Ready Player One celebrates movies, video games, and all sorts of fantasy worlds as well as the culture that surrounds them. Despite what you may have been led to believe by the bevy of hot takes circulating about social media around its release, you don’t need to fulfill an obligation to be outraged by that. Not only that, but is it possible that you could even…love that aspect about the movie??

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR READY PLAYER ONE

Let’s look at my phrasing of the opening line of this article: Ready Player One is a “celebration” of pop culture. Many don’t even agree with this much, instead seeing the movie as a superficial cash-grab of nostalgic imagery. But why is that? What makes Spielberg’s film unworthy of including such references? Is it because this is a major studio film, undoubtedly trying to maximize their profits by appealing to as many people as possible? If that’s the issue, then why is it permissible for films like Wreck-It Ralph and The Force Awakens to rely just as much on callbacks?

Perhaps the references are the sole appeal of the movie, and once that appeal wears off you’re just left with a bunch of soulless eye candy? Well that’s not the case either, as all the excitement of pop culture tie-ins is supported by a solid story, entertaining characters, and several thematic threads about corporate America and economic hardship.

Well maybe it’s because the characters references are mishandled, and violate something of their original intended purpose, not unlike a careless remake of a long-beloved property that sullies its reputation in the eyes of certain longtime fans? Well I can’t say that’s a valid reason to shut the movie down either. As an utter devotee of entertainment and pop culture old and new, who’s read the book and seen the film (twice now), I reacted with joy at seeing so many fictional icons appear throughout the movie. I perceived a great amount of respect from the filmmakers on how these properties were included too. Ready Player One depicts a world in which users can adopt personas from any fictional property they desire, and as such, some people design avatars based on video game characters or even build famous giant robots from scratch like the Iron Giant. That last example in particular offends some, as the titular Giant was very averse to violence in his original movie. But does this movie take place within the canon of the original film? Of course not–this is a world where users have free reign over these licenses. Is it a stretch to think someone would use a friendly robot with destructive capabilities for the virtual war depicted in the climax of the film? Absolutely not. And should the movie’s use of that hypothetical offend you, even as an Iron Giant fan? I personally don’t believe so.

More often than not, I found Ready Player One’s utilization of pop culture properties as far more loving and respectful than cheap or shallow. Let’s take the film’s show-stopping sequence based on The Shining, for example. Not only is this perhaps the best scene I’ve seen so far this year, but I also feel it comes from a place of love for the source material. It begins as a photo-perfect recreation of the Outlook Hotel and several of the horrors exhibited in Kubrick’s classic, which then escalates to more of a Shining-based video game (Art3mis even states as much, saying that this challenge isn’t meant to be just like the movie). But even with that the sequence maintains its sense of fandom, as the troves of hilarious moments this sequence supplies reminds me of similar pop culture mashups I’ve done myself through modest little video projects from my youth. Aech, who is too scared to have watched The Shining before, follows the twin girls to the elevator doors looking for an exit, and is then caught in the iconic slow-motion torrential flood of blood bursting in from the original film. It’s utterly hilarious, and it’s moments like this that make this movie’s cornucopia of references appealing, endearing, and genuine to me.

Ready Player One steeps itself in imagery from all of popular media, but the culture surrounding video games receives particular focus. Besides the fact that characters, powerups, and levels from basically any video game in history can be utilized by OASIS users, the story is also based on gamers and their modern world. Everyone’s engaging in competitive online play to beat each other to Halliday’s “easter egg”. Some people join online “clans” to help each other succeed in the quest. The game itself is in danger of a corporate takeover which, if it were to happen, would result in IOI requiring paid subscriptions, taking up as much of the player’s view with ads that’s legally permissible, and commodifying nearly every aspect of the OASIS.

This aspect has also come under fire in certain circles online, but I still feel as though that negative reaction isn’t warranted. In fact, I feel as though this film honors the gaming world as much as Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World did in 2010. In Ready Player One, success against the nefarious forces of IOI depend upon skill and knowledge for all of gaming, going back to the Atari 2600. In the film’s climax, after Parzival’s lucky “extra life” token leaves him in the game after everyone else perished from the Cataclyst weapon, the final hurdle involves playing Warren Robinett’s landmark classic for the Atari, Adventure. In this final scene, Wade monologues on the livestream about the game and its “easter egg”, the first secret of its kind in a video game. The secret of finding the creator’s name is discovered not by rushing through the game to beat it, but by wandering around and experimenting with what the game has to offer. It’s found not by winning the game, but by playing it. And the act of merely playing a video game, experiencing its world and appreciating the craft it took to create it, can be thought of as the ultimate tribute to games and their designers.

This idea is taken further when Wade ultimately wins the contest. After finding the easter egg in Adventure and passing the final test of refusing to sign Anorak’s contract for ownership of the OASIS, Anorak turns into a version his real world counterpart – James Halliday. In this intimate final scene, taking place in a digital replica of his childhood bedroom, Halliday explains to Parzival what he’s won but, more importantly, why. And after he gives Parzival a parting message about what’s ultimately most important in life, he exits the bedroom, leaving with a humble utterance – “Thanks for playing my game”.

This idea of a creator thanking the player after completion is a long-standing tradition of many video games. Many Capcom titles, Nintendo games, and most Super Mario games end with such a message. Castlevania includes a “You played the greatest role in this game” message in its end crawl. It’s a wonderful custom, adding to the connection between player and creator, and serves as a reminder that the hours-long odyssey you’ve embarked upon was the result of many more hours of hard work, talent and passion from either a single designer or a team of professionals. The creator(s) is ultimately glad that someone thoroughly played this labor of love, and this gratitude is expressed through the final moment of Mark Rylance’s thoughtful portrayal of designer James Halliday.

It can be argued that the film should have taken greater care to address certain modern gaming industry issues like sexism, exclusivity or other post-Gamergate concerns. It’s a valid concern, and although they could have added even more poignancy to the film’s existing commentaries, it also doesn’t fit particularly well with the core story being told. And since the movie already touches on a slew of modern social and political affairs along with telling a great tale, I don’t feel as though the lack of that additional messaging is felt in the final product.

In the end, you’re free to draw your own conclusions on Ready Player One. Feel free to voice your disagreements with my take, if you’ve seen the movie. If not, I’d really encourage you to watch it or read the book before forming an opinion. The movie isn’t perfect, nor is its source material (check out my full review of the film here). It may not be for you, and you may have far more to take issue with than I did, but I think Steven Spielberg triumphs with most of what he’s attempted with this ambitious project, and I’d hate to see such an effort derided without being given the chance at success that it deserves. Feel free to comment and express your feelings (I’m sure you’ve got some feelings on this, one way or the other), and of course, thanks for reading my article. Now excuse me as I saunter off with a version of a my 10-year-old self.

For deeper insight into what we thought of the film, check out our Ready Player One spoilercast

Seth Zielinski is a writer and Senior Video Producer for The Geekiverse. He’s also an odd, anti-social geek and lover of film, music, and gaming. Also he loves the 1980s. He’s basically James Halliday, just without all the skill, brilliance and infamy. Follow him on the ol’ Twitster!

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