Ready Player One 2018 * * * Stars

Director: Steven Spielberg
Year: 2018
Rated PG-13
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn

Ready Player One is my latest review. It has director Steven Spielberg channeling his inner Blade Runner, his inner dystopia suture, and his inner young adult. For instance, check out his lead actor (21-year-old Tye Sheridan). Tye kinda looks like Spielberg did back in the early to mid 1970's. Trippy.

Anyway, "Player" is Steven's take on virtual reality in slumming Columbus, Ohio (circa 2045). Although overwrought, over-plotting, and overlong at 140 minutes, Ready Player One still comes off as one of the best technical achievements of this year or any other year. Oh and by the way, Jobe Smith, aka "the lawnmower man" called. He wants his new and improved simulation headset back, stat!

Now Steven Spielberg's career in movies has spanned to almost 50 years. He has made bad films (Hook, The Post), boring films (Lincoln, Bridge of Spies), and stupendous masterpieces (E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark). "Player" while totally recommendable, gives you your money's worth yet falls somewhere in the middle.

In truth but not drowned disappointment, "Player" is not as invigorating, emotionally engaging, or majestic as Steve-O's finest work. Still, Ready Player One has an eye-popping look that's one for the ages. "Player" is a candy-coated fever dream, chocked full of pop culture references, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, 80's relics (Atari), 70's and 80's tunes, and elaborate movie references (you won't believe what Spielberg does to reenact Stanley Kubrick's, The Shining). Seeing this flick once is not enough for every scene has blotches of special effect nooks and crannies. Heck, once the DVD comes out, you'll be hitting the scan button like a mother.

In conclusion, I mentioned earlier that Steven Spielberg has been directing for five decades. I'm not lying when I say that this is unlike anything he's ever done. To my dismay, I thought no A-list filmmaker could reinvent the science fiction wheel with cojones the size of Texas. Guess what, Stevie came in and proved me wrong. Bottom line: Ready Player One gets a three star rating from me. With its lushness, its forced razzle dazzle, and its yearning to be unabashedly avant-garde, I might be "ready" to see it again.

Written by Jesse Burleson