The movie pays homage to the POP Culture and to some iconic movies. 

My personal Favourite is "The Shining" homage. If you have seen this Stanley Kubrick's Classic, you will find how Spielberg has moulded so brilliantly its plot with The Overlook Hotel. The Twins, The Bathroom Lady in Room 237, The blood flood from the Lift and the Hedge Maze attack scene are so minutely stitched with the movie. Pure imagination and storytelling.

The powerful race scene at the beginning in a shape shifting racetrack in Manhattan to find the First key, pays homage to Jurassic Park with T-Rex attacking the Car Riders and King Kong jumping off Buildings and smashing Cars to pulp. Art3mis riding a cyberpunk Akira Motorcycle in the race is made perfectly. Apart from that, Aech crushing his way on a big MUV by cruising small vehicles is damn good. 

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The Distracted Globe Night club pays homage to John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever. Parzival and Art3mis dancing to the tunes of "You should be Dancing" in Gravity Defying pit reminds of the magnificence that Travolta created so any years ago that it became a cult of the Disco generation of 70s ad 80s.

Another feature is the Chest-buster scene from Ridley Scott-James Cameron Alien Franchise reproduced when Art3mis scares the hell out of Parzival is a delight. The Iron Giant of Aech drowning in molten liquid gives a Thumbs up sign form the iconic Arnold's Terminator. 

There is also mention of Players climbing the Mount Everest with Batman, Wearing Clark Kent's Spectacles (Superman) to disguise identity. There is homage to Atari gaming console and Minecraft. Back to the Future finds mention with a Rubik's Cube named after its director Robert Zemeckis which help them travel 60 seconds back in the OASIS which in turn helps them to avert the night club attack scene. To attack enemies, they find the weapon in Child's Play's Chucky. He stabs the car chasers with his iconic knife. 

There are so many reference to some of the best cinema that history has offered. We can see that how surprisingly and meticulately Spielberg has woven scenes of such cult and epic films to fit in the plot-line of his new flick and that too in a Virtual Universe.

There is also a subtle warning about the side effects of VR, that has a 2.5 Kilogram hand upon the basic fabric of natural human interactions - which today Social media has already altered in a deep way - the true nature of humans will change so drastically that people will one-hundred-percent shy away to interact with other people in a natural environment. VR will take hold of our minds and grip tight our beating hearts. We will float indefinitely in this VR world.

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There is also a Romantic and Friendship angle to the Story. Subtle yet so remarkable. Halliday, OASIS Owner had experienced love in his youth. His lady love was his way of expressing his feelings in some plots of the OASIS. Hints, that he gave to Players through his life experiences. His regret was two fold, One that he did not kiss his love, Kira on a date and second he stranded his only friend, Odgen Morrow, by removing him from the Partnership in the company. And later in a fate full way, Kira married Morrow. He lost his two people; a love and a friend, his only friend. He made sure that he included this two experiences in his game to test the winner if he is worthy of his prize.

Ready Player One is a masterpiece. It has a long way to go. Spielberg Magic has full affect on it. Great movies are made by some highly imaginative people. Spielberg is one of the handful that Hollywood has seen.

If you love Pop music, If you love Gaming and if you love Spielberg Magic, this one is for you. The movie is running in theatres, you just go without hesitation and watch it. 

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You will not regret. You will be enthralled. A cutting edge feature film that will hook you on the edges of your soft cushy seat. You may even forget eating popcorn from the Big Bowl wrapped by your hand. 

That is the essence of a Master filmmaker. 

Are you Ready. 

Player One.