The adaptation of “Ready Player One” has Steven Spielberg written all over it.
The new tentpole movie “Ready Player One” may boast its author Ernest Cline as one of the screenplay adaptors, along with Zak Penn, but the greatest influence on the material is director Steven Spielberg. The 2011 bestseller’s plotting, characters, and 1980’s pop culture references already had a Spielberg vibe and the movie makes the most of it. The director runs with the material, incorporating his affection for nostalgia, kid empowerment, and state-of-the-art special effects. Spielberg also makes this a ‘movie-movie’ with dozens upon dozens of in-joke film references, including many from his oeuvre, as well as a show-stopping parody of Stanley Kubrick. “Ready Player One” is a rollicking VR ride set in a dystopian future, but it’s really a tour of the director’s avid imagination.