Steven Spielberg (1942, Always, War Horse) returns to sci-fi spectacle with Ready Player One adapted from Ernest Cline's novel. A heady nostalgia trip through the 1980's set in the near future, Spielberg gets to name check dozens of '80s classics while trying to mount a contemporary action film. Whether he succeeds is a matter of opinion.
Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) takes the reins in the first "Star Wars Story" which is supposed to be a stand alone, "non-saga" film within the Star Wars universe. The story of Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything, Inferno) and her band of rogues who steal the plans for the original Death Star, fits nicely into the established saga timeline. Filled with nostalgia, but able to stand on its own two legs, this film drives an action-packed punch and keeps the fans satiated until next December's Episode 8 hits theaters.