Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Steven Spielberg, Roadshow Entertainment.
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn.
Here’s a trip down memory lane about some of the things you remember from your youth. In the optimum tradition as only Spielberg can, the game is on and the ‘80s fans will be astonished.
This science fiction action adventure is based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name. While there are some changes to the story, Spielberg has ‘lovingly captured the zeitgeist of ’80s nostalgia’ in this quest.
The world is on the brink of chaos and collapse, but in 2045 the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe.
It’s a marvellous world created by the gifted and eccentric James Halliday (Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world.
When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger. Watts is an unlikely hero, who after conquering the first challenge, sets out to save the OASIS and their world with help from his friends, known as the High Five.
There’s well-combined, steadfast live action and sleek technical wizardry. It’s at once familiar in its tapestry and progressive in its technology. It’s an impressive mix that can be awe-inspiring while it lasts.
