Ready Player One made many changes from the Ernest Cline book, dividing some biggest fans.
We examine how and why.
This article contains majorReady Player Onespoilers, for both the film and book.
It also just so happens to be Clines youth too.
In contrast,Ready Player Oneas a movie broadens the expanse of the pop culture landscape being traversed.
This is likely due to the limits of even Spielbergs reach in rounding up licenses.
Namely, in the book, he tags it with a Ghostbusters logo on each door.
However, many more of these changes were done to match Spielbergs sensibilities and that of his broader audience.
The movie simply has more resonance for the director thanWarGames.
Due to trying to appeal to a larger audience, Spielberg also expanded upon what pop culture is included.
And kids today also get a wink and a smile from shotouts toMinecraft, Overwatch, andHalo.
To put it simply,Ready Player Onehas a vast narrative for its brisk 370 pages.
Even so, some of the many changes made to condense this into a coherent narrative are radical.
His bus comes with a security shotgun rider, as if it were a stagecoach circa 1880.
The film, meanwhile, much more astutely gives Artemis/Samantha a lot more to do than in the book.
further reading: The Virtues and Flaws of What Aech Represents
This reason thats important is two-fold.
And that is the first time they meet face-to-face!
In the movie, however, it is Artemis who is unwillingly taken by IOI.
Which leads Wade to… the final challenge.
Much of this relates to the first point about expanding the nostalgic appeal to a wider audience.
As such, Cline is able to double the nerdy credentials of his protagonist.
Yet ironically, ol Kong is more important to most general moviegoers today thanJoustorD&Dever will be.
Theyre all safely hidden away in the mansion of Hallidays old partner, Og.
Its all a game.
As such, even the games stakes are reduced.
In the book, after Wades aunt dies, he ultimately winds up renting an apartment in Columbus.
But otherwise, it is pretty dark.
He lives only for the internets fictional stand-in.
This is never fully explored, as there are no negative repercussions to this unhealthy lifestyle.
In fact, he is pretty much rewarded for it by the end.
The OASIS would just be the next pop culture opioid.
And that too is a fair criticism.
Yet movies are not books, and books are not movies.
By and large, wed argue the changes made from page to screen benefittedReady Player One.
Do you agree, players?
