There was a time when a Steven Spielberg movie virtually guaranteed a great time, but more recently he's either concentrated on Oscar bait, or delivered mainstream entertainment that has seriously missed the mark (War of the Worlds, Crystal Skull). Ready Player one is his most disappointing film yet, a loud, garish assault on the senses with a derivative plot (Avatar meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), a glut of headache-inducing CGI-laden action scenes, and countless references to pop culture that will probably fly over the heads of many an audience (especially the younger viewers).

Based on the New York Times bestseller by Ernest Cline, the film is set in the year 2045 and stars Tye Sheridan (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) as Wade Watts, who, like most of the world's population, escapes the drudgery of reality by immersing himself in the virtual world of Oasis. Wade, as avatar Parzival, takes part in a contest created by Oasis's creator Halliday (Mark Rylance), the winner of which will be given complete control of the popular online playground. As the first to solve stage one of the game, Parzival comes to the attention of powerful corporation IOI, who are dedicated to finding the ultimate prize: a hidden 'easter egg'. What follows is a breakneck rampage through the various digital environments of Oasis, with 90% of the action consisting of computer generated characters, none of which possesses the excitement or tension of a real-life movie.

Spielberg seems to have completely forgotten how to tell a coherent story, his film a mess of ideas that prove difficult to follow, hindered by an orgy of chaotic, colourful visuals that do little to aid comprehension. There are also several comedic moments that fall incredibly flat. It's hard to believe that this is from the same man who gave us timeless classics Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park.