There's no denying the importance of Steven Spielberg and his work when it comes to the cultivation of my movie taste as a young kid. I feel like it's a rite of passage for kids in elementary and middle school to see films like Jaws, E.T., and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I saw and loved those just like everyone else, appreciating them more now than ever before. As I grew older, I fell in love with Close Encounters and Jurassic Park, eventually exploring Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan as I reached my high school years. Even in terms of some of his more minor work, I saw both War Horse (which I loved) and The Adventures of Tintin (which I hated) in 2011, at the peak of my budding cinematic obsession. But in recent years, I've found myself less engaged by Spielberg's work. While I admire both Lincoln and Bridge of Spies, I can't say that either film has energized or excited me in any significant way. I thought The BFG was a prime opportunity for him to recapture the magic of his earlier years, but that film ended up being somewhat of a disappointment.
Ever since its announcement, I've been clinging to Ready Player One as the movie that would bring Spielberg back to the peak of his blockbuster powers. I'm sure The Post will be great, but I've been banking on this adaptation of Ernest Cline's best-selling novel to be his most daring film in years. After the release of a Comic-Con trailer that didn't exactly blow me away, Warner Bros. has released the full trailer for the film- check it out below!
As ready as I am to absolutely love this film, I'm maintaining a healthy degree of skepticism here. Ready Player One is already the subject of an internet backlash due to its source material and its use of cheap nostalgia, but I'm willing to overlook that if it means that Spielberg is in top blockbuster form once again. Nonetheless, there's a good deal to worry about- the fact that Mark Rylance looks bored out of his mind as James Halliday, the cluttered visual frame of each scene, the sheer number of characters and settings. I feel more uneasy than ever about the blurring line between video games and cinema (similar to Alita: Battle Angel, which just released a deeply bizarre first look), a push and pull that is going to be more and more prevalent in the coming years. But there's something to be said for the ambition on display in this brief glimpse at the world of the OASIS, and it really does feel like Spielberg is doing something radically different here, moving with a kind of energy that I haven't seen from one of his films in a long time. This is a good trailer, and I think that Spielberg can really pull this off if all the right elements come together- after all, who's gonna doubt him at this stage in his career? The story is clear and enticing, the visual look is truly unique, and even if the film is dealing with old, recycled properties, it feels original in a strange way.
This really could fall on its face. Like all big blockbuster gambles, there's a good chance of failure. But there's no doubt that Spielberg and his team of collaborators are shooting for the stars with this one, and I'm fascinated to see how this pans out.
Ready Player One hits theaters on March 30, 2018.
Image: IMDB/Warner Bros.
Ever since its announcement, I've been clinging to Ready Player One as the movie that would bring Spielberg back to the peak of his blockbuster powers. I'm sure The Post will be great, but I've been banking on this adaptation of Ernest Cline's best-selling novel to be his most daring film in years. After the release of a Comic-Con trailer that didn't exactly blow me away, Warner Bros. has released the full trailer for the film- check it out below!
As ready as I am to absolutely love this film, I'm maintaining a healthy degree of skepticism here. Ready Player One is already the subject of an internet backlash due to its source material and its use of cheap nostalgia, but I'm willing to overlook that if it means that Spielberg is in top blockbuster form once again. Nonetheless, there's a good deal to worry about- the fact that Mark Rylance looks bored out of his mind as James Halliday, the cluttered visual frame of each scene, the sheer number of characters and settings. I feel more uneasy than ever about the blurring line between video games and cinema (similar to Alita: Battle Angel, which just released a deeply bizarre first look), a push and pull that is going to be more and more prevalent in the coming years. But there's something to be said for the ambition on display in this brief glimpse at the world of the OASIS, and it really does feel like Spielberg is doing something radically different here, moving with a kind of energy that I haven't seen from one of his films in a long time. This is a good trailer, and I think that Spielberg can really pull this off if all the right elements come together- after all, who's gonna doubt him at this stage in his career? The story is clear and enticing, the visual look is truly unique, and even if the film is dealing with old, recycled properties, it feels original in a strange way.
This really could fall on its face. Like all big blockbuster gambles, there's a good chance of failure. But there's no doubt that Spielberg and his team of collaborators are shooting for the stars with this one, and I'm fascinated to see how this pans out.
Ready Player One hits theaters on March 30, 2018.
Image: IMDB/Warner Bros.
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