Ready Player One is a 2018 science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance. Based on the 2011 novel of the same name, the film follows an orphaned teenager Wade Watts (Sheridan) who discovers clues to a hidden game within the program that promises the winner full ownership of the OASIS, and joins several allies to try to complete the game before a large company run by businessman Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn) can do so.

Plot: Ready Player One’s story is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the story is pretty original with a great setup. The Oasis is a concept of beauty, similar to the model of the Matrix, yet represents a certain freedom whereas the latter is more of repression. On the other hand, however, the story is pretty bland, terribly predictable, and lacks really any kind of interesting twists or character arcs. It’s interesting to see these characters try to find this treasure but it’s by the numbers formula lacks any kind of depth. I literally walked away from this film uninspired. The relationship between Wade and Samantha lacks any kind of believability nor holds any kind of buildup. Just forced in for no reason. Really the best parts of the film are the action sequences and the epic climax at the end. (3 out of 5)

Characters: The characters are poorly written and completely forgettable and just as by the numbers as the story. Out main protagonist, Wade Watts/Parzival, is a generic, underdeveloped loser with no interesting personality, hobbies, or quirks. He has nothing going for him nor has he a good motivation for any of his actions. The same can be said for the supporting cast as well. Samantha Cook/Art3mis is his love interest and she’s this tragic character with this tragic past that’s just so forced that it’s laughable. She has a scar on her face, so what. It didn’t make her ugly. Not even close. Helen Harris/Aech, Toshiro/Daito, and Zhou/Sho are Wade’s friends but they really don’t get any type of shine so you know next to nothing about them.

I will admit that the avatars are interesting because of the things they do in the OASIS. Nolan Sorrento is the CEO of Innovative Online Industries and the main antagonist of the film and he’s just a characature. There’s nothing interesting about him, he’s greedy, he’s evil, and he spends most of the time trying to find the Easter egg and being a dick. I really didn’t care about any of the characters, not even James Halliday who built the OASIS and who the movie is about. F’Nale is probably the only interesting character but she’s completely underplayed. (2 out of 5)

Cast: The cast and performances are decent but nothing award winning. You’re not going to walk away saying that any of these performers are your favorite. The main cast includes Tye Sheridan (Wade/Parzival), Olivia Cooke (Samantha/Art3mis), Ben Mendelsohn (Nolan), T.J. Miller (i-R0k), Simon Pegg (Ogden Morror/Curator), Mark Rylance (Halliday), Lena Waithe (Helen/Aech), Hannah John-Kamen (F’Nale Zandor), Philip Zhao (Zhou/Sho), and Win Morisaki (Toshiro/Daito). Like I said, the actors do what they can with what they have. (3 out of 5)

Visuals: Now, visually the film is probably one of the best looking films of the year. There’s a ton of computer imagery but it’s warranted as more than half the film takes place in the OASIS. The action sequences are just amazing with the god editing and great camera angles. Character models are diverse and interesting. The world of the OASIS itself, just looks freaking awesome, almost like a living video game. (5 out of 5)

Score: I think the music is pretty good, especially given that Alan Silvestri is behind it. Silvestri has done a lot of great compositions in his time and he doesn’t disappoint in this film. The sound design is also of the best quality. Things sound like they should, and the diversity of effects does bring the film to life. (4 out of 5)

Writing: In terms of writing and direction, the film is a bit of a mixed bag. Steven Spielberg is at the helm and it definitely shows. He manages to make the world of the OASIS expansive, beautiful, and lively. The world building is there and keeps the sequences really entertaining. However, there is a lot of problems with the writing. For one thing, Wade hardly has any challenge and nearly everything is conveniently given to him. Almost every clue he discovers, others would’ve and should’ve discovered as well, especially the antagonist who has far more resources and manpower. Next, there’s the poor characterization. Who wrote these characters? Dr. Seuss? Almost all the characters are paper thin with nothing interesting going on in their lives except for this game.

Also, there’s the big bad of the film. The movie would’ve benefited better had disloyalty and distrust been the antagonist of the film as the group of characters get closer to discovering the Easter egg. That would’ve fleshed out the characters more and dived deeper into how dangerous the addiction of the game is as well as the desperation of finding the Easter egg. The film is diverse in its design. There are sequences that are filled with action, some drama (though not interesting), horror; just a lot that keeps it interesting. Of course, I can’t forget the tons of pop culture references which I actually liked and helped me stay engaged with the plot and characters. So, as you can see, the film has a lot going for it but at the same time the whole teen troupe holds it back. (2 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Ready Player One is a good time waster but could’ve been so much more. The thing that really holds this film back is the poor writing which affects the characters and story. Still, the visuals are great, score is good, direction good, great action, with decent performances. Ready Player One gets 3 out of 5.