So this movie happened.
First off, if you're the kind of person who finds a three second visual cameo by a popular culture reference to be the lowest most despicable kind of trite corporate mass market appeal... don't go see this movie. Because you will be spending 90% of the run time hating it.
On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who likes the hero suddenly busting out the hadouken on a bad guy or someone summoning a Gundam to fight Mechagodizilla... go for it.
The movie is very different from the book. Where the book is about memorized fan trivia the <i>movie</i> is about how all that is just window dressing and the true connections we have are with each other and to that the secret to understanding each other is empathy and decency. The climax is also much more climactic, in a way only Speilberg can do.
Plus, you know, it was kind of cool seeing squads of Master Chiefs and the Iron Giant blowing shit up. Yeah, all the VR stuff was ultimately 'a game' but the point of the movie is that the game is a way to connect for all these people so they're fighting for something and their are stakes not in who lives or dies but who wins and loses. If you can like a sports movie you can like this movie.
On the bad side they kept some of the more... cliche bits from the book. The female leads big secret being that she is Hollywood Homely rather than a stunning anime elf girl with technicolor hair and skin was not handled well. Though they did make her into more of a character with agency in the film with an actual motivation rather than just a rival/love interest. Also, the above mentioned references per second quality and they kept in some of the smugly superior 'characters showing how up on pop culture they are'.
Also, the entire second key sequence was... gratuitous. And bad.
I was kind of put off that they didn't kill a major character, but I guess this movie is firmly aimed at the under 16 crowd.
Overall, a firm 'rent' movie.
First off, if you're the kind of person who finds a three second visual cameo by a popular culture reference to be the lowest most despicable kind of trite corporate mass market appeal... don't go see this movie. Because you will be spending 90% of the run time hating it.
On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who likes the hero suddenly busting out the hadouken on a bad guy or someone summoning a Gundam to fight Mechagodizilla... go for it.
The movie is very different from the book. Where the book is about memorized fan trivia the <i>movie</i> is about how all that is just window dressing and the true connections we have are with each other and to that the secret to understanding each other is empathy and decency. The climax is also much more climactic, in a way only Speilberg can do.
Plus, you know, it was kind of cool seeing squads of Master Chiefs and the Iron Giant blowing shit up. Yeah, all the VR stuff was ultimately 'a game' but the point of the movie is that the game is a way to connect for all these people so they're fighting for something and their are stakes not in who lives or dies but who wins and loses. If you can like a sports movie you can like this movie.
On the bad side they kept some of the more... cliche bits from the book. The female leads big secret being that she is Hollywood Homely rather than a stunning anime elf girl with technicolor hair and skin was not handled well. Though they did make her into more of a character with agency in the film with an actual motivation rather than just a rival/love interest. Also, the above mentioned references per second quality and they kept in some of the smugly superior 'characters showing how up on pop culture they are'.
Also, the entire second key sequence was... gratuitous. And bad.
I was kind of put off that they didn't kill a major character, but I guess this movie is firmly aimed at the under 16 crowd.
Overall, a firm 'rent' movie.