Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
Today’s feature came from a few readers who mentioned it to me, and it is a personal favourite from that era.
Today, we review War Games
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Directed by: John Badham
Staring: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, Dabney Coleman, John Wood
Released: April 9, 2010
THE GENERAL IDEA
A young computer whiz kid accidentally connects into a top secret super-computer which has complete control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It challenges him to a game between America and Russia, and he innocently starts the countdown to World War 3. Can he convince the computer he wanted to play a game and not the real thing ?
THE GOOD
This is a great story about how innocent rebellion can quickly spiral out of control. This young man who triggers a fake nuclear war that almost leads to a REAL nuclear war learns more than one lesson in this film. This was Matt Broderick’s second film, and was three years before he would star as Ferris Beuller using his home computer to change his grades.
Its also a wonderful look at the technology of the times. If I could show 13 year old me Final Fantasy 13 he would shit himself. Watching this movie and seeing the hieight of computer gaming and pre-internet hacking is just amazing. If you are under the age of 25 you might not get many of the tech references in the trailer. For instance, he is attempting to log on to their computer with a handset phone on a 800baud modem. Yup kiddies, back then our computers would only talk to one computer at a time and they used a phone just like civilized folk. You even had to put the phone handset on a device so it could hear it.
This just drips with geeky nostalgia.
THE BAD
The 80s were known for films that defy a certain amount of logic. Even the methods he uses are just not possible, and some of the tech just makes no sense. But its for the sake of a bigger morality lesson, and we roll with the punches.
He finds a secret back door to the WOPR computer, but cant find a command to turn it off or end the game. All explained as failsafes to stop the computer from doing its job in war crisis. But there is not a backup plan to this? And the WOPR is apparently so advanced that when David disconnects the modem from his computer, it stays connected. Magic!
And when all is said and done, why is David spared? Because he helped fix the problem he triggered. In reality he would be jailed for life. But this has to have a happy ending. We all learn our lessons.
OVERALL
Great nostalgia, awesome story, Ally Sheedy was still hot, and a lot of fun on this morality adventure revolving around video games.
Serously worth the watch.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as
much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
great movie loved it when i was a kid…one of the first beta tapes i ever rented lol
What a great movie, I just watched it on cable last month and also introduced it to my teenagers. It holds up very well I think.
Good choice
The only way to win is not to play.
How about a nice game of chess?
I LOVE this movie.
@ Darren – The sequel was bed. Very bad. I love the fact that none of the actors stayed the same, and there were very few references to the original. It’s almost as if they knew that the sequel to one of the biggest films of the 80s would flop, but these days it is all about the sequel.
Saw it in the theatres when it came out, didn’t see much of it then (at theatre) due to teenage lust of making-out at the movies(these kids dont do that anymore they just text instead) but actually went back and saw it again the same weekend and a million times since on early cable.
Great Flick!
What are you talking about? Ally Sheedy is still hot -!
As to your suggestion that the main character would wind up behind bars in reality, I’m not so sure. It was clear from the film that it was accidental; he got in over his head. But even so–I think if the character were around today, he actually might be working White Hat/consultant for the DoD.
Interestingly enough, the DVD “sequel” a few years ago (AVOID AVOID) never told us the fate of any of the characters but two: the sequel killed off Professor Falken and JOSHUA got blown up.
But back to the original film. Dabney Coleman has to be given a mention here. Barry Corbin too. Added to our enjoyment years later…? We geekers soon rediscover that the two guys at the beginning of the film were played by the late John Spencer (of West Wing fame) and Michael Madsen—!
Pencil.