Ready Player One [Blu-ray ]

Considering I knew nothing about this book or film until all the pre-release hype started, I'm surprised to say I whole heartedly recommend this film. There's something in here for a number of age ranges: younger viewers will be wowed by the obligatory action sequences and impressive digital effects, whilst older viewers (well those who were kids circa the time of the first Star Wars) will be playing spot all the pop culture references the film is littered with. It's actually worth watching more than once to see how much you missed, as there are LOTS of background details and characters in scenes that are from other games, tv shows, films, the list is endless. The attention to detail which has been lavished on this film shows and it's clearly something which was close to Spielberg's heart when he made it. For example, when the two main characters have to shoot their way out of the night club, her weapon is a marine's bolt gun from Aliens, and his is a laser pistol from Battlestar Galactica. (I warned you about the detail!) The plot of the film is actually surprisingly good too, which is unusual for some of these blockbusters nowadays - some nice twists as the characters follow the trail of breadcrumbs trying to solve the clues. WARNING for those with small kids though (and this part contains spoilers!) Part of the crumb trail involves classic films and in particular at one point the characters enter a reconstruction of the horror film The Shining, including several of the seminal scenes from the movie. Small children and people who don't do horror may be disturbed by this part as it features some creepy moments, and in particular the horrific moment where the woman comes out of the shower before transforming into some sort of zombie hag will make you uncomfortable. I would recommend that an adult should check this out first before letting anyone under say 12 view it, just to be on the safe side, All in all though, this is a very good film. Lots of action, a good story with some pathos and drama, throw in the odd bit of humour too and it's something which could well become a cult movie in years to come. Recommended.

Very enjoyable, would recommend.

I am using this film as an excuse to replace my TV because even watching it in 2D and nothing remotely HD, 3D or iMax it is pretty spectacular. Why? Simply, because it works. The story and picture glide seamlessly between real and VR worlds and the viewer gets sucked into layers of rich material e.g. 80s, Shining, games (modern complex to simple retro - obvious candidates missing i.e. Space Invaders, Pac man, Donkey Kong, Mario, etc.) and soundtrack. Themes are simple i.e. the quest, good-v-evil, corporate–v-small guy with a love story threaded through, but it is the texture of the film and its escapism that is the star. The film dips its toe into a pool of social consequences that has a resonance about connectivity (games, technology) as a “resource” and lives affected by debt (obsession with latest model/upgrades and contracts). There are good female roles (Samantha/Artemis, Aitch) and crew (High Five). And where Tye Sheridan (Wade/Parzival) brings vulnerability and strength, Ben Mendelsohn (Sorrento) and IOI provide relentlessness (sixers) and slippery façade of corporation. (T.J. Miller (i-R0k) – he funny man). I’ll flog myself later for saying this, but I found Mark Rylance (Academy Award winner and go-to actor for sensitive/complex characters) that his portrayal of socially awkward Halliday was unconvincing. This is a film for kids of all ages (even older ones that never grew up) and being a kid/teenager in the 70s/80s was the place to be – the laughability is that back then VR seemed the stuff of dreams and yet here we are. Everyday I pass the IOI loyalty centre (a disguised Citypoint, London) and it reminds me to keep an eye on the door to escape, so ‘til then I’ll bide my time watching the DVD and will read the book (on Christmas list). If the RPO game comes out, I wonder what Steven Spielberg’s avatar would be? In the meantime, my TV might have an accident with an elbow nudge and I’ll get pizza menu on standby for Ready Player Two …

*3 and a half out of 5* Steven Spielberg’s current most recent directorial outing. Ready Player One is set after James Halliday (Mark Rylance) the creator of a virtual reality game called the OASIS dies and hides the keys to his fortune in it for a worthy player to find. Wade (Tye Sheridan) a teenager sets out on a quest to find the keys and the fortune. Undoubtedly a visual feast of some truly incredible action set pieces and an absolute buffet of nostalgia, pop culture, cameos and references. Enthusiastic performances and a unique world make it a fun watch. However the barrage of exposition and characters, an overlong runtime and generic cheesy dialogue with some cringe inducing humour do let it down. Based on the novel of the same name and following a very video-game like structure means that the film has a very simple to follow overarching quest narrative and the motivations and goals of our protagonists and antagonists are established quickly. However towards the start there is a lot of narration and exposition that is delivered very quickly to help develop the world and the way we learn more about it does feel choppy at times. Pacing wise the film does feel overlong at 2 hours 20 minutes especially with some of the action sequences and set pieces becoming purely CGI spectacle that only serves to show off all the licensed characters they’ve got a hold of. However these section all look absolutely outstanding and still brought a grin to my face and a sense of awe even on the smaller TV in my room. The first car case challenge is a masterclass in speed and choreography, the level of detail and destruction is brilliant and having the T-Rex and King Kong show up as obstacles is the icing on the cake. Though a bit too on the nose and simultaneously annoying and entertaining is the The Shining set piece, which does recreate the Overlook masterfully and adds some fun imagery. The final huge battle is pure spectacle but it’s easy to get completely lost in the sheer amount of various character models on screen. Spielberg’s direction and camerawork is great as expected, blending his classic traits with a modern cutting edge playground. The detail, bold colours, futuristic technology and unlimited potential of the OASIS contrasts well against the bleak, cramped and desolate junkyard of the real outside world. The soundtrack is also filled with many 80’s classic hits that are well utilised. Tye Sheridan does a good job as Wade, however the character isn’t the most compelling or memorable. He and Olivia Cooke have fine chemistry and she also does a good job as Artemis. Ben Mendelsohn chews all the scenery as generic business man villain Sorrento. T.J. Miller plays himself as the CGI side villain I-R0k, who balances being annoying and mostly unfunny and Mark Rylance & Simon Pegg bring a quirkiness to their supporting roles. Ready Player One is an entertaining blockbuster that provides spectacle, fun and a fantastic utilisation of visual effects. The story does feel overstretched and the characters aren’t particularly memorable or interesting despite their enthusiastic performances. Still a fun watch though.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, this is a film version of a bestselling book by writer Ernest Cline. For the uninitiated: The year is 2045. The world is going down the tubes. The rich have gotten richer and the poor are getting poorer. So most escape reality by getting into a huge virtual reality system called the OASIS, where you can be whoever you want or do whatever you want. The OASIS was created by eccentric genius James Halliday. When he died, he willed his fortune to the first person who can find something hidden in the OASIS. There are clues you have to crack to get to it. A young man called Wade Watts is obsessed with doing that. He has an online friend called H. And when he cracks a vital clue, the hunt is on. Can he get to the prize before a certain ruthless businessman does? For those who have read the book: the film version does get the gist of it onto the screen, but you will find it has made changes in order to make it work as a movie. So you can either throw a hissy fit about that, or just view this as a companion to the novel. And since Ernest Cline who wrote the book co wrote the screenplay he probably doesn't mind. So neither should you. Virtual reality worlds filled with pop culture references and characters are something that computer technology can now create on the screen. Remember - if you were seeing it at the cinema back in the 70's - how you reacted to the visuals in Star Wars episode four?. The visuals in here should get you the same way. Because you really have seen nothing like this before. It brings all the worlds and characters to life in stunning detail. But it's not just about pop culture. It doesn't exist purely to showcase such things. At heart, this has a proper story, with likeable heroic characters to drive it along and make you care about them. It's like many films from Spielberg's amblin entertainment. Good old fashioned exciting escapist adventure with a heart to it. Because you will get caught up in this and be rooting for the heroes all the way. And it has a moral to the story as well. Which the end does make clear. Never in a lecturing way. Visually stunning and emotionally involving, it's a delightful escapist ride of cinema magic, and it's not bad as an adaptation either. It's well worth five stars as a film. And regarding that moral, don't be like four people who were in the cinema with me when I saw it there and who turned their phones on the moment the credits rolled. They clearly weren't paying attention, were they? The dvd has the following language and subtitle options: Languages: English, Castilian Spanish. English audio captioned,. Subtitles: English, Castilian Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Norwegian, Swedish. The disc comes with the usual flyer with a code for downloading a copy of the film onto a digital device. The disc goes straight into the main menu when loaded with no ads or trailers to get through. The only extra is a five minute long featurette: The 80's: you're the inspiration. A quick overview of the film and the decade that it got lots from. As usual with such things it's interesting viewing but a bit too brief.

Ready Player One is full of 80’s pop-culture references! It plays out over the two worlds: the ‘real’ one, where poverty is rife, and the virtual reality one, a game created so that people can escape their depressive reality, and through Spielberg’s skilful direction and a knowing script we discover which one is the best place to be. The 4K UHD set from Warner is a pretty decent affair. 4K quality is exceptional with an immensely satisfying image. The Dolby Atmos surround track pulls out all the stops to be as immersive a possible, not only in the numerous virtual action set pieces, but also in the real world.

Ladies and gentlemen, I've got a tale for you, and it involves the Ready Player One Blu-ray. Now, you might be thinking, "Why are we reviewing a Blu-ray on Amazon?" Well, get ready for a story of virtual reality gone wrong, a living room turned upside down, and a new level of movie immersion! So, there I was, eager to experience the wonders of Ready Player One in glorious 4K Ultra-HD. I popped that disc into my player, grabbed a bucket of popcorn, and prepared for cinematic bliss. Little did I know, this wasn't going to be your ordinary movie night. As the movie started, I became so engrossed in the virtual world that I forgot I was still in my living room. I started mimicking the characters' actions, leaping around like a madman and swiping at invisible foes. I even attempted a gravity-defying jump off my sofa, thinking I was Wade Watts in the Oasis. Now, here's where it gets embarrassing. My neighbor, Mrs. Thompson, who happens to be an elderly lady with an interest in gardening and a dislike for loud noises, decided to pay me a surprise visit. And guess what? She walked in right at the moment when I was mid-jump, arms flailing, and shouting, "I've got this, Art3mis!" Mrs. Thompson's jaw dropped, and I'm pretty sure she thought I'd lost my marbles. To make matters worse, she asked if I needed help, thinking I was in some sort of peril. I had to awkwardly explain that I was just engrossed in a movie and not, in fact, experiencing a home invasion by virtual ninjas. Now, back to the Blu-ray – it's so immersive that it turned my living room into a virtual playground. But, folks, be warned – it might also turn you into an accidental performer for your bewildered neighbors. So, if you're ready for movie nights that blur the line between reality and fiction, Ready Player One is the Blu-ray to get. Just remember to warn your neighbors or prepare to audition for a live-action remake. 🍿🎮🎬

Good movie

pas de voix ni de sous-titres en français . il faut le savoir...

Película en castellano.

i was not impressed being sent a DVD that i can not even play on my tv . it says region 2 not sure what that even means but it won't work on my tv and have tried sending back and it says not returns. very bad business for ripping people off.

Good movie

Llegó en perfecto estado y la película es muy buena en cuanto a efectos