Ready Player One – Review

Ready Player One – Budget of $175 million – 2 hours and 0 minutes

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In Columbus, Ohio 2045, Wade Watts is like every other person in The Stacks. He is living his life in the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation). The only things you can’t do in the OASIS is eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom. Otherwise, you can do anything, be anyone, go anywhere, and spend real money to level up. The downfall is that when people’s avatars die, they lose everything they ever earned in the OASIS. Whether its coin, weapons, armor, or anything else. So when they lose it in the game, they often lose their minds in the real world.  Five years ago, the games creator James Halliday released a recorded announcement triggered by his death.  He left an easter egg in the OASIS.  Whoever finds the easter egg will get half of a trillion dollars and control over the OASIS.  In order to get to the egg, you must find 3 hidden keys.  The keys won’t just be lying around, you have to win games and solve clues to get them.  And finding one key will give you a hint to the others.  But after 5 years, no one has won the 1st race to lead to the first key.  Even the IOI (Innovative Online Industries) with a war room, billions of dollars, and loyalty camps can’t win.  When Wade, under his avatar Parzival, learn the truth about IOI and the loyalty camps, he will do anything to win and save the OASIS.  The only problem is that he won’t “Clan Up”, even with his best friend Aech.  Wade wants to be like Parzival and win the prise on his own.  Can he alone save the OASIS?

Based on the book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, this movie isn’t just about an Easter Egg (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). The entire movie is one giant Easter Egg for gamers, movie lovers, and music lovers.  Taking characters from video games like Zelda and Grand Theft Auto, along with characters from movies like Beetlejuice and Child’s Play, and music like Jump and Take on Me, this movie is a feast for the eyes and the ears.  It gives a contemporary political view of the future of the VRE industry without condemning it.   It is funny and very insightful.  You will laugh out loud and consider what the future will hold for this technology.  It’s easy to get lost in the OASIS when the world around you has fallen apart.  The Lost Generation need to OASIS as their permanent escape but it’s affecting their real lives.  So much that they are indebted to the game and put in camps where they work off their debt.  They are forced deeper into debt and become slaves in and out of the game.  This movie should be seen in Dolby for the full visual and audio experience.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

I just had to make sure – James

She could be a ‘He’ – Aech

I don’t Clan up – Wade

That’s not possible – Ogden

Give me that – Nolan

And you just decided to use that now – Samantha

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Pacific Rim: Uprising – Review

Pacific Rim: Uprising – Budget of $176 million – 1 hour and 51 minutes

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Jake, the son of Stacker Pentecost, is nothing like his father. He steals and barters to survive while living in a half-demolished mansion. While trying to steal a power core from an old Jaeger, his plan is intercepted by Amara. Amara has used stole parts to create her own, much smaller, Jaeger. Jake follows her to her hideout and tries to steal her Jaeger. They argue but are caught by the Pan Pacific Defense Corps (PPDC). Mako Mori has stepped out of the Jaegers and became the PPDC General Secretary but she is annoyed by her brother Jake’s behavior. So she gives him an option: Jail or the PPDC as an instructor. Jake chooses the PPDC. He is happy to see that Amara was recruited as well and her Jaeger named Scrapper. The PPDC was impressed that she was able to build and pilot a Jaeger on her own. Well, if you can’t beat them, hire them. While Jack is happy with Amara, he is not pleased to see Nate. And the feeling between the two is 100% mutual. Nate was once his co-pilot, but when Jake was thrown out of the program, Nate could not find someone he could drift with as well as he could with Jake. Now, these ex-co-pilots have to instruct new recruits together. If that is not bad enough Shao Corporation is introducing new Jaegers that can be remotely piloted.  While the government is happy with this idea, Mako, the recruits, and the other pilots are not.  The PPCD decides to have a council in Sydney to discuss using Shao’s technology when Jaegers go rogue and start attacking the city. When the smoke clears, Jake will have a reason to join the fight but he and everyone are shocked to learn who is behind the attack and what they really want.

The sequel to the cult phenomenon Pacific Rising, this movie separates itself while incorporating and correcting the history (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  You will see old and new characters while the new plot carefully weaves itself with the old plot.  While it is a strong story, you will need to see the first one to understand the second.  And while the first one was dark and grainy, this movie is shot in daylight around tall buildings so you can see the immense size and detail of the machines.  At some point, this movie looks more like an homage to Godzilla, than a sequel.  However, it allows more that one actor to be funny and concentrates on more than one relationship.  While it’s not great, it’s better than its predecessor.  And it leaves the potential for a third movie.  See this movie at the matinee and 3D is not necessary.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

And now I am stealing for you. Circle of life – Jake

Bigger’s not so bad – Amara

Oh and try not to steal anything while you’re here – Nate

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