Ready Player One

[Josh611]

It was actually a lot better than I anticipated. Kept me interested the whole time.

[Chuck Bartowski]

I watched it again today in IMAX...still really liked it. It's the kind of movie I can watch over and over because it's just relies on being fun..no weird twists or surprise endings.

It makes you wonder how far away we are from a place like Oasis...it's probably closer than we think.

[majestik101]

$53 Million so far in the Box Office. Numbers don't lie.

[RetailChamp]

Just got home from it.

When the first preview popped back in late summer, I was enticed enough to go buy the book. Read through it, enjoyed it, couldn't wait for the movie.

I actually like that they kept the story line, but mixed things up. Int he book, the quest for the first key is kind of boring. Making the race the first test was much better movie content. (Not to mention it was STUNNING. Amazing graphics work)

Definitely enjoyed it, though I feel like the guy who played Perzival and the the chick who played Artemis weren't very good actors.

The final fight scene was great just to try and pick out the various video game characters. Battletoads were probably my favorite haha

[jdandns]

Just saw it. There's a dizzying array of references. I caught a lot of them, probably most of the pre-2000 stuff, but I might have missed out on some of the newer stuff. Looking forward to the BluRay so I can pause certain shots. The car race scene at the start was phenomenal, I loved the part set in the famous horror movie, and the big finish looked great, too, so it's a definite thumbs up here.

I don't want to be responsible for any spoiler so early on in the run, so I'll just point out that the single f-word that is allowed in a PG-13 movie is spectacularly used and oddly mirrors into a viral video I just saw last week. Beyond that, I recognized the magic spell words instantly, but I think those will go over the heads of a lot of people being from a movie from the early 80's, and definitely not one for kids.

It was "Wizard of Oz" crossed with "Willy Wonka" with a car race/chase scene out of the "French Connection" and a battlefield straight out of Spielberg's own "Saving Private Ryan". Lots to like here, but obviously, the more steeped you are in pop culture, the more you will enjoy it.

[chrisfaceoff]

I just saw this yesterday, and I was blown away.

Aside from the Super Hero movies, this was the most invested and captivated I have been for a movie since Avatar or The Jungle book.

I didn't read the book, but I thought the entire movie was fantastic and it really resonated with me.

[Brobocop]

Is it weird that I thought this would be a movie made for me yet felt it landed a bit flat? I wasn't a huge fan of the lead actors and thought they missed some good opportunities to expand on the impact the Oasis has had on the world. Wade's family gets whipped out and it never came back or had any real implications on the story. It was just something that happened. The Shining stuff was a ton of fun and seeing all the references was cool. I thought overall it was a good movie but didn't really move the needle for me in one direction or the other. 6.5/10.

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by Brobocop

The Shinning stuff was a ton of fun and seeing all the references was cool.

[Harps]

Just out of a showing and had a great time. Loads of fun spotting references. The one bit that was a bit flat for me was the Shining part, but then its not a film I've ever watched.

About 15 mins from the end, I was wondering if they could do a sequel. That says it all really!

[Chuck Bartowski]

So how far out do people think a place like Oasis is?

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by Chuck Bartowski

So how far out do people think a place like Oasis is?

Aren't we sort of there already? I think we're already in Oasis Beta 1.1

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by Harps

Just out of a showing and had a great time. Loads of fun spotting references. The one bit that was a bit flat for me was the Shining part, but then its not a film I've ever watched.

That part actually wasn't from the book, but Spielberg is a huge fan of Kubrick (who directed "The Shining"), and I think Steven wanted to play in Stanley's sandbox a little more, after having done so before with the superb "A.I.".

If you like horror films, "The Shining" is a must. It stands up to this day, despite Stephen King not enjoying it.

[Chuck Bartowski]

Originally Posted by jdandns

That part actually wasn't from the book, but Spielberg is a huge fan of Kubrick (who directed "The Shining"), and I think Steven wanted to play in Stanley's sandbox a little more, after having done so before with the superb "A.I.".

If you like horror films, "The Shining" is a must. It stands up to this day, despite Stephen King not enjoying it.

To be fair Halliday in the book is also a big fan of The Shining and Kubrick.

[Chuck Bartowski]

Originally Posted by majestik101

Aren't we sort of there already? I think we're already in Oasis Beta 1.1

You might be right...I saw on youtube there are already omnidirectional treadmills.

[Ray27Ray52]

Originally Posted by jdandns

That part actually wasn't from the book, but Spielberg is a huge fan of Kubrick (who directed "The Shining"), and I think Steven wanted to play in Stanley's sandbox a little more, after having done so before with the superb "A.I.".

If you like horror films, "The Shining" is a must. It stands up to this day, despite Stephen King not enjoying it.

Wait, wait. Hold up. Did you just call A.I. superb? Different strokes for different folks I guess but I think it's one of Spielberg's worst mainstream films ever trailing only Indy and the Crystal Skull and Hook.

A.I. is an absolute mess. I even watched it twice to make sure I wasn't missing something. Nope, I wasn't. Just the typical Spielberg cookie cutter melodramatic more family more problems schlock that he manages to pump out in his old age.

[IndySportsCards]

Originally Posted by majestik101

$53 Million so far in the Box Office. Numbers don't lie.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)
Worldwide Gross: $107.58 million

Just sayin...

[Hallco]

I enjoyed it. It is definitely different from the book, but in this day or differing approaches and interpretations to character stories(like with many of the re-made superhero movies), I was expecting a different twist. I do think they could have added some more of the background as has been mentioned and wished that they could have got the rights to use this guy:

...but I was entertained the entire time!

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by Ray27Ray52

Wait, wait. Hold up. Did you just call A.I. superb? Different strokes for different folks I guess but I think it's one of Spielberg's worst mainstream films ever trailing only Indy and the Crystal Skull and Hook.

A.I. is an absolute mess. I even watched it twice to make sure I wasn't missing something. Nope, I wasn't. Just the typical Spielberg cookie cutter melodramatic more family more problems schlock that he manages to pump out in his old age.

I agree it's a mess. You and I agree on Spielberg's worst, that honor goes to Hook, a movie that I hate with every fiber of my being.

A.I. is just pure silly, hokey pablum. On a technical level, it is pretty good, but the story falls apart, and is basically Pinocchio 2.0 with robots and a teddy bear as Jiminy Cricket

[jdandns]

I think the movie was pretty much already in place the way Stanley wanted it and Spielberg finished it with a lot of reverence to Kubrick, (obviously too much for some) almost as a tribute movie. I wouldn't consider it a Spielberg movie-proper, due to that.

But since we're ranking Steven's movies, let's have your top 5's. Here's mine:

1. Schindler's List
2. Jaws
3. Lincoln
4. E.T.
5. Munich

[Ray27Ray52]

Originally Posted by jdandns

I think the movie was pretty much already in place the way Stanley wanted it and Spielberg finished it with a lot of reverence to Kubrick, (obviously too much for some) almost as a tribute movie. I wouldn't consider it a Spielberg movie-proper, due to that.

But since we're ranking Steven's movies, let's have your top 5's. Here's mine:

1. Schindler's List
2. Jaws
3. Lincoln
4. E.T.
5. Munich

Tough one for me. I'm not a huge fan of Spielberg, though I acknowledge how influential he is as a filmmaker. It's such a conundrum for me because I think Steven made one of the top 3 finest films ever made in this history of cinema in Schindler's List but the good majority of his other films are hokey overly sentimental junk. He found a niche in the business and worked it better than anyone ever has. I'll give him that. But for me Scorsese> Spielberg.

1. Schindler's List
2. Saving Private Ryan
3. Jaws
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
5. E.T.

[jdandns]

Solid list, and I think with Spielberg, his 6-10 would be better than the 1-5 of most other directors (not Scorsese's, though. Martin's 1-5 would compare very favorably with anyone else).

I think 1993 is a keystone year for him in that he had both a vitally important drama in Schinder's List and a crowd-pleasing summer blockbuster in "Jurassic Park". He's had less successful versions of that one-two punch, i.e., a think-piece and a pure entertainment spectacle released within a few months of each other a few times since (including the latest pairing: "The Post" and "Ready Player One"), but it's hard to imagine him (or anyone else) topping his 1993. I did just read that Ready Player One is his first movie to top $300 million in worldwide grosses since 2011 (The Adventures of Tintin).

[tacoma34]

Originally Posted by jdandns

Solid list, and I think with Spielberg, his 6-10 would be better than the 1-5 of most other directors (not Scorsese's, though. Martin's 1-5 would compare very favorably with anyone else).

I think 1993 is a keystone year for him in that he had both a vitally important drama in Schinder's List and a crowd-pleasing summer blockbuster in "Jurassic Park". He's had less successful versions of that one-two punch, i.e., a think-piece and a pure entertainment spectacle released within a few months of each other a few times since (including the latest pairing: "The Post" and "Ready Player One"), but it's hard to imagine him (or anyone else) topping his 1993. I did just read that Ready Player One is his first movie to top $300 million in worldwide grosses since 2011 (The Adventures of Tintin).

In hindsight, I think Jurassic Park was much more then a "crowd pleasing summer blockbuster". It has aged really well and captivated a generation of kids. Stan Winston's dinos were a work of art and the CGI was way ahead of it's time. But yeah 1993 was a great year for Spielberg.

[jdandns]

I just saw a documentary on the ILM special effects company in which Spielberg said he'd originally planned to employed the time-honored method of stop-motion photography and the usual tricks that had been used to bring dinosaurs to the screen until animation pioneer Dennis Muren told him he felt they could do it all in the computer. They made a test of just the dino-skeletons in motion and Steven was sold. As I understood it, "Jurassic Park" is and will (barring some as yet unknown paradigm shift) remain the most important film in the history of computer animation.

[Ray27Ray52]

The real dichotomy with Spielberg is that many of his films rely on special effects that are visually stunning yet he at the same time attempts to pull at the viewers heartstrings with repetitive themes. To many he is the master at putting on the screen a film that will amaze viewers visually and make them cry at the same time. I get it. I won't deny his legacy. But again for me personally I rarely connect with what he is attempting to do.

He beats you over the head with stories of children who have lost parents, children in some kind of danger, and camera angles that are intentionally utilized to heighten suspense. He's simply a mish mash of many successful Directors. There is a fine line between being your own Director and paying homage to those who came before you. It seems preposterous for me to say this but I think he fails in that aspect quite frequently.

[majestik101]

My top 10 Steven Spielberg movies list. Ready Player One isn't on it.

1. Jaws - From beginning to finish, his most "perfect" movie.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Pulpy fun that does not age. His most "re-watchable" movie. Hits all the right notes.

3. Saving Private Ryan - This one hit me HARD. So powerful. I remember seeing this one in the theater and being absolutely floored by all of it.

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Toss up between this and Jurassic Park, but this proved that his previous movie, Jaws wasn't a fluke. He would be a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

5. Jurassic Park - Maybe not for directing, but the movie was a game changer as it ushered in CGI as we know it today.

6. Schindler's List - Proved he can be a "serious" director taking on difficult subject matter. It's low on my list for reasons that it is such a difficult watch. Maybe it should be higher, it is not an entertaining movie, but it will likely be viewed as his Masterpiece when all is said and done.

7. E.T. - Used to be in my top 5 for the longest time, but on repeat viewings it doesn't quite have the magic it used to. Still a fine, fun movie though.

8. War of the Worlds - Basically a post 9/11 movie disguised as a science fiction movie. Terrifying on many levels.

9. Duel - For a TV movie, this one stands up there among his best. It's basically one long chase movie and to this day it still works, warts and all.

10. Bridge of Spies - Honestly it was a toss up between this and "The Post" which I also loved, but this one wins on the basis of the incredible acting and tension leading up to the incredibly handled ending.

Honorable mention:

Minority Report
Lincoln
Poltergeist (yes, he directed it)