MihaiSorinToma

A movie with such an interesting and relatable idea like this one has and with such a director can only end up in success and it did, mostly. The plot is very good most of the time, keeping it all interesting, the visual part is simply excellent making the OASIS look excellent while the intrigue and the action are also great. There is little to complain in these departments but the movie still has one or two aspects which weren't able to stay on par with the rest.

First of all, I have to say that I was kind of disappointed with the acting or with the cast itself. They simply weren't able to make themselves credible and likeable in order to truly relate with their situation and thus "feel" what is going on. They seemed dull (especially the main ones) and leave plenty of things to be wished for in this department. Speaking of the characters, although they were mostly teenagers, they had a tendency to act foolishly from time to time, following what seems to be a stereotype these days, but it isn't something tragic, though worth mentioning. To make matters worse here, the antagonist is pretty lame. You can blame the acting and you can also blame the plot but the final result is that his performance didn't contribute as it should to the outcome of the story.

Overall, I was able to ignore most of the downsides that this movie had and enjoy the story as it is, being also interested by the action and the great depiction of the virtual world (once again, the CGI is top notch). Although it had a tendency of becoming predictable, especially towards the end, it still provided a good time when put together with all the other parts which simply shined.

It's a movie full of drama and suspense which managed to keep me interested until the end. The evolution of Joaquin Phoenix is the one that really shines, being able to transmit plenty of emotion through every single act, making you "feel" what he feels and relate to his suffering and his condition. The filming direction was very good, the acting was great across the board while the finale was also impressive, despite the last part being somewhat predictable.

The not so good parts are regarding the story which although well presented and put together, it becomes quite predictable after the first half (especially for somebody who knows this universe), thus losing some impact and suspense which it had plenty in the first part, or at least until "Joker" gets a bit of taste of power.

Overall, it's a very good movie with noteworthy acting and a good plot (especially if you don't know anything about Joker). It can become boring at times and even obvious but the overall experience is good, but nothing extraordinary.