I remember my jaw left hanging at the end of the former because I was just so taken in by the entire universe that Ready was, and for the latter, I gaped even more because what a heart-pounding thriller for an entire hour and 35 minutes.
Ready Player One stole my heart first and foremost with the cyberpunk landscape and metallic flavour -- immediately reminiscent of The Fifth Element for me.
Because I've not read the novel nor looked for reviews about Ready prior to watching the show, I didn't realise how much pop culture references there would be in it -- because darn was that a mighty pleasant surprise! The sheer intertextuality is reason enough to watch this, and I am almost intrigued now to go get the book. (The Shining!!) The fact that video game geeks are featured in the show as an actual department of professional research geeks collectively geeking out over video games and the very game that is being played by the protagonist, is brilliant.
Surely, a commentary on social ills due to influence of virtual life, but I thought the touch was elegant and not preachy and in fact, effective with its message. The scene where Parzival finally gets his hands on the gleaming golden easter egg was poignant because there was such satisfaction in his and everyone's faces, but also, that it remained just an egg in the virtual world. To have expended so much to get that "prize", which was practically worthless, in real life, and wow, even in the game. Which is the case in all games that we play. I thought that was a master stroke.
There was very little to fault continuity-wise either... Nothing seemed jarring or contradictory to me. And that the film could pack so much concurrent narratives was a treat because there was rarely a downtime. The only slow scene was relational, where Parzival meets his virtual crush Artemis (them symbolisms in names) in the skin for the first time. That contrast is astounding - actionless real life, but real emoting life coursing through between the characters.
And truth be told, I did find myself itching to play some video games on my phone that night after the film. I truly love science fiction films, especially when visually and aurally they're so good, you remain on your seat reeling from the effects when it's over...
Second film to rave about has someone really talented going for it: Emily Blunt.
She has prominent scenes that make up a lot of the movie and boy was her acting excellent. She nailed down all that crap her character (and the audience) was experiencing, and made the fear believable. This comment is because I did flinch slightly at the dramatic plot devices, and asked Why for a few things that happened. But thankfully, emily blunt was there to save the day. I also thought the ending was a great ending; even till the end there was NOT A MOMENT OF REST for the audience to recover -- which is a compliment btw. I was one of those people who had to make tiny sounds like gasps, and polite cussing under my breath, and oh yes, please forget about munching on popcorn during the show because if it's not the awkwardness that'll make you stop, it'll be the relentless pacing of the film that does.
Given that I don't pay to watch horror movies (because they're lame and unintelligent imo), this was great. Didn't even feel that it was like horror horror, but more like War Of The Worlds, dystopian, fantastical and smart. Or maybe because it is supposed to be the horror genre that it had a tad of convenient drama, and I was just not used to that. But this also had feels, y'all. I teared, lol.
Anyway, A Quiet Place also makes one reflect on the importance of sound in everyday living. It's incredible how much we take for granted -- being able to express joy, laughter, anger, and grief is not a soundless affair. Imagine the toll it took on the fictional family. Sick.
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