Friendship is important, sure, but in this world, there is more at stake. The message the movie sends is that this is all about friendship, which is total BS. This all seems fine and fun until you dissect the movie even a little bit.
Together they try to win the contest before the evil company does and puts ads in The Oasis (which doesn't seem that bad). So, one day he meets a girl who uses the player name Art3mis (a charming Olivia Cooke) and joins her group.
With a prize like that, Wade is obviously not the only person trying to win. The winner of the contest claims a kajillion dollars (or something like that) and control over The Oasis. Wade spends his time obsessing over a contest in The Oasis left behind by its now deceased creator. A teenage boy (Tye Sheridan), named Wade Watts (because it sounds like a superhero's alter ego) in the near future plays an ultra-version of a virtual reality game to escape his grim real-world existence. The premise, at least on its surface, seems wonderful. Watching this particular film of his makes it easy to see, even if you weren't already aware of his reputation, that Spielberg works the camera like few others can.
That's why the guy is one of the most financially successful filmmakers of all time.
He knows how to capture characters in moments of awe, and he knows how to make the audiences respond with dropped jaws and bewildered expressions. If you are the type of person who cannot help but analyze every movie you see, Ready Player One will cause you some problems. If you are just looking for a fun movie with expertly directed action sequences, wow moments, and beautiful effects, this is the movie for you.