Ready Player One (4 Stars)

"Reality is the only thing that's real".

That's true, but the problem is, what do you do if you don't like your reality? Not everyone is dealt the same cards. If you're born into a poor family in America you have no chance of advancing. That's a fact. So I can understand the appeal of a virtual reality game like Oasis. Everybody is equal, or at least everybody starts out equal. Everybody can advance, based on his own skills. Everybody can win in-game wealth, which is simply called coin, singular.

You can play the game in different ways. You can keep your head down and play in a small environment, slowly gathering coin. That's not the way Parzival, real name Wade Watts, wants to play. There's a grand prize hidden somewhere in the game. Whoever finds it will be given unlimited wealth and complete control over the game. That's a lot.

The game reminds me of Second Life, which I played intensely when I was younger. I played the most from 2006 to 2010, spending hours every day in front of my computer. I still have an account, but I rarely play today. I found a place in the virtual world that suited me. I became a slave. I was surrounded by beautiful, dominant women. It was all I wanted. And no, I didn't gather coin. What need does a slave have of money?

Oasis has worlds within worlds. Parzival and his friends can visit a cinema to watch "The Shining". When they enter the doors they don't just sit on comfy chairs and munch popcorn. They enter the Overlook Hotel itself and face the terrors waiting behind every corner. It's easier to be a slave.

"Ready Player One" was released in 2018, and it highlights the problems of setting a film in the near future. In the introduction, Wade says "I was born in 2027, after the Corn Syrup Droughts, after the Bandwidth Riots". Let's wait another two years to watch the film again and see what's happened. The film itself takes place in 2045, when the world (America at least) has fallen into global poverty.

When the film was released it was a box office success, and it was generally praised by critics. I've read more recent reviews that describe it as a failure. "What went wrong?" is the question asked. It's common for old films to be re-evaluated, but the emphasis is on old. After 20 to 30 years critics can think things over and be less kind in their reviews. In the case of "Ready Player One" it's only been seven years. Have opinions changed so much in this short time?

Success Rate:  + 1.8

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