April’s full of activities, and for gaming fans everywhere, one of those activities involve watching Steven Spielberg’s latest movie, Ready Player One. Unfortunately, what was described as one of the most-hyped movies of 2018, turned into one of the most disappointing.

In order to discuss what really went wrong with this movie, we need to talk about the good parts of Ready Player One. To begin, the animation was incredible. Every part of the film made you feel as if you were in an actual video game, and the use of CGI for once made sense, instead of looking out of place within the film. Furthermore, the references to pop culture certainly brought in a nostalgic effect. Characters like Spawn, Chucky, and The Iron Giant are among many video game and movie legends that throw us back to the past and make you feel as if you were a kid again.

With every good thing, there is a bad thing and this movie had a LOT of them. For starters, the lack of character development was highlighted throughout the film. They were stagnant throughout the film, with Wade and Samantha being portrayed as rebellious teens, Aech as a comic relief, and Daito and Sato as two Japanese soldiers who are totally unneeded given the situation. In addition, the entire basis of the plot is ridiculous. People are willing to completely submerge themselves in a fake reality in order to escape their own problems. The society in 2045 deals with problems like pollution and corruption, yet instead of taking a stand against those things, the citizens of the United States choose to enter the OASIS and prosper there.

Overall, Ready Player One was an overhyped, lackluster movie. Although the animation and references to pop culture were remarkable, the lack of character development and the plot damaged the film as a notable movie of 2018. Even though Spielberg is an all-star director, the movie itself receives no stars from me.