Woodyanders
Crafty and resourceful teenage computer whiz David (a fine and likeable performance by Matthew Broderick) hacks into a top secret government super computer that has complete control of America's nuclear arsenal. David inadvertently sets in motion a series of escalating events that could possibly trigger a third world war. Director John Badham keeps the ingenious and absorbing story zipping along at a brisk pace, maintains a generally serious tone throughout, and adroitly builds a tremendous amount of nerve-rattling tension. The clever script by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes not only makes a valid and provocative point on how a nuclear war is an unwinnable proposition, but also delivers an equally sharp and incisive commentary on the potential perils inherent in mankind's foolhardy desire to abdicate certain heavy responsibilities to machines under the frail hope that they will handle them better than we can. Ally Sheedy provides sturdy support as David's sweet girlfriend Jennifer. Moreover, this film further benefits from a terrific cast of top character actors: Dabney Coleman as arrogant jerk McKittrick, John Wood as bitter recluse creator Falken, Barry Corbin as the excitable General Berringer, Dennis Lipscomb as the starchy Watson, James Tolkan as hardnosed fed Wigen, and Michael Ensign as Berringer's dutiful aide. Juanin Clay also makes a favorable impression as McKittrick's feisty assistant Pat Healy while Eddie Deezen and Maury Chaykin have funny bits as a pair of wildly contrasting computer geeks. Arthur B. Rubinstein's spirited score hits the stirring spot. William A. Fraker's slick cinematography gives this picture a pleasing polished look. An excellent nail-biter.
evanston_dad
My wife and I are having a "we can't believe we never saw that movie" marathon. We're focusing mostly on fantasy/sci-fi movies from the 1980s (though "The Blues Brothers" is on the list, my own most egregious omission; "The Karate Kid" was my wife's), and "WarGames" was part of that project. I expected to have fun making fun of most of the movies on the list ("Krull" anyone?) but was surprised to find that "WarGames" is a damn fine movie. Well scripted, well directed, expertly shot by six- time Academy Award nominee William A. Fraker, and well acted by a young Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, it's a film that came out at a time when America (and by extension Hollywood) was obsessed with the idea of nuclear carnage, and while some movies used that premise for devastating emotional drama -- "The Day After," "Testament," to a certain extent "Silkwood" -- "WarGames" uses it to build an exciting, crafty adventure/suspense film, more Steven Spielberg than docu-drama. Less responsible, perhaps, but a hell of a lot more fun.And could any 80s actor do smarmy corporate villain better than Dabney Coleman?Fraker was nominated for his cinematography, and the film scored two other Oscar noms, one for its original screenplay (written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes) and the other for its sound.Grade: A
capone666
WarGames If the future of warfare is to be fought via computers, does that include gay computers?Unfortunately, this cyber-thriller doesn't ask or tell.Scouring phone lines to find new video games, computer whiz David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) comes across a game titled Falken's Maze, which he inevitably hacks.Unbeknownst to him, the digital diversion is actually a NORAD defense operating system that simulates war scenarios.Engaged, the supercomputer enacts a missile attack from the Soviets that puts a NORAD engineer (Dabney Coleman) on the defensive.To impede the processor from instigating a nuclear war, David must locate its creator (John Wood) and convince him to hit control-alt-delete.Dated by today's standards, WarGames is still an entertaining blend of Cold War espionage and early-1980s computer hacking that was years ahead of its time - and created a new sub-genre.Thankfully, the only combat computers accommodate these days are vapid celebrity Twitter wars.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca
SnoopyStyle
Young computer hacker David (Matthew Broderick) accesses a top secret supercomputer which controls US nuclear missiles. He sets out to play a game only to discover that it actually set in motion thermal nuclear war. He and new girlfriend Jennifer (Ally Sheedy) must stop the march to nuclear warfare.This is the granddaddy of computer hacking movies. For such an early computer movie, it's relatively reasonable. However the escape from NORAD detention seems way too easy. That and other simplifications could be overlooked. This remains the best of early computer hacking movies.Broderick and Sheedy have an easy chemistry. They work well together as a teen couple. They were tops of the teen brat pack. Then they put a couple of veteran actors Dabney Coleman and Barry Corbin to anchor the other side. With the good acting and the realistic hacking, it is not only groundbreaking but a really fun watch.
AD
