Monday, April 9, 2018

Movie Adaptation Review: Ready Player One

image source: here.
"...there’s nowhere left to go. Nowhere, except The Oasis. It’s the only place that feels like I mean anything. A world where the limits of reality are your own imagination."
Ready Player One is one of my most anticipated movie adaptation this year, and I finally get to watch it! I read it back in 2017, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to write a full review for it (I did write a short review though). To be honest, my memory about the book is quite vague already; so I think it's a good thing because I will be able to judge the movie on its own. Going out of the theater, I do have to say that I had fun watching it. There are a lot of differences between the book and the movie which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I'll discuss some of them below and try my best not to spoil too much for those who haven't watched it yet 😊😊.

image source: here.
The movie starts off by introducing the world in 2045, when the real world is in ruins and people spend most of their time in the Oasis—an immersive virtual universe where they can do whatever they want and be whoever they want to be. The story focuses on Wade Watts (played by Tye Sheridan) who then introduced us to the Easter Egg hunt that's been ongoing for five years since James Halliday's (played by Mark Rylance) death. The winner of the contest will win inherit a huge fortune and complete control of the Oasis. So when Wade managed to solve the first challenge and obtained the first of the three keys, he instantly became popular and at the same targeted by IOI—a company that wants to take over the Oasis.

Since the plot revolves around the Oasis, most of the movie happens inside that world of virtual reality. I absolutely love the graphics and visual effects of the whole thing! It's so pleasing to look at 😍😍. It's also fascinating to see all the references to pop culture in this movie, and I'm glad I did recognize some of them (since I don't really relate to the references that are mentioned in the book). My favorite one has got to be the Gundam because I watched Gundam a lot as a child and that particular fighting scene was epic! 😂 Another one that I really liked was The Shining reference. Even though I've never watched the movie, I know quite some things about it including the twins and the bathtub lady. 😂😂 I'm glad the movie turned it into a comedic scene instead of a scary one. 😅😅 If you're a game addict or someone who's really into pop culture, you will definitely spot a lot of references in this movie.
image source: here.
Now let's talk about the plot itself. Of course, I already expected it to be different from the book because if it's exactly the same, I'm sure it will take too long. The details are changed in some ways, but the overall story remains the same. Basically, the movie simplifies the challenges to make it short enough for the movie, but at the same time, it will look cool and awesome on screen (The racing scene looks epic and nerve-wracking since there are various crazy obstacles along the way, including King Kong and T-Rex from Jurassic Park).  Because I do have to admit some of the challenges in the book are very tedious and would not be as much fun to see as a movie. Although there is a good outcome from the changes, I think the simplicity of the movie plot makes it a bit predictable, almost like watching a children's movie somehow—including the conflict, the villain, and how easy everything seems. That's why at the start of this post I stated that the changes made in the movie can be either a good thing or a bad thing. It depends on the way the audience perceives it.

Even though the movie doesn't have much time to develop deep characterization, I think the characters are portrayed well enough. I still cringe at Wade's cheesy remarks about love to Art3mis (played by Olivia Cooke) 😂. My favorite character from the movie is probably James Halliday. The way Mark Rylance portrayed his socially awkward character through the way he walks and talks is amazing! I also love Ogden Morrow (played by Simon Pegg), who gives a little unexpected surprise at the end. 💜💜

image source: here.
"Ask yourself, are you willing to fight?"
Despite the major changes made in the movie, I personally think it complements the original story of the book. Some parts are better in the book and some parts are also better in the movie. I can't decide which one I love more, the book or the movie. It's definitely an easy to watch movie that doesn't need the audience to think too muchyou just need to sit back and enjoy the show 😊. The element of friendship, love, adventure, action, and comedy makes the story exciting, fun, and heartwarming all at the same time 😄.

image source: here.
 Have you read or watched Ready Player One? If you have, what do you think about it?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the commments below! 😊
by.stefaniesugia♥ .

1 comment:

  1. Ku yang lahir di 90an ngerasa banyak budaya populer yang belum aku tau. Abis nonton ini, ku jadi pengen riset.

    Mirip kaya sensasi abis nonton Cabin in the woods.

    Aku taunya Omo omo, daebak, kenchana kenchana. Hahaa

    Ku nitip link ya, kali aja mau blogwalking.


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