I listened to the audiobook for Ready Player One in 2012, one year after it was published. And I enjoyed it, especially imagining what it would feel like to be in such a virtual world, or be so invested in a single character for that long, or have the kinds of magic spells, gadgets, and super powers the avatars allow. It’s human nature to consider the past “simpler times,” and that’s exactly the problem critics have with the book and movie. And sadly it’s getting in their way, so they can’t enjoy it for what it’s supposed to be. The critics are so bogged down by what’s happened between the book’s release and the movie that they completely miss the magic. Or maybe they’re just doing their job and seeing the worst in 99% of the world.

Leading up to the movie, I read a few pre-reviews talking about how horrible the movie was bound to be, because the book was also horrible and pointless. How could anyone enjoy a book that’s half 30-year-old video game references, half post-apocalyptic YA novel? WE DEMAND NOVELTY IN OUR NOVELS!!!

I was so accustomed to negative pre-reviews that I was surprised to see one article explaining that when the book was originally released it was praised. But because of Gamergate in 2014 we can’t have nice things when it comes to video games and boys. It was the only pseudo-hopeful article I had encountered before watching the movie, but I never let reviews determine whether I’ll watch a movie or not.

So I watched the movie last night, and was happy to see that the important plot points had been mostly stripped of their video game origins and replaced with a story about actual human beings. Instead of relying on video game knowledge to solve the puzzles, as the critics decried, the protagonists had to rely on the actual non-game life of the founder who set up the hunt. More and more with each challenge, the hunt became less about video games and more about connecting with others, be it a best friend or someone to love.

Even the one challenge that actually involves knowing anything about video games isn’t about beating the game, but about simply playing it.

One critic compared it to Willy Wonka, and I agree. Both feature eccentric recluses seeking to find an heir by devising strange and unexpected tests. And in both movies, the purpose of the tests is to find someone who understands the founder’s vision. And yet, where Wonka hides the tests until the end and never really lets anyone into his soul, Ready Player One’s easter egg hunt requires them to know and overcome his deepest regrets.

So yes, the setting is a virtual world littered with video game and movie references, but that’s already the world we live in, and we get by just fine. So ignore the blind critics who can’t see past the veneer and into the story. Or just sit back and enjoy a brief vacation from reality. After all, that’s what movies are for, isn’t it?