I agree it felt pretty soulless as a movie, and that was the biggest problem. Even beyond the gratiuitous 80s references that don\'t make a lot of sense; Why the hell do people in the future share the same nostalgia as present day millennials and generation Z? Also, why do the police only selectively exist in this movie? They turn up in the last five minutes to arrest some corporate jerk, but there\'s no sign of them earlier when that same corporation used drones to firebomb a residential area.
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I was honestly surprised to learn that the original novel was published in 2011. Considering the extensive references to 1980s pop culture and somewhat outdated VR mechanics (you have to move your body to correspond to what you do in VR), I thought it had been written in the late 90s or maybe the first decade of the 21st century.
I consider it a severe misfire, and in hindsight do recognize a lot of flaws you and others have pointed out... but somehow this movie is still a favorite of mine. I think perhaps that's because I remember it for what it could've been, not so much for what it actually was. It could've been really good if they'd actually put some heart and soul into it, and where they were obviously trying to go with Halliday kind of resonates with me... IDK, personally I give it a 6/10 and "honorable mention" status in memory. They tried!
Christian, gamer, programmer, brony, and quadriplegic (paralyzed mid-thorax down). I am filled with determination...Leave a Comment:
Easily the worst Spielberg film in a long time...
Sadly, this film is missing the major component that is the signature Spielberg meme: heart.
I don't feel at all enthusiastic about the main character or really any of his supporting ones, either. There's no connection, no magic, no empathy. The endless nostalgia is also off-putting, especially to someone (like me) who lived through all that era and remembers exactly what the references are to. Most are hollow, and generally seem to be there just to tick a "do you remember this?" box, rather than have any point or story-relevant emphasis. It was like going to an 80s-themed costume party where you didn't know a single soul, and no one ever talked to you. Very, very hollow.
I am extremely disappointed in Spielberg, as there's really no story here. There's certainly no moral or real aesop, and very little in the way of meaningful plot. You don't really empathize with the main character's struggle, and you certainly don't connect with the theoretical point of the film. It's a scavenger hunt through 80s schlock, all dressed in pointless teenage angst without any introspection at all.
I sincerely hope this is just a misfire by Spielberg, and not a harbinger of (bad) things to come.