It’s mostly 80s folks like me who can really appreciate this

I would say that is... unlikely. But if believing this makes you feel any better, then okay.

RPO was Spielberg’s biggest hit in years, and I seriously doubt all of its success was driven by old timers who constantly express their frustration with the state of modern Hollywood. Analysis (yes, it’s a thing) showed VR enthusiasts, gamers, movie fanatics, casual movie goers, pop culture fanatics, etc., took interest in this film before it was released. Many of those who fall under these groups eventually went to go see the film, and yes, in most cases they liked it. What do many of these groups have in common, by the way? They tend to be on the younger side.

Sure, you may feel you and others in your forgotten, small demographic (if only I had a nickel for every time I saw a new anti-modern Hollywood post on this site by 80’s/70’s/60’s/ folks) are the only ones capable of enjoying and appreciating this rare type of special-effects laden movie. The reality is, a bunch of the supposedly clueless younger audiences did went to go see this film and found it satisfying. Whatever hate you’re seeing being thrown its way, is coming from a small group. But assuming it’s mostly kids blasting RPO and that the majority of them are unable/unwilling to get into a film like this (despite it having so many “modern elements”), is ignorant.

In any case, all the 80’s throwbacks might’ve not felt as special to younger people as it did someone who lived in the 80’s (or to someone who is an aficionado of 80’s pop culture like myself). Nevertheless, the film ultimately attracted all kinds of audiences. And if you’re not aware, 80’s nostalgia is in right now. It’s not just GenX, those born well after the 80’s are loving these 80’s-based shows, movies, music, and so forth.

On a side note, RPO was a huge hit in China... if that means anything.

Okay, there's a big contradiction in your topic here:

For those of you pissing on and on with hate about it...get a life.

But then you go pissing on and on with hate about a movie from almost a decade ago:

“Soulless CGI shit”? Try AVATAR.
Nothing but fucking cowboys and Injuns with a wooden lead in an anti-imperialist story already told time and again for DECADES.

It seems only 80s folks like me can really appreciate this

Frankly i think there one thing that going stop this from happening on a big scale. Aka Motion sickness or Virtual reality sickness. Just wait until the Matrix is Invented. If the Robots don't kill us all.

Hash:

"And the future of VR is already catching up with this, if you’ve seen some of the multi-directional running boards and VR glasses available these days."

Kids are already spending most of their waking hours deeply embroiled in Vid Games, SocMedia & sexting. The tech isn't so necessary since VR is already here in spades & kids buried in it. There's a good line in film 'UPGRADE' that simply states what is about living in a VR world, its just far less painful than the real world. Someone has to wake up, what a novel idea for a film now that I think of it.

You’re so unique! You have such original and cool ideas, no wonder you’re the only one who can appreciate this. What’s it like being better than everyone?

I grew up in the '80s and this movie was ridiculous, i.e., typical Millennial-era feminist/PC/SJW/etc. horseshit. They even had a black chick who used an avatar to be "transgender"; laughable check-all-the-boxes false-virtue signaling. Plus, modern video games, especially ones of the role-playing variety, are for dorks. "Look, I'm an elf!" The "skills" that modern video game players have isn't in any way applicable to classic arcade games, which were typically made in such a way that only people with good eye/hand coordination, reflexes, and pattern recognition ability could last for more than ~30 seconds (and no continues, let alone infinite ones).

As for the '80s references, those alone don't make a movie good. The best way to see '80s stuff is to watch a movie or TV show that was made in the '80s anyway. Plus their PC mindset was blatant even in the '80s references, i.e., the "General Lee" from the Dukes of Hazzard was conspicuous by its absence. It's the most famous movie/TV car in history, but, oh no! It has a rebel flag painted on the roof. We don't want to "trigger" the delicate Millennials and Millennial v2.0s.

By the way, the original standalone Betamax VCR (Sony SL-7200), introduced in 1976, had an MSRP of $1,295, and actual store prices are usually significantly lower than MSRP. The improved SL-7200A, also released in 1976, had an MSRP of $1,260. There was no consumer-market standalone VCR in 1976 that cost $1,500, given that the two aforementioned Sonys were the only ones in existence (that's not counting professional or semi-professional formats like U-Matic, or older formats that never took off, but might have still been on some retailers' shelves, such as the Philips "VCR" format). VCR prices started dropping quickly in 1977 when JVC got in the game with their soon-to-be-dominant VHS format.

What caught me completely off guard was the Atari 2600 Adventure Easter egg. As a kid throughout the 80s I played that game all the time. It wasn't until the internet around the mid 90s that I found out about the Easter egg though. But it was so surreal having that be the final leg of the race. Like holy crap what are the odds. It wasn't super exciting or anything. Just extremely surreal.

That said... the movie needed more of that. The protagonist made a point that the creator of the Oasis wanted people to win who were truly passionate about those games and not just corporate puppets. The movie kinda failed to take its own advice. Like with the Iron Giant. The movie could've used the Iron Giant's plot point of the dent in its head. Instead they just put the Iron Giant in so he could be there... not really giving any attention to its actual source material.

However I will say Spielberg's version surpasses the book. I didn't like the book. It ripped off too many things and didn't even do it that great. Spielberg took that and kinda made something worthwhile out of it. So props to him.