READY PLAYER ONE - Come With Me

[Imaculata]

I'm seeing some early positive reviews pop up, but I remain cautious none the less. I burned my hands on Rogue One not so long ago, which got positive reviews as well, but was stuffed full of fan-service. Its a healthy reminder that not everyone has the same taste. Fan-service and endless references can ruin a movie easily for me, while others may love the movie because of them. So, we'll see...

 

[Ovinomancer]

I'm seeing some early positive reviews pop up, but I remain cautious none the less. I burned my hands on Rogue One not so long ago, which got positive reviews as well, but was stuffed full of fan-service. Its a healthy reminder that not everyone has the same taste. Fan-service and endless references can ruin a movie easily for me, while others may love the movie because of them. So, we'll see...

Sorry, but do you think RP1 is anything but a vehicle for fan service? That's all the book was.

 

[Deset Gled]

Sorry, but do you think RP1 is anything but a vehicle for fan service? That's all the book was.

Humorously tying back to my original post, this is exactly why I didn't like the trailer. It gives the impression RP1 is supposed to be a serious movie.

Also, I absolutely loved Rogue One. I didn't see excessive fan service in it. I saw a movie putting extreme effort into cohesiveness. More so than any other SW movie to date.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

It explains why they would immerse themselves in 80s culture but not why they'd be so passionate about it. Especially not passionate about it in the exact same, nostalgic way that Ernest Cline is. I think Cline believes that anyone exposed to 80s pop culture will forget everything else and recognise it for the timeless pinnacle of cultural achievement he considers it to be. But I think he's wrong.

Let's see. You will become the richest and most influential person in the world if you win this contest. To have any chance of winning you MUST immerse yourself in late '70s through 80's culture. You must be encyclopedic in familiarity and nuance of all things media from that era. Next, your era SUCKS. As a teenager you live in a closet stacked on top of other closets getting an education in a virtual world only because the world's most powerful person mandated that happen. Otherwise there would be no place for you. Sure, there's a contemporary culture, but the one you've chosen to dedicate yourself to has it's appeal - a time of freedom, great tunes, RPGs, a comics industry coming into its' own and many of the greatest films ever made.

 

[Morrus]

Well, I've seen it.

SPOILERS



It's quite entertaining but it's nothing to do with the book other than the basic premise. No Tomb of Horrors (that's replaced with a giant car race and King Kong) or D&D at all other than one casual utterance of the word "Gygax" and a logo on the back of their van.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Well, I've seen it.

SPOILERS



It's quite entertaining but it's nothing to do with the book other than the basic premise. No Tomb of Horrors (that's replaced with a giant car race and King Kong) or D&D at all other than one casual utterance of the word "Gygax" and a logo on the back of their van.

Ah, bummer. I want my nostalgia to be *my* nostalgia. The book served that up pretty well.

//

Edit: So we saw it. While entertaining, both my wife and I agreed that as children of the '80s, it just didn't serve up the geeky nostalgia the way the book did. The book does happen more in the main character's head, so changes were inevitable, and overall I think the rationale and motivations of the characters was improved, but we missed a lot of the links we were looking forward to.

A solid B-.

 

[Deset Gled]

Well, I've seen it.

SPOILERS



It's quite entertaining but it's nothing to do with the book other than the basic premise.

Good to know. This actually makes more want to see it more. I can accept an overall re-write easier than cherry-picking.

 

[Ryujin]

I've never read the book. Overall, I liked the movie, but it's pure popcorn stuff. It doesn't really bring anything new, but the visuals are good. It does suffer a little from the "Laura Lovely" trope.

 

[Eltab]

Having grown up during the 1980s, I think it was the best possible choice of eras to use as "the good old days".


and

 

[Morrus]

Having grown up during the 1980s, I think it was the best possible choice of eras to use as "the good old days".

Well, the film didn’t do that. The book did.