You guys know that Ernest Cline co-wrote the screenplay, right?

The screen adaptation was fantastic. I enjoyed it just as much as the book, but it was distinct. Cline told the same story, with similar plot points, but did it in such a way that made it work as a movie.

Is the book better? Maybe. It certainly is more in-depth and "nerdy." It carries the proper amount of street cred. However, the movie can stand on it's own without the book, and I think that's what makes it a good flick.

Overall, I enjoyed this flick. (I didn't read the book.) I wasn't big on the story that just retold the old trope of the young hip 99%ers vs the evil corporation drones. At least the main character wasn't a "chosen one" though. The '80s pop culture references seemed random and painted with really broad strokes as to what got represented.

But, Spielberg definitely knows how to direct a mega-spectacle like this, and the fact I saw it in IMAX 3D almost made me have epileptic-like Pokemon-seizures! It felt like a half-movie/half-amusement park 3D ride experience. I was very amused at The Shining bit and the Chucky special weapon. Ready Player One was a good choice for me to take my coworker to her first IMAX experience.

I don't know if they covered this in the movie or not, but why do the corporate workers have to run to another work station to reboot into the game world after their avatars are killed? They should be able to stay at the same station but reboot at lowered levels, no?