Yes, it’s a trope. But tropes are tropes for good reason. If they are done the same-old way as so many times before, well, then skip. If it’s done with a twist, well, it might be worth watching.

I’m less concerned about the special children aspect of this than the VR aspect. After all, murderous kids worked for Battle Royale.

But long before VR, Marshall McLuhan famously observed that TV is a cold mediums. Movies are, too. VR just adds another layer between characters in the movie and their ‘reality’. It’s like looking at a movie of people watching a movie. Not surprisingly, the only examples I can think of where that worked were MST3K, the finale of Blazing Saddles, Ed Wood, and Matinee. Two satires and two schlock-docs.

