At least in the book, as fan ficky List making deus ex machiny middle school writing level as it was, many of the references had reasons for being and worked in the context of the threadbare plot. The film is terrible. Many people seem to be nostalgia-goggled by the whole where's Waldo aspect of it all. But that's all it is: a pricy seek and find. After you've seen all the "Easter eggs," what's left is... well, nothing really. To say the acting is bad is really giving it too much credit. The lead is so devoid of personality and charisma that the viewer might as well watch someone sleep for two hours... if it's not the viewer sleeping that is. The Halliday character is so laughable as there is no way to take it seriously. I won't go into plot points, but so much is not set up, and stuff that seems to be set up, has no payoff. The thing that Ready Player One did, is make me want to go watch the hundred or so (better) movies referenced. It was bad. The lovers of this thing really need to remove the goggles and see it as the reddit article that it (and the book) is.