Ready Player One (2018)

antijoke · 20 Mar 2018 at 14:03

Got some tickets for an advanced screening on Sunday, looking forward to it, haven't read the book.

IvanDobskey · 20 Mar 2018 at 14:27

x-st said:
Have you read the book? If you have an ounce of nostalgia for the early years of gaming and 80's kitsch then it's a pretty enjoyable read.

I haven't read the book.

I have considered it, but I keep hearing the nostalgia is the only really good thing about it.

Begbie · 20 Mar 2018 at 14:31

IvanDobskey said:
This looks pretty terrible to me

I'll be avoiding it.

Shame its getting some awesome reviews! Which I wasn't expecting.

insideline · 20 Mar 2018 at 16:13

Looks horrendous from the trailers, like everything I hate about Hollywood rolled into one giant hamfest for the types of people who think super hero films are awesome.

dannyjo22 · 20 Mar 2018 at 17:01

IvanDobskey said:
I haven't read the book.

I have considered it, but I keep hearing the nostalgia is the only really good thing about it.

I'd say this will be a film that's better than the book. The book is all nostalgia, I read it the first time and got caught up in that, re-read it and realised it's utter drivel as a story, all far too convenient and timing and solving of puzzles and riddles laughable. It's written like a 8 year old summing up a story, like when they try to cram the plot conveniently into two paragraphs.

Enjoy the film, ignore the book.

TallPaul1878 · 20 Mar 2018 at 17:58

I'm listening to the book on audible. Despite it being narrated by Wesley Crusher I'm quite enjoying it.

I understand the criticism about it though. The main character Wade is a Mary Sue, everything just falls into place for him all the time.

IvanDobskey · 20 Mar 2018 at 20:13

insideline said:
Looks horrendous from the trailers, like everything I hate about Hollywood rolled into one giant hamfest for the types of people who think super hero films are awesome.

This unfortunately

wolfie138 · 21 Mar 2018 at 07:26

steven "it's got my name on it so everyone will love it no matter how **** it is" spielberg

VincentHanna · 21 Mar 2018 at 07:29

Up until 2008 his movies were generally a sign of quality, but recently his output has been hit and miss, and mostly middling.

ci_newman · 21 Mar 2018 at 10:34

I've seen it, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is receiving (overall) pretty good reviews too - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/reviews?ref_=tt_ql_3

Of course there is CGI, that is the entire point of the story line! But in my opinion, the CGI blends very well with the live-action stuff.

tom_nieto · 21 Mar 2018 at 10:43

I'm really looking forward to seeing this. The book was excellent and I enjoyed the nostalgia of it. I think there's a risk of taking this movie too seriously and forgetting that a huge draw is the vintage video games and 80's nostalgia. Spielberg surely has the vehicle to reference his old classic films too?

What's the soundtrack like?

x-st · 21 Mar 2018 at 11:30

tom_nieto said:
What's the soundtrack like?

Probably just what you'd expect if you wanted shameless nostalgia

https://open.spotify.com/user/ernestcline/playlist/5h6SYfQvJYAnr9S8Al4yOn

DrToffnar · 22 Mar 2018 at 12:24

So many edgelords in this thread xD

PlacidCasual · 22 Mar 2018 at 13:04

WTF does that mean? I looked it up on wiktionary but I am still lost.

toshj · 22 Mar 2018 at 15:27

Looking forward to this - re-reading it at the moment, although expecting the film to deviate as required.

tom_nieto · 22 Mar 2018 at 17:42

x-st said:
Probably just what you'd expect if you wanted shameless nostalgia
https://open.spotify.com/user/ernestcline/playlist/5h6SYfQvJYAnr9S8Al4yOn

Can't wait! The soundtrack looks like proper cheesy nostalgia

JediFragger · 23 Mar 2018 at 00:38

PlacidCasual said:
WTF does that mean?

Similar to a **********

TallPaul1878 · 23 Mar 2018 at 06:55

PlacidCasual said:
WTF does that mean? I looked it up on wiktionary but I am still lost.

Edgelord?

It means you are acting disagreeable so that you can stand out. Someone who probably wears a fedora and has a collection of samurai swords.

Having listened to the book now, almost to completion, via audible I will say that I have enjoyed the book overall.

Two things that have nagged me. I have already mentioned that the lead character just has everything fall in place for him. Want to solve a puzzle? Just sit there until it "comes to you".

The plot twist at the end is incredibly cringey. The author just goes off on a SJW tirade with what you think of as a main character in the simulation being a plethora of diversity tick boxes. Think preferred pronouns.

PlacidCasual · 23 Mar 2018 at 11:23

TallPaul1878 said:
Two things that have nagged me. I have already mentioned that the lead character just has everything fall in place for him. Want to solve a puzzle? Just sit there until it "comes to you".

I dunno that seems a little harsh, it does say that he has spent 5 years studying Halliday and the Egg Hunt including playing of all the games Halliday idolised. I saw it more a case of once he'd made that breakthrough future breakthrough came more easily and he is helped by others that beat him to the breakthrough. It's not a case of he is suddenly has Jedi powers y'know because, there is definitely implied apprenticeship, the plot takes place over years there is time for growth understanding etc.

dannyjo22 · 23 Mar 2018 at 13:13

It's more how convenient the following clues are solved, that all of main players can solve clues 2/3 and so on almost together despite not working as a team when the first clue took years to solve. Admittedly I didn't notice it on first read but second read it was terrible.