REVIEW: “READY PLAYER ONE” “PACIFIC RIM UPRISING” & “THE DEATH OF STALIN”

March 30, 2018 thedhk

This week brings two films burdened by heavy expectations, and one pleasant surprise. Spielberg’s titan, “Ready Player One” hits screens, I finally check out “Pacific Rim Uprising”, and review the pretty brilliant but scary “The Death of Stalin.”
This review is spoiler free!

“Ready Player One” is adapted from the novel by Ernest Cline, and it appeals to obsessive nerds…. So what happens when you change up all the references? Also did the film need Steven Spielberg actually need to direct? I maintain not.
“Ready Player One” stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, TJ Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Philip Zhao, and Win Morisaki.

“Pacific Rim Uprising” fails to rise up from the shadow of it’s predecessor. There are a few redeeming qualities to the film though. It stars John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Caliee Spaney, Burn Gorman, Charlie Day, Tian Jing, Jin Zhang, Adria Arjona, and Rinko Kikuchi.

“The Death of Stalin” is the unexpected gem of the month, providing brilliant political satire from Armando Iannucci (co-creator of “Veep” and “The Thick of It”). It follows the events after…. the death of Stalin. It stars Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Palin, Rupert Friend, Andrea Riseborough, and Jason Isaacs.