The box office hit "Ready Player One" has just come out and already there are mixed reviews floating about online. When asking a friend or classmate, "Does Ready Player One look good?" the typical response I've come to hear has been something along the lines of "Yeah, kinda, but I've seen mixed reviews online." Well, I'm here to help in your decision of whether or not to see the hit film while it is currently in theatres! This article is based on my personal experience and opinions after seeing the movie in theaters.
Why see it
If you've read any of the original novel that the film is based on, then the first thing you'll notice is that the movie is fairly unrelated to the book.
Although it shares the same title and many of the same overarching themes, I'd say that this is where the commonalities end... and this is a good thing! It lures you in with the promise of virtual reality and keeps you there with the amazing directing of Steven Spielberg. The overall film has action, comedy, and a slight love interest, all the while keeping the viewer engaged. As an individual who typically gets bored watching movies, this was a nice change of pace for me. Honestly, I'd say the overall film was done just right and has broken the repetitive traits that can be typically found in more recent movies.
Reasons not to
The reasons to not see it are relatively simple. If you are not a fan of unrealistic movies, plotholes, or movies that deviate from the original book they are based on, then you will most likely not like this movie.
Additionally, if you have not experienced virtual reality, then the movie will not have the same effect as it does a pretty good job of conveying the experience that users of VR have.
My personal VR based perspective
Personally, I own a "PS4 VR" and this film felt almost nostalgic of the times I have had while gaming in virtual reality.
More so, I've found that having experience with VR has allowed me to see the ways in which aspects of their immersion can be understandable in the movie. There were scenes in which the VR headset would be removed from the users head and others when the wearer could see the Real World while also seeing the virtual world. Such scenes I felt correctly conveyed how it is to experience virtual reality as it currently is.
Also, I felt that scenes in which the characters were sitting down in the virtual world (and in the real world to initiate this movement) were accurate as the characters would have a desk chair of some sort positioned next to them while they played.