Significantly Improves on a Mediocre Book-- Well Worth Watching

I'm just home from watching Ready Player One. I read the book last month, in anticipation of the film, and was unimpressed. The book isn't awful, and there are seeds of a good story there, but it lacks narrative tension, and the characters are minimally developed. It's mostly an episodic narration of Wade's quest, with far too much time spent rattling off shopping lists of '80s pop culture references. It also lacks much in the way of suspense or danger. Wade plods along, solving each puzzle and navigating each real-world trap without the reader ever worrying "will he do it?"

Spielberg rectified all the above problems. The movie isn't amazing, and it's not something I'll tell the grandkids about some day, but it's fun to watch. It's notable as the first film I've ever seen where the avatars-as-characters look natural. Overall, it's entertaining, engaging, and so different from the book that even if you've read it you'll have no idea whatsoever where the film is going or what's going to happen.