{"id":28508,"date":"2018-07-18T13:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-18T17:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=28508"},"modified":"2018-07-18T13:05:44","modified_gmt":"2018-07-18T17:05:44","slug":"ready-player-one-2018-blu-ray-dvd-digital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/18\/ready-player-one-2018-blu-ray-dvd-digital\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready Player One (2018) [Blu-Ray\/DVD\/Digital]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Steven Spielberg\u2019s adaptation of \u201cReady Player One\u201d is a fantastic, mind blowing amalgam of \u201cWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,\u201d \u201cTron,\u201d and \u201cThe Matrix\u201d all rolled in to one multicolored strobe of pop culture. You\u2019d think with the rapid fire barrage of pop culture nods and winks to video games, anime, and television series that \u201cReady Player One\u201d would lose sight of its narrative. In the end, though, Spielberg keeps a firm grip on the novel by Ernest Cline, never once losing sight of what made the original novel such a must read in 2011.<\/p>\n

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Set in 2045, the world is an over populated junk heap where people from all walks of life drift in to a virtual reality world known as OASIS. Prior to the death of its creator Halliday, he left behind a series of clues in the game, challenging players from all walks of life to find three mythical keys. Should those keys be found and assembled, they can unlock his Easter Egg, which will give the player complete control of OASIS, Halliday\u2019s company, and make them wealthy beyond their wildest imaginations. Struggling in poverty and an abusive home life, young Wade Watts aka \u201cParzival\u201d retreats to OASIS and is hell bent on solving the cryptic riddles, and finding the keys. With his group known as \u201cHigh-Five\u201d by his side, he hopes to beat to the punch a ruthless corporate executive named Sorrento, who has plans to use OASIS as a means of keeping players addicted and entrenched in poverty.<\/p>\n

Much like all great directors, Spielberg cuts away at the fat of the novel, keeping only the essentials, and sticking true to the spirit of the book, embracing its unabashed celebration of everything pop culture from the seventies to the aughts. I doubted Spielberg could make something so enchanting out of the concept, but \u201cReady Player One\u201d was incredible. Spielberg perfectly brings to the screen both worlds that are in dire straits, as well as a civilization bereft of their own culture consuming what\u2019s been long considered antiquated. Ernest Cline intended \u201cReady Player One\u201d to be something of a love letter to pop culture as well as a complex look at how yes, video games and nostalgia are great, but if we look hard enough, life can be so much better.<\/p>\n

Spielberg injects much of his own enthusiasm and ability to capture wonder and magic on the big screen, and it benefits what might have been a flat adaptation, overall. Along the way he also stages what may be one of the best, most exciting racing scenes in film history. \u201cReady Player One\u201d also keeps its eye on the humanity of its characters and the dilemma itself, even when delving in to the virtual world of OASIS. Although it\u2019s an amazing landscape where its players are free to tinker around and even go to war, it\u2019s also underlined by the tragic idea that the game is an escape for people with nothing else in their lives. The cast of folks like Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Lena Waithe, and Mark Rylance are absolutely fantastic, bringing to life emphatic and engaging underdog heroes working for their own personal causes involving the big mystery.<\/p>\n

I was very much engrossed in where this journey would lead them, and thankfully whenever the film reverted to motion capture CGI, the appeal of their protagonists never lost a step. \u201cReady Player One\u201d is both an engaging drama, and an excellent adventure that squeezes in so many pop culture references and winks, you\u2019ll have to see it three times to catch it all. From Goro, to Chucky, to the Delorean, the Batmobile, and even a weapon known as \u201cThe Zemeckis Cube,\u201d I was wide eyed and wanted to see more of what lay in OASIS. Though the movie\u2019s brisk pacing, booming eighties soundtrack, and non-stop action laced finale might turn some off, I hooked from beginning to end. \u201cReady Player One\u201d is just marvelous cinematic pop culture trip, and it\u2019s one of my favorite films of the year.<\/p>\n

Featured on the Blu-Ray from Warner, there\u2019s \u201cThe \u201980s: You\u2019re The Inspiration,\u201d a five minute discussion with author Ernest Cline, who explains his love for the 1980\u2019s, why it\u2019s an era he is deeply fond of, and we even speak with Spielberg who admits to cutting out references to his own movies. \u201cGame Changer: Cracking The Code\u201d is a very thorough hour long making of the film, exploring the book, the adaptation, casting, shooting, set design, and everything else. There are also interviews with the cast. \u201cEffects For a Brave New World\u201d is a twenty four minute look at the excellent special effects of the film, from previsualization, and post production, focusing on the immense detail implemented for the film.<\/p>\n

\u201cLevel Up: Sound For The Future\u201d is an eight minute look at the meticulous sound design upon which Spielberg admits he\u2019s never spent so much time on. \u201cHigh Score: Endgame\u201d is a ten minute look at the Alan Silvestri score, the inspirations for the score, and how the score was altered for certain scenes. Finally: \u201cErnie & Tye\u2019s Excellent Adventure\u201d is a twelve minute discussion with \u201cReady Player One\u201d author Ernest Cline and star Tye Sheridan, both of whom reflect on the book, the film, and the experience. It ends with a tease of a potential sequel.<\/p>\n