Gamers will be in their element in this Steven Spielberg movie which negotiates the increasingly fine line between virtual reality and real life.

With a concluding social commentary that people need to take time out of their online screen lives, and get into the real world, Spielberg proves he can create a gripping cinematic experience for all ages with this close encounter of a very different kind.

Geeky flashbacks to the 80s switch to fast forward leaps into the future as the movie mogul whizzes the cast through a gaming futurescape, which includes impressive cinematography.

On paper this probably all sounds awful, but actually Ready Player One works.

Even for a 50 year old mum of two who has no interest in gaming whatsoever.

The movie, based on a book by Ernest Cline, manages to capture something intriguing and spectacular all in one go, while still throwing in a good old fashioned love story into the mix.

The film is set in 2045. The future world is badly beaten up after a series of catastrophes, including the “bandwidth riots”.

Cities are massive slums of trailers stacked high on scaffolds and virtual reality is the opium of the masses.

Tye Sheridan is Wade Watts, a lonely teenager living in Ohio, in one such trailer.

His only interest is wearing his virtual reality headset and entering the alternative universe of the Oasis, as an avatar called Parzifal.

He hooks up with Samantha, avatar Art3mis, played by Olivia Cooke, and essentially the pair save gaming from corporate greed. I think.

Along the way there is some slightly bizarre indulgence in 80s movies and music, which of course as a person born in the 60s I get, but I’m not sure younger viewers would.

Mind you, that probably doesn’t matter, the point being, it’s a pretty good film and I’m certain it will be a big hit over the Easter holidays.

8/10

PG 13

Running time: 140 minutes.