7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg, with the help (and sometimes competition) of his OASIS pals, Aech and Art3mis. They are opposed by ruthless corporate giant IOI, whose chief, Sorrento, will stop at nothing to capture control of the OASIS to exploit it for profit.
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. MillerAdventure | 100% |
Action | 99% |
Sci-Fi | 81% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (384 kbps)
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Steven Spielberg is one of only a few filmmakers who could make Ready Player One and actually make it mean something, to extract so much humanity from a film about a battle for control of a virtual space where people have gone to escape the hard-luck realities of a sunken humanity. The film, which is based on a book of the same name by author Ernest Cline, is about a boy taking on a well-funded conglomerate for ownership of the world's most profitable enterprise, which only exists in the digital space. It's a film about who wants it more but also who loves it more, who understands it more, who makes and feels a connection with it not through the eyes but rather through the heart; it boils down to who finds themselves inside of it. A near perfect balance of digital extravagance and honest character exploration, Ready Player One is partially a cautionary tale but mostly a touching tribute to the essence of humanity in an increasingly artificial, distant, cold, and make-believe world.
Ready?
Ready Player One's 1080p transfer is fun and fluid, seamlessly transitioning between the digital constructs of The Oasis and the film-based elements within the real world. Visual contrasts dominate the film. The real world is depicted as gritty and gray, worn down and absent significant color punch. It's dim and dull but effectively so; the film was shot by longtime Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kamiński who knows his way around tonal supports and visual contrasts. The digital world of The Oasis is much more colorful, glossy, and slick. Colors are dynamic, a little artificial looking by necessity, but pleasantly nuanced and vibrant as necessary, too, though there are battlefields and other locales where color gives way to a darker presentation in key moments, particularly towards the end. Texturally, both worlds dazzle. The real world is home to raw, worn-down trailers, piles of old cars, and ragged interiors that reveal weathering, dirt, and decay with tangible efficiency and complexity. Facial textures appear refined in close-up and clothes are likewise pleasantly complex, more noticeable in later scenes when the action shifts to some more forgiving locales with more abundant lighting. The virtual world is tack-sharp and the digital constructs are remarkably revealing, particularly character close-ups that showcase the almost otherworldly textures with eye-catching efficiency. Black level depth and shadow detail are first-rate and skin tones are balanced in the real world. The movie offers some enticingly unique visual juxtapositions, neither of which are a challenge for this first-rate Blu-ray from Warner Brothers.
Ready Player One features a mostly rousing Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The chaotic action intricacies and nuanced environmental details come to life with precision presentation. The track opens significantly, taking full advantage of the prodigious number of channels at its disposal, overhead included, in its numerous action scenes where distinctive, familiar sounds and those newly created for the film alike compete within the listening area but always present with top-flight distinction, even through chaos. Certainly some are more pronounced than others as focal points shift about but even in din there's a healthy clarity to most every sound a prominent and balance to the most intensive, stage-saturating activity. The one drawback is bass that is sometimes more muted than one would expect. An explosion in a key moment in chapter six, for example, lacks the sort of punch and intensity the scene deserves to really punctuate the devastation, while a significant battle sequence in chapter ten features a fair bit off oomph but still falls short of the sort of aggressive posturing the chaos should command. However, a major wave through the listening area in chapter 11, about 110 minutes into the movie, does find substantial depth, so the effect is not entirely widespread. Chaos reigns as the vehicle race to find the keys begins, as cars and trucks blow over and through and into one another, as motorcycles zip and zoom and weave, and choreographed sonic chaos reigns through the entire stage. Surround and top-layer activity flow generously in most every scene, whether drones buzzing about, gunfire ripping around, or supportive ambience drawing the listener into the film. Music is likewise sturdy and enjoyable, particularly as various 80s tunes dance into the listening area with impressive clarity and stage saturation. Dialogue is well pronounced, clear, and effectively prioritized and positioned in the front-center and occasional examples of reverberation are balanced and true.
Ready Player One contains half a dozen features, some brief, some lengthy. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code
are included with
purchase.
Ready Player One may be a digital extravaganza, but it's all Spielberg and all heart. The film's superficialities deliver spectacular entertainment with endless winks and nods to popular culture, but the film's center is an unassuming and quiet old man whose regrets, and the understanding of life he gained from them, truly propel the story. This is exactly the sort of narrative depth and digital opulence that has driven PIXAR to the top of the film industry. Its only real flaw is that it's a little overlong, but there's no mistaking the film's visual grandeur and its close-knit connection to the human heart in a world where it otherwise barely exists anymore. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Ready Player One delivers top-rate video, near reference Atmos audio, and a handful of featurettes. Very highly recommended.
VUDU Instawatch
2018
with Lenticular Slipcover + Bonus Disc
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
Iconic Moments
2018
with Godzilla: King of the Monsters Movie Money
2018
Travel Poster Cover
2018
2018
2018
Bonus Disc
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2010
2017
2018
Special Edition
1982
2014
2013
2018
1993
2016
2013
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2017
2020
1986
2017
1999