BOOK: Ready Player One (2011)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Ready Player OneYear: 2011Author: Ernest ClineLength: 480 pages When Ready Player One came out over a decade ago, I couldn’t wait to read it. A book full of pop culture references was right up my alley, and I enjoyed the connections and clues that fueled the Willy Wonka-style Easter egg hunt. I didn’t think they’d ever be able to make a movie out of it because of all the licenses they’d have to work with, but Steven Spielberg pulled it off in 2018. I’ve long held that this is one of my favorite books, so I decided to re-read it so I’d have a better memory of its events when I jumped into its sequel. My only qualm that arose with this read-through was with the main character. There is some empathy for Wade’s situation, but he often comes across as arrogant and obnoxious. When the consequences of his actions come around to affect his life, it’s difficult to feel sorry for...
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MOVIE: Ready Player One (2018)

by benmweilert1 Comment
Ready Player One Year: 2018 Rating: PG-13 Length: 140 minutes / 2.33 hours Ready Player One (2018) is a rare film for me, mostly because I had read the book well before the movie came out. In fact, I read the book shortly after it was released, and was impressed by the sheer volume of pop culture references. Consequently, I figured such a film could never be made. Just based on the incredible amount of coordination it would take to get rights approvals from so many different places, the legal side of such a film would be a nightmare. If it was made into a film, I imagined it would certainly be a fun and flashy romp through cyberspace. The film version, while not entirely faithful to its source material, certainly lives up to my imagination. While the book spends paragraphs describing all the pop culture references, the movie does it one better and gives quick, flashing glances of something that fans of pop culture will...
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