Avengers: Infinity War

This review may contain spoilers!

They absolutely nailed it! I would give Avengers: Infinity War a 9.5/10.

This film is a real testament to ten years of Marvel cinema; the stories that have been told, the characters established and the sprawling universe of worldbuilding that has been developed. It's nice to see the chemistry shown between Marvel characters who are interacting for the first time, you get to see a lot of dynamics that you wouldn't normally expect and are excited to view onscreen. This has the comedic nature of the Marvel films, rife with one-liners and witty interactions. However, there is a deeper element to this film; you are gripped by the danger threatening the heroes and their universe and feel that the stakes are higher than they've ever been before. The emotional depths this film goes to results in an ultimately tragic film, punches are certainly not pulled and loss is felt by the characters and audience alike. There were multiple appearances and cameos throughout which really added to the scope of the film, one of the moments which surprised me most was the reappearance of Captain America villain, Red Skull, who has been cursed to defend an Infinity Stone for all eternity. The cinematography used throughout feels monolithic and larger than life, every scene looks visually stunning and reminds you of the scale of this film. The visual effects aren't just impressive but they also hold some nice references to past Marvel films; Doctor Strange and his magic abilities, the design of the cosmic MCU from the Guardians films, Thor's lightning and Bifrost transportation from the Thor films and the style of Wakandan technology from Black Panther. The score is without a doubt the best to emerge from the MCU with a clear track design for some of the key emotional or major moments within the film; I especially liked the touch added to the soundtrack by including a song for the Guardians of the Galaxy team.

Karen Gillan, who played Nebula, is a twisted and tortured figure at the mercy of Brolin for most of this film; Gillan's reckless and dangerous fighting style make her an interesting anti-hero. Elizabeth Olsen, who played Scarlet Witch, is a role guided by her heart in this film; Olsen's fierce defence of Bettany and their developed love is a touching sub-plot. Josh Brolin, who played Thanos, in many ways seems to be the main character of this film; Brolin does a great job at humanising his space tyrant and showing how this journey has resulted in a number of sacrifices for him as well. Tom Holland, who played Spider-Man, is a high point of energy and comedy throughout; Holland's tragic final scene with Downey Jr. is an unexpected yet powerful moment. Scarlett Johansson, who played Black Widow, feels like her time spent underground has hardened her; Johansson's confident fighter seems more than capable of tackling beings with power and ability her character doesn't wield. Chris Pratt, who played Star-Lord, was a fun point of comic relief throughout; However, Pratt also showed a deeper sense of conflict and grief as the feature progressed. Chris Evans, who played Steve Rogers, is quite the moral centre of the Marvel universe; his stern and calculated approach to tactics make for a strong leadership role. Pom Klementieff, who played Mantis, feels like she has found her place strongly within the Guardians team; Klementieff's calm and passive demeanour makes her one of the more charismatic Guardians to watch. Chris Hemsworth, who played Thor, really carries a lot of pain and grief around with him over the course of this film; Hemsworth's self-sacrificing role makes him one of the boldest heroes to emerge from Infinity War. Sebastian Stan, who played Bucky Barnes, feels like a character more at peace with himself this time around; Stan's presentation of Bucky as proficient at fighting yet no longer aggressive shows quite a development in the short time we see this role. Robert Downey Jr., who played Iron Man, has such a clear leadership persona within this film; Downey Jr. does a great job at portraying the confident wit of Stark while also concealing a clear lack of confidence while being out of his depth in the cosmic setting. Tom Hiddleston, who played Loki, showed a heroic side of himself in a tense moment of desperation; Hiddleston really presented the manipulative nature of Loki at his best in an effort to turn a hopeless situation to his advantage. Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Dr Stephen Strange, has a dry wit about his delivery that really shows how far his role has come from his first solo film; Cumberbatch's stern resolve and 'lone wolf' persona make him quite a unique hero compared to the Avengers or the Guardians. Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, is exceptionally charismatic as leader of his nation and an element of the resistance against Thanos; the ease with which T'Challa approaches the situation makes him a force to be reckoned with. Dave Bautista, who played Drax, has that fun clueless, extremely literal sense of humour running strongly throughout; Bautista's rage and reckless aggression towards the main antagonist really got to the heart of what motivates his role. Vin Diesel, who voiced Groot, is immediately quite entertaining as a rebellious adolescent version of his role; the growth we see from Groot is a nice touch and he plays a nice role in the Thor sub-plot. Danai Gurira, who played Okoye, has some fun chemistry with Boseman and the pair exchange some fun lines of dialogue; Gurira's ferocity in the face of heated battle fits her character well. Paul Bettany, who played Vision, has really taken this character along a great journey since Age of Ultron (or even the first Iron Man if you want to be a stickler); Bettany has crafted a role that once felt mechanical and has convincingly gained human qualities such as love and empathy which comes through strongest in this very feature. Bradley Cooper, who voiced Rocket, has that cocky bravado that makes this character so likeable throughout this film; Cooper really shows the growth of Rocket by making him a more comforting individual as shown with some of his shared scenes with Hemsworth. Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Pepper Potts, has such natural romantic chemistry with Downey Jr. that you're reminded how much you've missed the two of them together in the MCU; Paltrow plays a very grounded role in all the chaos and that's a nice counter to her onscreen partner. Peter Dinklage, who played Eitri, is a questionable addition at first but grows on you as the narrative progresses; Dinklage has a couple of light-hearted moments alongside Hemsworth that lend an intense situation moments of levity. Mark Ruffalo, who played Bruce Banner, seems a confused mess trying to find a fixed place in the chaos of this film; the impact his time away from Earth has had is apparent and the fact most of this film is Banner moving into combat rather than the Hulk is pretty impressive. Anthony Mackie, who played Falcon, is clearly the quick-witted comic relief of Captain America's underground team; Mackie and Cheadle have a great onscreen chemistry and seem thick as thieves in moments of pitched battle. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, who played Ebony Maw, is a minor antagonist who really leads the first act of this film; an unnerving individual who does some great work to make an impression alongside Brolin's Thanos. Winston Duke, who played M'Baku, is a real ferocious, reckless warrior in the final act of this film; Duke's role is described as "always rearing for a fight" and this is proven the moment he appears onscreen. Benedict Wong, who played Wong, captures the solemn nature of his character and balances that out by comically dropping this persona in fleeting moments around Cumberbatch; the manner in which Wong discusses and presents the threat works really well for the set-up at the start of the feature. Don Cheadle, who played War Machine, presents the stalwart persona of his military role very well; Cheadle's brazen defiance of his character's superiors shows a lot of development in Rhodes since the events of Captain America: Civil War. Samuel L. Jackson, who played Nick Fury, is a nice cameo to have right at the end; Jackson presents a nice moment of comedy while reacting to the events around him extremely well.

However, the best performance came from Zoe Saldana, who played Gamora. Saldana has really taken her performance a long way since the first Guardians film; back then I had some trepidation about the role but now she clearly stands out from her fellow major performers in the MCU. Gamora enters the film at a pretty joyful point and as the clear moral conscience of her spacefaring team. Yet the dread that sets in upon Thanos entering her storyline is clear, the performance grows a lot more fearful and desperate. Saldana's defiance in the face of impossible odds and an unbeatable foe shows a deep strength to her character; and the fact Gamora only surrenders when Gillan's character, Nebula is threatened adds to that. There is a brilliant relationship of spite and a twisted form of father/daughter love between Saldana and Brolin; in many ways, that is what this film is built on and it results in one of the strongest scenes in Infinity War.

The second act of the film labours a bit when it comes to pacing, there are a lot of narrative arcs happening at once and the film takes it's time to cycle through each of them. This was a good choice ultimately but nevertheless has the effect of slowing things right down. As a further disclaimer, if you aren't wildly into the Marvel films or haven't' seen that many of them then you probably won't get as much out of this film as someone who has.

Idris Elba, who played Heimdall, has a send-off that doesn't really go down very well; his role is barely acknowledged and he is swiftly dispatched in a manner that is just as unsatisfying as what happened to the Warriors Three in Thor: Ragnarok. Benicio Del Toro, who played The Collector, feels like he isn't really putting much into what is probably his last stint as the Collector; Del Toro delivers his character as quite flat this time around and it doesn't make the last time you see his character very impactful. William Hurt, who played Secretary Of State Thaddeus Ross, feels like he's in this film for continuity reasons post-Civil War more than anything else; he gruffly barks a few lines and is then dismissed out of the narrative almost as quickly as he appeared. Letitia Wright, who played Shuri, was amazing in Black Panther so it's disappointing to see her role really shunted into the background; Wright's character dishes out some needed exposition but doesn't get much opportunity to really show off the personality of her character. Jacob Batalon, who played Ned, wasn't really needed in this film; it was nice that Batalon was included but he provided nothing to the scene he was in. Cobie Smulders, who played Maria Hill, feels tacked on to the Nick Fury cameo; Smulders is just there for Jackson to bounce some dialogue off of and doesn't feel much like an interesting cameo herself.

I Feel Pretty

This review may contain spoilers!

A pretty nice twist on the romantic-comedy genre but it's too focused on poking fun at itself as opposed to delivering its message. I would give I Feel Pretty a 4.5/10.

The strength of this film is the manner in which it plays off famous fantasy rom-coms such as Big or 13 Going On 30 and parodies them. The premise of this film is that the main role thinks she's gone through the miraculous change we see in films such as these and become 'beautiful' when in fact nothing has actually changed. It's fun watching all the nods to how fantasy rom-coms are styled and the hilarious ways in which this film pokes fun at these qualities. The message of self-love is a nice one to see, it's not the films strongest point but it is nicely presented. The cinematography is a dazzling selection of brightly lit shots, often very reminiscent of the classic romantic-comedy style. The soundtrack throughout the film often links well to the message of self-empowerment; however, it is the score that really delivers quite strongly on those magical moments where Renee either feels a change or encounters a point of success.

Amy Schumer, who played Renee Bennett, really has the quirky, yet awkward persona needed for the main protagonist of this film; Schumer's transition to quite a bold, self-assured persona seems effortless and makes this one of her better performances to date. Michelle Williams, who played Avery LeClaire, does some hilarious voice work to make her role seem quite vain or posh; Williams really delivers when creating a role that seems distant and out of touch from other people due to her social status. Tom Hopper, who played Grant LeClaire, is a very suave and easily charismatic role; Hopper really puts forth this dreamy role and sells himself as the heartthrob of the film. Rory Scovel, who played Ethan, does a fantastic job at crafting a love interest who is very grounded; Scovel isn't your typical male love interest for these sorts of films and he shows a guy who is quite empathetic and caring. Aidy Bryant and Busy Philipps, who played Vivian and Jane respectively, were incredibly fun yet grounded best friend roles; their 'straight up' delivery and honest approach to conflict made them some of the most realistic performances in the film. Lauren Hutton, who played Lily LeClaire, was a frank role who really set a nice power balance between herself and Williams; Hutton's very grounded persona amongst a wealthy corporate setting worked extremely well. Sasheer Zamata, who played Tasha, did a great job as the awkward yet blunt cashier dealing with an unusual situation; Zamata's reaction to Schumer's initial 'change' was hilarious and worked to great effect.

However, the best performance came from Adrian Martinez, who played Mason. I liked that this role was soft-spoken and reluctant to move beyond his sphere of comfort, he was a great entry point of comedy for this film. Martinez showed a range of comedic ability, from a very quiet yet abrupt delivery to a wild and outspoken form of delivery. This was a gruff role who seemed a little distant at first but it was clear that he valued Schumer and the pair had a nice, quiet chemistry that worked well in several scenes.

This film doesn't ever really strive to be more than a parody of the usual fantasy rom-com format and as a result, it doesn't feel very unique; even moments where it subverts expectations come across as a punchline rather than an effective moment. This film loses itself about halfway through and you find it harder and harder to buy into the premise as the main protagonist becomes conceited and harder to empathise with. Ultimately what really doesn't work is the fact that the film tries to finish by teaching the audience a moral message, yet for most of the narrative, there's been nothing but a punchline at the main protagonist's expense. If the film hadn't been so focused on making fun of itself the moral message might have been received clearly. I also found the editing to set a slow pace and this made the film feel like it was dragging on far longer than it needed to.

Emily Ratajkowski, who played Mallory, feels like she's only been included in this film for her looks; because her role has only really been included for superficial reasons Ratajkowski never really succeeds in making her role feel like anything other than a stereotypical attractive person.

A Wrinkle In Time

This review may contain spoilers!

Sometimes it really just doesn't pay off for your film to rely on one long extended metaphor. I would give A Wrinkle In Time a 3.5/10.

This film manages to deliver a heartening message that when it comes to family, love triumphs; equally they are also some nice themes about believing in oneself and recognising who you are as a person. The cinematography looked pretty good, often being set up in a way to capture the staggering special effects that made this film a fantasy fairytale. The special effects are the true magic of this film, the way intriguing and interesting landscapes are created makes this often a dazzling and exciting spectacle to look at.

Storm Reid, who played Meg, is quite a likeable leading role who is easy enough to relate with; Reid does a particularly good job at portraying her role's inner conflict and strong desire to see her family reunited. Oprah Winfrey, who played Mrs Which, portrayed a very regal omniscient character; Winfrey comes across as exceptionally sage and wise in her somewhat mentor role. Reese Witherspoon, who played Mrs Whatsit, was such a fun, bubbly persona onscreen; Witherspoon really captured her role's childlike wonder and joy throughout the feature. Deric McCabe, who played Charles Wallace, really played his prodigious role quite well; his innocence as a child was maintained throughout even with his character's obvious intellect. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who played Mrs Murry, is a very kind and caring mother role; the strength she exhibited in raising her children without Pine and the intense joy upon reuniting with him makes for quite a heartfelt role. Zach Galifianakis, who played Happy Medium, is quite a whimsical role that lends a great deal of levity quite naturally to this film; Galifianakis' actually surprises by lending quite a gentle presence during his scene, acting as a guide for Reid's role. Michael Pena, who played Red, is quite fun and charismatic when first he appears; this quickly gives way to a duplicitous and sinister antagonist whose words expertly twist and corrupt. Andre Holland, who played Principal Jenkins, fits his role as the authoritative principal; what I like about Holland is that he lends a fair degree of human compassion to what could have otherwise been a very generic role.

However, the best performance came from Chris Pine, who played Mr Murry. Pine has a real affinity for playing this role who is so caught up in the intrigue and wonder of his research and study that you can't help but be enamoured by his line delivery. The care and love he shows for his family gets to the heart of the film's message and indicates why there is such an incredible quest to find him after he disappears. Pine's heartfelt apology and reconnection with his family is staggeringly good and really shows the strength of his ability as an actor.

The entire fantasy element of this film is pervasive throughout and doesn't often function as being very genuine because the film pushes this fictional world as an extended metaphor for its themes. Because the feature is so focused on trying to say something it creates characters who don't have a lot of substance and dialogue that comes across as incredibly stilted. The story is so enamoured with trying to make something fantastical that the plot loses itself fairly quickly. The pacing is sluggish at best and you wish it would just get to the point rather than depict artificial and empty aesthetics. The editing throughout the film doesn't help a great deal, there are a lot of sudden cuts and it's very recognisable where entires scenes or sequences have been gutted from the film. The score for the film is light and cheery and doesn't come across as very unique; what really lets the feature down is how the soundtrack comes into some scenes incredibly abrupting and pulling you right out of the events going on.

Mindy Kaling, who played Mrs Who, is a role without a great deal of substance as she lacks personal voice; Kaling spends most of the film quoting other individuals until a point in which the writers must've realised writing her this way was becoming inconvenient and just gave up. Levi Miller, who played Calvin, is a character that just really doesn't serve much purpose in the narrative; Miller's role feels like he was originally intended as a love interest but by the end of the film he's been all but erased, rendering him quite irrelevant.

Rampage

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Monsters smash stuff. The Rock yells one-liners and talks about his own musculature at least once. There are some evil corporate bad guys with no reason for being bad but cause they wanna. I would give Rampage a 3/10.

The cinematography within this film really captures the blockbuster nature of Rampage, you can really perceive the immensity of this monster film. The special effects also look pretty good throughout, a lot clearly goes in to make the design of the gorilla, wolf and alligator as impressive and intimidating as possible.

Dwayne Johnson, who played Davis Okoye, really keeps the pace and action of this film moving along as the leading protagonist; Johnson does well at maintaining a character who feels distanced from all those around him except for the CGI animals he fosters a bond with.

However, the best performance came from Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played Harvey Russell. I really enjoyed the sarcastic, witty banter that stemmed from this role, he was very good at provoking other characters through jokes and repartee. Morgan is a natural at delivering the slick 'cowboy' feel to his character and immediately seems confident as he deals with the unfolding events. Ultimately, this is a character with a very stern morality but it's nice to see him stretch the rules as he develops in service of the greater good.

This film has a script that clearly doesn't have much thought put into it, this is a crash-bash monster smash film that is very loosely adapted from an old video game. Beyond the concept it isn't clear if the film is actually aiming to focus on anything else; it certainly presents characters with morals that change constantly throughout or who transition through sudden moments of development that come as a bit of a stretch. The fact that the antagonists of the film have no clear ambitions for creating 'Project: Rampage' in the first place speaks wonders, nor does their method of handling the situation make a whole lot of sense. This is a film desperate to show off the CGI fights it has in store in the final act but isn't so interested in making a compelling story in order to get there. The score for the film is incredibly generic, with a lot of droning or short patches of silence to indicate danger and a swell in fanfare for the big action sequences.

Naomie Harris, who played Dr Kate Caldwell, enters the film quite awkwardly and never really finds her place comfortably amongst the action; Harris' exposition around her role's backstory about her brother is the only detail meant to invest you and it comes off as little more than boring and convenient. Malin Akerman, who played Claire Wyden, seems comfortable playing a stereotypical villainous business tycoon; Akerman's delivery is fairly toneless and she doesn't strive to develop her role's range beyond anything other than sinister. Jake Lacy, who played Brett Wyden, is a weird role that doesn't really have much purpose in this film; Lacy's character is a minor antagonist to Akerman who seems to exist purely to provide unnecessary comedic relief in the villainous scenes. Joe Manganiello, who played Burke, is only in the film to be a visual reference for the 'hired muscle'; Manganiello is denied the opportunity to present a character and is ultimately killed off in little to no time. P.J. Byrne, who played Nelson, is one of a few characters who is introduced in the first act who wind up being completely irrelevant; Byrne seems to have some strange best friend connection with Johnson that is never explored and dropped not long into the film. Demetrius Grosse, who played Colonel Blake, is another example of the film constructing role's that are little more than generic versions of their occupations; Grosse's staunch military man is a role we've seen in thousands of films now and doesn't leave much of an impression in this feature. Jack Quaid, who played Connor, is quite an annoying comedic role that comes on very strong; Quaid's presence is here to fill in time and comes off as goofy comedic relief insert. Breanne Hill, who played Amy, is a character who is really only here to throw herself at Dwayne Johnson's role; Hill, Quaid and Byrne all had a strong presence in the first act and could have been used further but by discarding them so early on undercut any work these performers put into their characters.

A Quiet Place

This review may contain spoilers!

This has really shaken things up for the horror genre and has to be one of the best films so far this year. I would give A Quiet Place an 8.5/10.

This film sets an incredible scene; the world we encounter is a desolate one in which the rules of survival seem fairly straightforward but are actually incredibly difficult to maintain. This film really works strongly due to the family dynamic, watching each member of the Abbott family rise to the challenge of defending and self-sacrificing on behalf of the rest of the family makes this a struggle that is easy to connect with. The manner in which tension is constructed is extremely well done, with many scenes resulting in me finding myself right on the edge of my seat. Just the ambitious premise of a film that relies so heavily on the necessity for an absence of sound; yet still depicts an incredible narrative in which communication exists is so powerful. The cinematography works wonders, with many of the scenes balancing intense close-ups and over the shoulder shots to heighten the feeling of the main characters being hunted. The editing moved things along at a great pace, the narrative really flowed quite strongly and there was a very smooth visual aesthetic. The score for the film really set you on edge as an audience member; however, I was extremely impressed with how the sound was edited and used throughout in an effort to signify the importance of a world so vastly different from our own.

Emily Blunt, who played Evelyn Abbott, is quite a grounded, compassionate role at the centre of this family; Blunt really seems to the glue that holds all the pieces of this fictional family together, a role she plays firmly and well. John Krasinski, who played Lee Abbott, is an extremely capable defender of his family and is often recklessly rushing headlong to save them all; Krasinski plays a rugged man who is worn down by the hardships of care and survival, the development of his role's relationship with Simmonds' is an incredible aspect of their performance. Noah Jupe, who played Marcus Abbott, is quite the meek and timid role; Jupe isn't shy about playing the more cowardly member of the family and he does a very realistic job at toughening this young boy as best he can as the feature progresses. Cade Woodward, who played Beau Abbott, is quite a naive yet charming kid; the simplicity Woodward shows when connecting with his 'family' is so sincere and makes him, ultimately, a tragic figure.

However, the best performance came from Millicent Simmonds, who played Regan Abbott. Simmonds really shows a strong internal struggle within her character; she blames herself heavily for the family's misfortunes of the past and isn't coping with the guilt. Her inability to feel secure in her place amongst her family or even know if her own parents truly love her is a thought she very clearly carries throughout the feature. Simmonds has a strong frustration towards her onscreen father, Krasinski, as a result of this and two have a tentative relationship that is interesting to watch develop. Simmonds own experiences with being deaf actually inform the feature, her competency with signing is clear to see and the vulnerabilities her character faces, such as being unable to hear oncoming threats feels very real.

The second act of the film doesn't actually move anywhere far nor does it change matters a great deal, it serves to remind you this is a film that really lives or dies on its premise and if you enjoy that as a film-goer. The ending of the film is a bit tacky, with the dramatic ending coming off as over the top and a bit glib. There wasn't a necessity to see this family become more powerful than they were so much as we wanted to see them overcome a significant obstacle.

Ready Player One

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Steven Spielberg manages to reclaim the magic of the late 80s to 90s family film while maintaining a visual style that was extremely impressive. I would give Ready Player One a 7.5/10.

This is a story about a video game world; in which we see several famous characters from all corners of pop culture and a number of fantastic settings that exist in this virtual universe. The film deals with an Earth that has become enraptured with virtual, interfaceable gaming; throughout Ready Player One, we see a number of characters detached from the world around them to spend time in this place known as, the Oasis. The main hero, Wade, is a protagonist who is very easy to connect with and it's clear that he feels comfortable escaping into this virtual world rather than live in the real one. However, the strength of the film is how well the character of Wade develops alongside his friends and the dangerous struggle they face at the hands of the ruthless IOI corporation. The cinematography is a real treat and Spielberg pulls out all the stops to show you every inch of this fantastic world he has created, this film has an excellent flow and the motion of the camerawork ensures this is a feature with a great pace. The real strength of this particular film is the special effects, I struggle to believe that any film is going to outdo this one for the sheer levels of imagination poured into creating an appealing and standout virtual setting and characters.

Tye Sheridan, who played Wade/Parzival, is an incredible leading protagonist; Sheridan does a great job at balancing the initial insecure role we meet with fairly grounded, charismatic hero he develops into. Ben Mendelsohn, who played Sorrento, is actually quite the fitting actor for the shifty business tycoon antagonist; I enjoyed that the film took some risks and didn't play this role too stereotypically, even affording him some comedic moments. T.J. Miller, who played I-R0k, is the best source of comedy throughout the entire feature; Miller's dark and brooding figure is really contrasted nicely by the generic gamer persona he lends to the role. Mark Rylance, who played Halliday/Anorak, is such a charming, awkward role that you feel a great deal of compassion for thanks to Rylance; I enjoyed the gentler nature of the role prevailed even in scenes where he played an almost mythical version of his character in the guise of Anorak. Philip Zhao, who played Sho, has some brilliant comedic delivery in his scenes; Zhao is entertaining as one of the more abrasive members of the High Five protagonists.

However, the best performance came from Olivia Cooke, who played Samantha/Art3mis. Cooke is such an interesting lead protagonist; one who presents her role's vulnerabilities extremely openly, all the while remaining guarded against forming relationships with others. She is an avid risk-taker and blazes the path for rebellion against the corporate antagonists. Cooke is probably the most impressive action hero in this feature, she has such a willingness to take charge within the conflict that you can't help but remain fixated on her. I really liked how this role developed an interest in the emotional background of the Easter Egg hunt which leads the film, it grounded the character and made her easier to connect with.

The film struggles once it transitions into the second act, the film has to make up some lousy excuses to involve more live-action in the film which results in some scenes that don't really feel natural. In particular, the romance subplot between Wade and Samantha fall flat once the two leads begin to interact in the live-action setting; attempts to make the characters' insecurities emerge results in a distinct lack of romantic chemistry throughout. There are some strong moments of comedy throughout but they can occur infrequently, robbing the film of its tension as it moves towards the end of the feature. The score for the film is probably intended as an homage to several films referenced throughout but it instead feels like a complete imitation of original scores from those exact films. Furthermore, the soundtrack of the film is quite a hodge-podge selection and tells of someone choosing songs they desired rather than songs fitting for Ready Player One.

Lena Waithe, who played Helen/Aech, is pretty poorly voiced when it comes to her video game character; Waithe's reveal later in the feature feels more like a novelty rather than a surprising twist. Simon Pegg, who played Ogden Morrow, falls into the background a surprising amount and doesn't suit such a serious, strained role; Pegg is only ever afforded the opportunity to make quite dry jokes and seems out of place in this film. Win Morisaki, who played Daito, is a bit over the top in his exuberance at meeting and greeting his friends; Morisaki's 'big moment' of the film in which he unleashes Gundam is a little cheesy and a bit of a typecast to say the least. Hannah John-Kamen, who played F'Nale Zandor, is quite a generic henchman antagonist who never amounts to more than a minor thug role; John-Kamen really only exists to bring a bit of conflict to the live-action story. Ralph Ineson and Susan Lynch, who played Rick and Alice respectively, are just abrasive roles that are only here to be bad 'parent/guardian' roles; you don't learn anything about them beyond the fact they're unpleasant people because the plot doesn't invest in them as characters.