From director Steven Spielberg, comes a world where you can do anything and be anyone. On March 29, experience an adventure of a lifetime. #ReadyPlayerOne pic.twitter.com/2IyNvJMWR5

— Ready Player One (@readyplayerone) March 7, 2018

If you’ve read the novel, you know that Ready Player One needs absolutely no help in the pop culture department. Much to the annoyance of many fans, it celebrates all the retro junk many of us grew up with, and while that aspect of the film can be distracting to many readers, it’s a part of why many others love it.

Are you part of the former group? If so, you may not want to see the above TV spot for the film, because it features references to more than a handful of pop culture icons including Batman, the Iron Giant, Chucky, and King Kong. If you’re a part of the latter group, then this is right up your alley. Warner Bros. doesn’t pull any punches with the spot, and makes sure those characters are front-and-center for all to see.

RELATED – Ready Player One Posters Celebrate Classic Movies

While I can certainly see the benefit in taking this approach with the marketing, it irks me to see it play out like this. Ready Player One is a story that can survive on its own merits, even without all the pop culture references, and them doubling down on these established characters is a move that reeks of desperation. It’s not the move of a confident, director-driven studio, but one that feels more in line with some of the moves DC made with Suicide Squad.

But, nitpicks aside, it’s hard to complain when someone like Stephen Spielberg is at the helm. If there’s someone who can iron out this story, it’s him.

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SOURCE: Warner Bros.