By: Sammy Wang

Ready Player 1 is a very interesting movie set in the near future. It is full of many interesting ideas that I believe even a bored viewer would find interesting. Set in a dystopian world with immense use of artificial intelligence (AI), it allows us to explore a world with addiction. Specifically, an addiction to the internet.

The main character, Wade Watts, is surrounded by people addicted to a famous international virtual reality (VR) role-playing game. The features in the game allow you to customize yourself in unbelievable ways. You can change your hairstyle, your height, and even your race! This can be seen as a way of escapism, as reality isn’t the best option to be in, given that there are no signs of greenery, and the streets are littered with trash.

The events in the movie are just as memorable, from the different trails that the main character and his allies face, each are unique. One is a car race with different obstacles, while another is a horror story maze; each one adds a fun element in the main character’s journey!

While the movie can be something fun to watch, it also touches on some serious topics. One that I already mentioned was addiction. As of now, the younger generation is exposed to electronics, and the same can be said of many older people now. The movie shows people willing to kill themselves after losing everything they had in the game. Although the ending of the movie does something to fix this problem, it brings the audience to question what they can do to stop their future from being just like Ready Player 1.