READY PLAYER ONE

READY PLAYER ONE REVIEWED

“Ready Player One” is the third film in a month that is going to piss off the right people and please the others. What is it about early Spring becoming such a divisive battleground for mainstream cinema? Tales of Black Panthers, time-tripping young ladies and video game futurist savior stories shouldn’t be requiring this much emotional adoration and dread. Yet, here we are smack in the middle of the debate. Honestly, I blame society. This is what happens when 24/7 media saturation reaches its peak.

Gamer culture irritates me in a way that I don’t approach other groups. The SJW crowd is nothing but loud mouths and good causes. The Right-Wing are steadily crossing that line between traditional villainy and cartoonish tomfoolery. But, the last 40 years has never known what to do with the gamer. As time and technology interconnects us all, we find the early stages of an Oasis giving voice to the people existing in various Avatars crying out that their latest indie game be considered art.

A wise man once said if someone starts a sentence with “What Pizza Delivery taught me”, you can safely tune out. Such is my natural bias for people trying to defend work by using their love of game culture as a shield. Yet, game culture made this film possible. Spielberg has a long history of mining what he needs out of a novel to create a stronger film. The man knew what was needed to make Jaws, The Color Purple and even Empire of the Sun work on film. The fact that he leaned in so heavily to the aesthetic of modern and classic gaming is amazing.

From the giant street race set piece vs. Kong to the final battle for the Oasis, the best of the novel came to screen. Did we need to see visual representations of Cline defending his member berries moments of yesteryear. Wrong. We needed Godzilla vs. The Iron Giant. The base story is simple and Ben Mendelsohn’s role could’ve been tackled by so many others. Spielberg knew that remaking the wheel didn’t matter. Cinematic art exists in the visuals and shared history.

A bare reference of Mega Man means nothing other than Capcom is still relevant for nostalgia purposes. The same can be said for Chucky, Spawn, and the various other creatures arriving for battle. Icons alone mean nothing until they’re shoved together and the user experience is forced to relate what this means to them. While Tye Sheridan’s performance didn’t help sell the second half of this, the point remains. Ready Player One succeeds by Spielberg making the audience identify the reason they give importance to video game characters and the worlds they share.

People who hate gaming aren’t monsters. Hell, they are no different than the groups that don’t get comics, cosplay or any other nerd activity. Emotional connection is what grounds the ability to experience interactive entertainment. Film gives the audience a chance to understand why they care. It’s a loaded question that I found myself facing after The Force Unleashed II’s DLC. Yeah, I’m being serious.

While playing that DLC, you have to play a Sith that kills Chewbacca. The actual act of having to participate in the simulated death of Chewbacca made me feel horrible. I’ve loved that character for as long as I can remember and this game made me kill him. There is no obligation to play the DLC and endure the game, but I wanted to be entertained. So, what does that say about me?

Well, it’s the heart of the matter. Gaming is inconsequential. If Gamer X doesn’t play something, it doesn’t mean we’re missing out on the next Bionic Commando. Cinema, gaming and other outlets will exist as long as humanity demands the need to be pleased and belong. Tye Sheridan’s character is eventually brought around to this realization and it’s a healthy place to exist. Does gaming have to be art for art’s sake? No. It’s better than that. From one experience comes many. Go your own way, people.

FILM STATS

• 2 hrs and 20 mins
• PG-13
• Warner Brothers

RELEASE DATE: 3/23/18

FINAL NOTE: Moviebill to debut first trailer at ‘Ready Player One’ opening weekend

Concourse Media’s principals Matthew Shreder and James Andrew Felts’ announced today, that this Friday, at Regal Cinemas nationwide, ‘Ready Player One’ opening weekend audiences will be the first to preview a trailer for Moviebill, the cutting-edge Augmented Reality (AR) platform. The full Moviebill trailer can be previewed here:

Moviebill is a collectible magazine with accompanying mobile application for the ultimate movie-watching experience: 28 pages packed with exclusive content focused on the cover-story blockbuster movie’s opening weekend. Moviebill was created to celebrate and expand the movie-going experience, offering for the first time to moviegoers an innovative AR experience that fans can enjoy alongside their family and friends interacting with their favorite films in a previously impossible way. “Moviegoers always have been a highly coveted and loyal consumer, especially the opening-weekend moviegoer, they are always looking for what’s next and are often looking to be surprised and delighted, and with Moviebill, we are bringing the magic back to the moviegoing experience, said Moviebill co-founder Matthew Shreder. “Moviegoers expect the highest level of entertainment and Moviebill provides the opportunity to deliver more value and excitement to opening-weekend consumers while providing some of the industry’s greatest return.” “This weekend ushers in a new era for the blockbuster opening-weekend moviegoer, who will be among the first to see the trailer that showcases Moviebill’s offering,” added Shreder. “Finally, the movie doesn’t have to end, moviegoers and fans armed with Moviebill will finally have a collectible product that immediately and forever expands upon the big screen movie-going experience in the theater.” “Soon, for the first time, moviegoers at the theater and home after the movie ends will be able to scan and engage with premium content on Moviebill, and instantly be treated to exclusive behind the scenes footage for each specific film that Moviebill covers,” added Shreder.

Regal Cinemas’ mobile app will be the first to host Moviebill’s proprietary image-recognition technology that brings content to life through AR experiences, creating a multi-faceted, seamless online and offline experience. Moviebill will be available on more than 8 million users’ devices at launch, making it the largest entertainment-focused augmented reality platform to date. In the mobile app, moviegoers can unlock interactive experiences with the characters and worlds that inspire and excite them via 3D characters, 360-degree videos and three-dimensional worlds. Moviebill’s website will also offer additional articles that deepen their understanding of films covered in Moviebill and the process of bringing them to life. “Moviegoers are still movie lovers after they leave the theater. As the biggest AR platform ever offered for consumer use, Moviebill not only enhances the magic of being at the movies but also serves as a destination for fans to carry home with them after leaving the theater, said Moviebill co-founder James Andrew Felts.

Audiences at Regal Cinemas will have exclusive access to the limited run of each issue, which will be handed out to audiences starting on opening night of each movie covered. Moviegoers will receive their Moviebill from directly from ushers when their ticket is taken, giving them time to explore materials both on the page and in the AR space as the movie begins. After the film, moviegoers can dig into the movie further with revealing videos, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that continue after the cinema experience ends. Additional posters, banners, and other in-theater displays will offer readers the opportunity to unlock new and different experiences beyond the pages of Moviebill. “Each Moviebill is designed as a collectible souvenir that is meant to go home with the moviegoer,” continued Felts.

“Each edition of Moviebill will feature exclusive cover art for the featured movie and will be individualized with the local theater name and copy number.” “We are excited to be working with the major film studios to provide exclusive augmented reality experiences related to behind-the-scenes features, deleted scenes, games, talent commentary and other special content for the largest and most anticipated movies of the year,” added Felts. With a seven-figure circulation commitment per edition, Moviebill will be one of the largest-circulated physical entertainment media outlets at launch to an audience. Moviegoers have demonstrated that they are among some of the most-engaged and selective consumer groups, and those who attend an opening weekend showing of a film are also considered deeply devoted movie fans, early adopters of technology and influential opinion leaders.