Film Name:頭號玩家 / Ready Player One
When cinema first emerged, it was merely a “sensational trick” catering to people’s curiosity. Some would scream and flee at the sight of a train pulling into a station or waves crashing ashore, while others witnessed on screen the surreal visions of time travel and moon landings… People discovered that film could fulfill their wildest imaginings and fantastical desires—it was a dream machine capable of extending one-third of life.
With technological and cultural advancement, cinema gradually established its status as an art form, gaining richer meanings and values, even developing meticulously crafted “rating systems.” Even dreams are categorized: illusory dreams, realistic dreams, distant dreams, dreams within reach… Yet as an audience member, how many can honestly claim they first watched films for sophisticated artistic appreciation or profound meaning? Admit it—you fell in love with cinema because it was novel, entertaining, and fun.
Once you grasp this, it becomes unsurprising that Ready Player One—despite its inflated ratings—garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews: its plot is undeniably formulaic, riddled with logical flaws, yet it embodies the primal essence of cinema. It allowed countless viewers/players to indulge in a sweet, dazzling dream.
[Spoiler Alert: The following contains spoilers.]
Let’s be honest, “Ready Player One” is thrilling, but it’s riddled with flaws and plot holes. Take Nolan Solento, for instance—this reckless CEO who leaves passwords taped to his desk and leaves his office unlocked, openly exploits employees with soft slavery contracts, and squanders the company’s massive resources on the Oasis. Yet somehow, he still manages to keep IOI ranked as the world’s second-largest corporation. It’s nothing short of astonishing.
Moreover, issues like a clichéd storyline and unstable structure are undeniably present. Many transitional scenes in the film feel flat or even forced… In short, all the shortcomings and flaws that audiences can calmly and rationally point out are valid.
But none of that really matters.
Given Steven Spielberg’s current stature, achievements, and reputation, he doesn’t need to prove himself through another work. This time, he simply set aside all reservations and focused solely on realizing a fantasy.
At 72 years old, Spielberg still manages to create such a pure work—this is what truly qualifies him as having “returned to simplicity.”
In fact, much of the film’s surprise appeal after release stems from how its trailers “deceived” audiences beforehand: In a future world steeped in negativity and despair, the “Oasis” is neither a panacea for humanity nor a life-or-death code. Without it, people still muddle through, the world remains half-dead, and Earth continues its rotation—from start to finish, it’s just a game.
“Ready Player One” starts with a high note but ends on a soft one, aligning with Spielberg’s signature preference for foundational, unadorned, and heartfelt storytelling.
Another area where audiences feel “tricked” lies in the film’s visual effects. In trailers, the characters within the Oasis appear slightly jarring. Yet stepping into the theater, donning 3D glasses, and immersing oneself in that world reveals its texture to be perfectly calibrated. In terms of special effects, this film is nearly flawless—the opening car chase alone justifies the price of admission.
Amidst such visual splendor, the gentle narrative shows no signs of weakness. Instead, it weaves together countless poignant moments into a magnificent symphony—a testament to the potential future of VR gaming.
Packing four or five, or even a dozen Easter eggs into a movie can delight audiences, but what about a film saturated with hundreds of them—or one where the entire theme revolves around hunting for these hidden references? That’s nothing short of a carnival.
The film’s Easter eggs span countless classic pop culture elements from gaming, cinema, music, and beyond, including but not limited to: Batman, Akira, StarCraft, King Kong, Overwatch, Star Trek, Alien, Back to the Future, The Way We Were, The Wizard, Child’s Play, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Halo, Street Fighter, Shivers, RoboCop…
This is a classic case of quantity turning into quality.
The more Easter eggs you spot, the more enjoyable the viewing experience becomes. Yet even if you miss them, it won’t detract from your enjoyment—the film is remarkably accessible to most audiences. Take the homage to The Shining, for instance: my reaction mirrored Aichi’s: “I hate horror movies! They’re too scary!” Even without having seen the classic film, you can still follow Aichi’s perspective and have a blast.
What do human dreams look like? If you’re lucky enough to remember upon waking, you’ll find dreams often brim with absurdity and mashups (like when my classmate and I took a bus, got off, and ended up at the burning Honno-ji Temple helping Oda Nobunaga—only to spawn zombie grunts as foot soldiers, face a mini-boss with the face of some annoying relative, and then get hit with a D&D-style poison effect…). You rarely resent a dream’s strangeness; instead, you marvel at its magic.
Of course, we fantasize about even more elaborate mashups and chaotic battles than “Guan Yu fighting Qin Qiong,” but works that break through the constraints of copyright and lore are essentially limited to fan fiction or pirated content…
Returning to the beginning of this text—some dreams we can envision in our minds remain unseen in reality, like a Gundam battling Mechagodzilla, or the Iron Giant instantly transforming into the Terminator…
The greatest strength and trump card of “Ready Player One” lies in fulfilling the cherished dream of countless subculture enthusiasts: those who genuinely love this film have, to varying degrees, found echoes of their own dreams within it.
In short, the film taps into a deeply hidden itch within many viewers, delivering such exhilaration that it earns full marks for nostalgia.
Yet the spirit conveyed by the film transcends mere nostalgia.
It painstakingly crafts a virtual world everyone longs to inhabit, yet between the lines, it urges us to cherish reality.
James Halliday left players four challenges—three obvious and one hidden—each tied to regrets from his past: dissatisfaction with his career, sorrow over lost love, longing for the game’s original spirit, and regret over a friendship’s sacrifice…
Though grounded in gaming, the film transcends its subject matter as it progresses—a testament to Spielberg’s astute vision.
The climax undoubtedly lies in the final showdown between IOI’s “First Order” and the massive player army rallied by the “Oasis Five.” Behind the bizarre avatars of these players stand ordinary individuals brimming with righteous indignation and passion. In theory, such a gathering (or carnival) of players should be deeply moving. Yet viewed through the lens of reality, this scene feels somewhat… …unsettling.
Yet no one can deny that these players, “immersed” in the virtual game, are now participating in a valuable, meaningful “holy war.”
To put it somewhat “sourly,” I feel this film does convey a certain educational message: those who live vibrantly in the virtual world should likewise lead fulfilling, positive, and happy lives in reality.
Drawing from my own experiences meeting online friends in person, I found the offline gatherings of the film’s protagonists both authentic and delightful: true companions never suffer from “first-date awkwardness” because they’ve already bonded as kindred spirits in cyberspace. Such friendships remain unshaken by physical appearance—height, weight, age, beauty, or ugliness—though romance, of course, still carries its risks.
To be honest, I had such high expectations going into Ready Player One that when it ended, I realized it wasn’t quite as thrilling as I’d anticipated. But that doesn’t diminish my admiration or praise for it in the slightest. There were several moments that genuinely moved me—like Halliday’s joyful “Thank you for playing my game,” or Wade’s pure innocence as he searched for the “first Easter egg”…
These moments reminded me of the thrill when I first discovered the hidden item “Honeybee in Toycomland” on the NES, or the joy of scaling the sky-high vine in “Malee: The Series.” They brought back the laughter of encountering the troll in the bathroom during the “Wings of Liberty” campaign in “StarCraft,” and the delight of overhearing NPC banter while progressing through “Diablo 3″…
I understand those who dislike Ready Player One, for this film isn’t the dreamscape they crave; but I understand even more those who cheer for Ready Player One, even shedding tears of joy, for as one who shares similar fantasies, I am among them.
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