Following the death of its architect, a reclusive mastermind with an appreciation for easter eggs and pop culture trivia, the virtual denizens of an MMO called OASIS embark upon a high-stakes scavenger hunt. To the victor go the spoils - in this case, untold riches and complete control of the game - which would make a big difference in the outside world, where society stands on the brink of collapse.

That premise does make for an interesting book, where there's plenty of time to elaborate, but in abridged form on the screen it feels more than a little shallow. There, our attention seems more focused upon the background noise and blink-to-miss cameo appearances than the plot and core characters. Granted, those little tidbits and surprises are responsible for much of what made the book so unique, and I'm sure they cost a pretty penny to shoulder into the scenery. Are they really more valuable than character development? The main cast is basically a narrow series of templates, plain as can be, and neither the virtual world nor the real one are fleshed out any further than the fight locations in a typical game of Street Fighter II.

A few fun ideas do not make for a nourishing film experience. In a couple weeks, the five-minute segment recreating Stanley Kubrick's The Shining will likely be all I can remember.