With our world growing even closer to being a virtual reality connecting everyone, this movie gives a sneak peak in a very possible future. Our world is moving toward virtual reality at an alarming rate, technology is being developed to completely immerse a person in VR. LucasVRTech is a young youtuber that is developing cheap alternatives to VR technology, he is developing an open source haptic feedback glove for VR enthusiasts. Corporations have jumped at every trend possible, VR is no different. People have been finding a short escape from reality using video games for a long time, VR is just helping the escape feel more real.
The movie is set in 2045 where people use OASIS a virtual reality simulation to escape reality. The simulation is created by James Halliday and Ogden Morrow, after Halliday’s death his avatar announces a contest that promises ownership of OASIS to the winner. The prize is locked behind three gates, the keys can be obtained by completing three challenges. The contest draws thousands of participants known as egg hunters or gunters. The contest also draw the interest of Nolan Sorrento the CEO if IOI who seeks to control the OASIS, IOI has employees known as the sixers who participate in the competition on Nolan’s behalf.
The movie follows Wade Watts an avid gunter that goes by the moniker Parzival, he is a super fan and spends most of his free time trying to defeat the challenge. He manages to crack the first challenge by driving backwards on a race track instead of going forwards, this maneuverer is copied by Art3mis, Aech, Daito and Sho. They are known as the high-5 on the contest leader boards. Sorrento intends to find out Parzival’s real name and bribe him to win the competition on his behalf.
Sorrento enlists bounty hunter i-R0k to learn about Parzival’s real identity. Wade and Art3mis work together in the Halliday archives, they find a clue that could lead them to the second key. The duo visit a virtual nightclub to find more clues, Wade reveals his real name to Artemis. They are ambushed by IOI, Art3mis reveals that her father died in debt to IOI and abandons Wade. i-R0k who had been eavesdropping their conversation learns Parziwal’s identity and conveys it to Sorento. Wade is contacted by Sorento with his offer, Wade refuses and is nearly killed when Sorento bombs his building. Wade survives and is taken by Samantha Cook the player behind Art3mis to her hideout.
The High 5 search a recreation of the overlook hotel from the Shining for the second key, and retrieve it. Sorrento’s subordinate Zandor locates and captures Samantha, she is imprisoned in IOI headquarters to pay off her father’s debt. Wade is saved by rest of the High 5 Members Aech, Daito and Sho in Aech’s truck. The group hacks Sorento’s personal rig to save Art3mis, she escapes confinement but stays at IOI. The final challenge is located at castle Anorak on planet doom, where contenders must guess Halliday’s favourite game to earn the final key. i-R0k creates a forcefield around the castle preventing players from entering it while IOI tries to beat the final challenge, Art3mis who stayed behind uses the opportunity to disable the forcefield.
The High 5 lead an army of players into the castle to battle IOI, Wade kills Art3mis which allows her to flee from IOI while rest of the High 5 pick her up. Sorrento activates a weapon that wipes out everyone, Wade survives using a coin give to him by the curator that gives him an extra life. Wade beats the final challenge and comes before Halliday’s avatr Anorak, he offers wade a contract. Wade refuses when he remembers that Morrow the co-creator signed a similar contract, Anorak transforms to Halliday and explains Wade his regrets before giving him the ownership of OASIS. Morrow appears and reveals himself as the curator, he talks to Wade about the ownership. Wade decides to run OASIS with his friends and Morrow joins as a consultant. OASIS now under the new management of High 5 bars IOI loyalty centres from accessing it, it also shuts down the servers every Tuesday and Thursday to make people spend more time in the real world.
This was a really amazing movie with a pretty real concept. Our world might move in a similar direction in a few years, people are unsatisfied by reality and prefer Virtual world where they control most of its aspects. I’m an avid gamer and would love a virtual reality despite the known drawbacks. In a situation like a pandemic, games and VR is something that allowed people to interact with each other. Every coin has 2 sides we must decide to focus on the better aspects.
