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WarGames | Year: 1983 Directed: - John Badham Actors/Actresses: - Matthew Broderick as David Lightman - John Wood - Ally Sheedy The original geek-hacker classic, finally on DVD! This is, simply put, one of the movies that touched off the 80s -- and, I think, ignited public awareness of the slacker/hacker/geek subculture. This is just one of those common-denominator movies. David is a teenaged geek -- undersocialized, twitchy, and smart-mouthed -- with more than his share of electronics skills. When he breaks into the wrong computer, persuading NORAD that a Soviet attack is imminent (and the Soviets that the Americans are gearing up for something), the government goes after him while the computer merrily deliberately freaks out the Russians to stoke WWIII. David has to figure out a way to get the computer to stop the game. It is a charming movie, filled with little moments that bring smiles and knowing grins (like David's interaction with schoolmate Jennifer, and his meeting with fellow computer wonks). It is rather slow in getting started, and some of the characterizations ring false (Falken is a total fruitbat; his dinosaur fetish is just a little contrived-sounding). There are also some plot holes that most computer geeks will recognize quickly. But overall, a fun movie, worth re-watching. I should mention that the DVD does not include a lot of extras, and the one I got had a bizarre quirk -- the audio commentary was set to "on" by default. The only way to fix it is to set the language to "English" every time the DVD loads, which turns off the commentary automatically (I imagine it would toggle back on easily if you wanted it). Global Thermonuclear War What happens when a computer hacker breaks into the defense department's computer system and starts playing what he thinks is a computer game? Would you believe World War III? That is the premise of this movie in a nutshell. But don't let the simple plot line summary fool you. This is a great movie. Half the fun of this movie is in watching David Lightman (played by Matthew Broderick) get himself in deep water when he accidentally gets the United States to believe that the Soviet Union is attacking. The other half of the fun is in watching David and his new girlfriend (played by Ally Sheedy) desperately try to find the only person on the face of the earth who can stop the computer (called Joshua) from starting World War III. This is a fun, escapist movie that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Don't worry about the plot holes, or the lack of believability in some areas. Just watch the movie for the fun that it is meant to be. Matthew Broderick invented the Internet I think it's safe to say that "WarGames" is the movie that defines many of those who came of age in the early '80s. I was about 10 when I saw the film in the theater. Although I didn't come to own a computer until several years later, certainly the idea came to me through "WarGames". Other movies I saw as a child defined a lot of my later interests -- "The Muppet Movie", "Star Wars", and "Superman" -- but this was the first film I could relate to on a real-life level. Watching the DVD was the first time I'd seen "WarGames" in about a decade. The movie still holds together quite well, especially when you realize that's Michael Madsen right there in the first scene. It takes a short while to get to Matthew Broderick, but he owns the movie once he shows up -- until John Wood arrives as Professor Falken in the final reel and makes things even more interesting. The progression from suburban Seattle to the brink of World War III is done without the slightest hint of dramatic overkill (until perhaps the computers explode in a shower of sparks), and even the love story is charming. Ally Sheedy was so good in her small role that you sort of wish her career had fared better. The DVD edition is a bit dated by 2002 standards -- the only special feature is the commentary track, by director Badham and the two screenwriters. I enjoyed this, as it pays special attention to the construction of the script and shows just why the movie holds together so well. It may seem obvious when Badham points out which lines are the jokes, but you can learn a lot about dramatic structure just by listening to these guys. ... Oddly, the DVD case lists "trivia and production features" among the special features, but these aren't actually anywhere on the disc. There is an accompanying 8-page "collectible" booklet, but power up the 200-watt bulb and grab the magnifying glass before you try to read it. There is a brief easter egg accessible through the main menu, but I'm not quite sure why it's there.<BR>The trivia booklet also describes Dabney Coleman's later TV series "Drexel's Class" as successful. What was the writer thinking? Buy Wargames at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Wargames Search with the Priority Search Engine on Wargames This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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