Ready Player One is a science fiction fantasy film directed by the great Steven Spielberg and is based on the best selling novel of the same name by Ernest Cline. The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena White, Simon Pegg & Mark Rylance.

In 2045, many of Earth’s cities have now become slumps however the inhabitants have found an escape in a virtual reality world known as the Oasis. When the co-founder, James Halliday (Rylance), passes away he leaves behind a series of challenges within the Oasis and the one who completes them all would win a huge cash money prize & full control of the Oasis. Wade Watts (Sheridan) is up for the challenge but he soon finds out it much more than just more than video games & pop culture references when the evil & corrupt corporation IOI, Innovative Online Industries, and their CEO Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn) attempt to seize control of their biggest competitor. Helping Wade is his online friends, Art3mis (Cooke) and Aech (Harris) and they must complete the challenges before Sorrento and his crew does.

This is a fantastic film from beginning to end, filled with pop culture references from the 80s & 90s and has visuals are perfect for the movie theater audience. Spielberg proves that he is without a doubt that he is on the best directors. His films, such as, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Saving Private Ryan, do a great job in taking the audience on an adventure that is both visually appealing & emotionally satisfying. This film is no different.

Tye Sheridan gives a great performance as the lead, as do the rest of the cast, especially Ben Mendelsohn who is great as the villain. The film does have some similarities to The Matrix & Back To The Future but stands on its own from a storytelling platform.

Overall, this was great film with amazing visuals, solid acting and a compelling story. If you’re a fan of 80’s and 90’s nostalgia, then I highly recommend this film. It quite refreshing to see movie that isn’t a sequel, reboot or comic book based and it actually good all the way around.