Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One is better then it has any right to be. Based on Ernest Cline's popular 2011 novel of the same name about a virtual reality video game, a little light dystopianism and plenty of fan boy servicing, the film version is directed by Steven Spielberg and pays arguably obsessive tribute to the pop culture of the 70s, 80s and 90s, pop culture that the director himself was a major contributor to. Yes even Steven Spielberg has been sucked into our current self referential nostalgic pop culture matrix, which is also a good description of the VR 'Oasis' most of this movie is set in. The plot concerns a group of young people, anchored by the likable Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke who compete/ work together to find a hidden 'Easter egg' left by 'The OASIS' late eccentric creator (Mark Rylance). They must find said 'egg' to save the digital public square from excessive commercialization by stuffed shirt Ben Mendelsohn, which is a little ironic in that 'The OASIS' is made up pretty much entirely of commercial pop culture, the property licensing involved in this movie must have required a heck of a lot of lawyers and paper work, there is even a Silent Running reference so it casts a very large net. Still the movie works as an appropriately 80's style youthful adventure film, something Spielberg runs at the top of the scoreboard in his ability to play out.  ***1/2