So, Warner Brothers dropped the new trailer for Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend, and reaction has been…. well, decidedly mixed. On one hand it’s a master artist doing the same kind of fun and weird kinetic cinema that made his take on Tintin such a delight six years ago, and we’re always willing to plop down some cash money to see his latest work, especially since he’s secretly been on a roll since 2011.
On the other hand, the “holy grail of pop culture” that the movie is based on (that’s the actual way it’s described on the trailer) is hot garbage, and the twittersphere is alight with people discovering its deep reservoir of shittiness.
Here’s a take not unlike our own about Ernest Cline’s novel from @donniemnemonic:
This is the part in Ready Player One where I knew if I didn't stop reading this Bazinga-ass shit I was going to jail for murder. pic.twitter.com/vpWNCGAQec
— donnie (@donniemnemonic) July 23, 2017
But one shitposter out there in the world has discovered the true source of inspiration for Spielberg’s latest opus: Spy Kids 3D: Game Over. Yes, that’s right — the Robert Rodriguez franchise that people loved back in the early aughts has a lot of similarities with our boy Stevie’s latest movie.
First, peep the original. If you’re drinking at home, take a shot every time you see something from your childhood, and maybe by the time “Tom Sawyer” kicks in on the soundtrack you’ll be able to think that Rush is a good band:
First, watch the original trailer. See how many things from your childhood you can identify, and try to convince yourself that Rush is a good band, and get back to us afterwards.
Now, watch the remixed trailer and prepare to have your mind boggled:
We think Mr. Memeagi might be onto something here, and we’re excited to have this tool in our quest to deflate every conversation we have with someone stoked to see the actual movie as soon as it happens. As a final thought, we’re cautiously hopeful that Spielberg’s going to add some sort of subversion or perspective to the text, and these trailers are all gonna be hyping the nostalgia bullshit anyways to get butts in seats. But we still can’t shake the feeling that this is going to be a disaster, even if it makes a ton of money at the box office.
Find out for yourself when Ready Player One hits theaters on March 30, 2018.
Featured photo via ‘Ready Player One’ screengrab.