Ready Player One

[happybird]

Last edited Sat Jan 27, 2024, 07:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Read the book a couple weeks ago while the power was out. Interested to see how it will translate into film.

Will report back.

Update:
And I’m out!


Made it an hour. Nope. Can’t do it. The characters have been made either flat, stupid, or annoying and everything I liked about the book is missing. The heart of the story is gone. The Oasis looks too animated/cgi. I can’t lose myself in the movie because my brain won’t shut up about everything that is wrong. Ugh.

Maybe if I hadn’t read the book the movie would be enjoyable?

[BigOleDummy]

1. Haven't read the book but thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Be interesting to see how well they meshed.

[happybird]

5. They don't mesh well, not at all

Stopped watching an hour in. Major events are very different from the book, and definitely not for the better. Everything I liked about the book is not in the movie.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I liked the book better.

[happybird]

3. Took a pause to take my dinner plates out to the kitchen

So far… meh.
Wade should not have the resources to go off planet yet or the Delorean, not until he finds the key. I loved where the first key was hidden in the book, how Halliday made it so any kid could find it, even if they were dirt poor. No DnD, no Joust, wth.

It’s still early, we’ll see how it goes.

[patphil]

6. I agree, the book was much better. Actually, the movie is trash compared to the book.

[They_Live]

7. I made a decision long ago to stop comparing books to their film adaptations.

I mean you can compare them all you want, but they are two very different forms of communication. Some books would last 6 hours to 20 hours if following the book precisely, but at the same time you can compress time and convey more information in films with montage, cross-cutting image and audio, narration, and other cinematic devices. My decision began with Stanley Kubrick's film of Stephen King's The Shining (1980). Each stands on its own. The film eliminates many subplots (and as a result, character development), changes events, and intentionally plays with the audience's expectations (especially those who had read the book). Anyway I feel that both are classics but completely different experiences.

[They_Live]

8. So I enjoyed the film of READY PLAYER ONE, with some caveats,

but have not yet read the book.