The one and only Steven Spielberg returns to the popcorn blockbuster arena he predominantly parented with the optimism of a child who hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be sat in the audience.

In the year 2045, people escape the harsh reality of life by spending their time in the OASIS, a virtual world where you can go anywhere, do anything and be anyone. The late creator, James Halliday Willy Wonka (Mark Rylance), has hidden golden tickets three keys within, and the first to discover them all will inherit his $500-billion fortune and take full control of the OASIS. With the help of his friends, Wade Watts Charlie Bucket (Tye Sheridan) races to find the hidden treasure before anyone else, including the CEO of Innovative Online Industries, Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) and his army of Sixers.

Ready Player One is Spielberg’s lengthy love letter to popular culture, computer games, 80’s music and everything geek from yesteryear that still resonate with us today. From the Delorean in Back to the Future, to Space Invaders, the film is choc full of nostalgic Easter eggs. You’ll be like a kid in a sweet shop trying to spot them all, and no one embraces their inner big kid like the beard.

There’s one particular scene, somehow not spoiled by any marketing or journalist, that is one of the most amazing film sequences I have seen in quite some time. Spielberg is a shining example of being able to appeal to the older generations as well as the younger.

Being set in a virtual reality, about two thirds of the film is entirely computer generated, but because Spielberg is Spielberg, the visual effects are pure eye candy. The OASIS and it’s avatars are a spectacle to behold and the action is fantastic.

Overall, Ready Player One is a highly enjoyable romp with some great visual highs and a splattering of characterisation lows. It’s a little lacking outside of the stunning visual effects and great soundtrack, but you’re so hooked up in the rollercoaster ride you hardly notice. The King of the Blockbuster has proved that even in 2018, he is still the rightful ruler of the throne. Game Over.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 popcorns