Dan

I'm with you Jaymole (and Ash). I have not read the book, but I have been playing video games for 30 years. The teaser gave a "Whoa, Virtual Reality IS Reality" vibe, which... okay.

I love video games.
I love pop culture.
I love Spielberg.
I love Rush, even.
I (kinda) like VR.

Fuck, I'll just watch the teaser again...
Nope. Still does nothing for me. Maybe that'll change when more trailers come out, but I don't get the hype.

fake edit: Alright, I read through this thread a bit too. Y'all are saying the book is great, so I'm thinking I should check that out. My mind is still open on this, I guess... but yeah... the teaser trailer is still kinda weak.

The Akira bike slide... Cool, but, I mean... I know I'm being needlessly nitpicky here, but if you're gonna do that shot, you gotta do it right.

Original vs. RPO


edit: Oh dammit. Now this dumb post is at the top of a new page (NEWB SETTINGS CONFIRMED).

majorjoe23

Just kidding, but an initial teaser isn't going to be aimed at the general public. It's convincing people who have read the book that an epic idea can be pulled off.

Big Boy Laroux

Agree - that teaser was more of a "holy crap they're really doing this!" for already existing fans. Maybe hooked a few people not familiar with the source material.

But as with most teasers, it tells nothing of the actual plot and story.

I mean, think of the first teaser for The Force Awakens (just comparing to a recent popular teaser). If you didn't know anything about Star Wars, that trailer would have been a big bag of cool visuals but no story.

Troy Stiffler

Knowing nothing about the book, I figured it was something along the lines of The Hunger Games.

Reading some of the movie buzz articles, it looks like it's more about black markets and a murder plot. Similar to Minority Report.

It was neat watching the trailer, knowing nothing about the story. My first thought was "was that Freddy Kruger".

majorjoe23

When I was reading it, I thought of it as kind of a pop culture Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which is why I assumed it could never happen.

By in both cases, it seems Steven Spielberg is a powerful guy.

GoldenJCJ

So for those who have read the book, is there any rhyme or reason to the pop culture references or are they just there to give us 30-somethings something to geek out over?

Why would kids/players in 2045 give a shit about what was popular 60+ years prior? Wouldn't that be the equivalent of all us 80 and 90s kids being super big into flappers and doing the charleston?

majorjoe23

There is a reason for it.

Big Boy Laroux

Yep there's a reason for it. Won't go into details, but you can easily find why.

But as i stated in a post before, the references in the book do get kind of excessive. And pretty obscure, even when related to the main characters. I'd imagine the movie would stick to less obscure references as they relate to the main characters while keeping the obscure ones in the background.

GoldenJCJ

Im debating reading the book first but being a film lover I prefer to be surprised while watching the movie rather than knowing what happens from reading the book first.

Spielberg is my all-time favorite director so I'll give this a shot regardless. And Spielberg covering 80s topics is a no brainer!

Cellar Door

One of the things I liked about the book--which isn't really shown in this trailer aside from the reference to a "lost generation"--is that it does address the idea that people in that society are becoming more and more isolated in real life, and most of their interaction happens through VR. And while the protagonist does develop true friendships this way, there is still something more to be had from real-life interactions. Very relevant today, I think.

The main character is kind of a loner by circumstance initially, but he really wants to connect with people. The scenes where he makes those connections are what make the book engaging beyond just the nostalgia porn.

I have faith that Spielberg will do justice to that aspect of the book.

OldBoy

was Freddy the one getting blasted to bits?

TomOpus

I am in the same quandary. There's plenty of time to read the book before the movie comes out. But I'm usually disappointed in film adaptations.

starseed1981

I don't remember The Iron Giant, Freddy Krueger or IOI have vehicles and motor chases in the book. And I'm pretty sure Wade actually grew up in the stacks outside Oklahoma City.

I've never liked how Spielberg has treated novel adaptations or Zak Penn for the matter. So I'm already worried about this haha.

OldBoy

was Freddy in more of that trailer than just getting blown up? who else was in it beside Iron Giant?

Big Boy Laroux

Google "Ready Player One trailer breakdown"

Big Boy Laroux

I'm sure iron giant is playing the role of



Probably because it would play better for US audiences. I'd imagine there could also be licensing issues for many of the references.

OldBoy

i see...

OldBoy

how did Amblin or whoever else produced the film get all the rights to all these characters from so many different studios and companies? budget must be huge...

Brack

Reminded me of Elysium, Tron, with some Matrix thrown in. I haven't read the book, and have no plan on reading until I've seen the movie. I know that may sound strange, but with only a year away, I won't be able to enjoy the movie because I'd be comparing the book to the movie involuntarily while watching. It's Spielberg, and he made a classic out of Minority Report, so I'm optimistic that it will be at least entertaining.

Decker

Spielberg once got Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny in the same scene and Donald and Daffy Duck to play dueling pianos. Dude is connected.

Brack

Are they major characters? If not, most of the licensing fees should not be too costly. Remember Wreck-it Ralph? Those were mostly cameos, so I could be completely off base here.

Troy Stiffler

If I controlled those properties, I'd want them to be in there. Just to help keep them in the public consciousness.

Brack

Agree. That's partly why Nintendo loved some of their most beloved characters in Wreck-it Ralph.

Michael Corvin

Exactly. I can see executives or creators hearing "Spielberg wants Freddy Kruger to cameo? Where do I sign?" Hell they probably couldn't sign fast enough.

Spielberg + summer blockbuster = publicity!!

Big Boy Laroux

True, not to mention most of the properties haven't been relevant in 30+ years. So anything to bring nostalgia back to them.

I was just speaking in terms of items/properties that may be replaced in the movie.