I’m not a gamer and never will be, though I do have affection for Asteroids and Ms. PacMan, so this virtual world of crazy characters committing mayhem for fun and points is a mysterious universe to me.  Maybe it’s comparing apples to oranges, but this seems like the kind of movie that Ready Player One was trying to be (and they share a screenwriter!).  While I still don’t contemplate entering this virtual universe at least this film takes the time and effort to explain it, and make it look fun.

Shawn Levy’s film has an NPC (non-playing character; a background person) named Guy (Ryan Reynolds) taking the impossible step of forming his own thoughts about the world he inhabits.  Inspired by love, Guy soon is learning how to take control of his environment, and causing an uproar in the gaming community.  The background story of the programming theft is even more interesting than Guy’s situation (at least to me; it’s real!), and the two worlds are soon to collide, with an audience around the globe watching with surprise.

Part Tron, part Truman Show, part They Live, this is a thematic and visual smorgasbord of a movie — note all the pop culture references — but one which feels original and fresh.  Love and loneliness and the desire for shared experience are universal themes which enrich every frame of this adventure, which satirizes the violence of video games without rubbing our faces in it.  Since the total gaming environment is fake why quibble about lack of realism or sudden surprise twists?  Just go with it, and enjoy the ride.

The real surprise is how much heart this movie exhibits.  The “real life” story eventually proves to be the more powerful, if not more enthralling, and one really feels for the heartbreak that these people have had to endure because of a bad, bad boss (Taika Waititi).  It’s also yet another cautionary tale about greedy businesspeople who will do anything to get ahead and stay ahead.  Life lessons are here to be learned and remembered, amidst a very entertaining story and environment.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  3 October 2021.