Yeah the movie really didn’t do the book much justice. The message was the same, but the movie completely undermined itself. Saying ‘Real life is more important than the digital world because it’s where real connections and food is.’ doesn’t hit as hard when it’s the very fact that it was Wade’s obsession with the digital world and having encyclopedic knowledge of Halliday that allowed him to win. The book is still clunky but it’s Wade’s actions in the real world that really set’s him apart from the sixers and gunters.