WarGames

Rating:
Summary: Movie and DVD Review.
Review: "WarGames" is my favorite movie! It's one of the best 80's movies I have ever seen! I own it on DVD. The picture and the sound quality are terrific. The director and writer commentary is a classic, but I wish the DVD had more special features including the featurette, behind the scenes, deleted scenes, or other features. Matthew Broderick stars as David Lightman, a young man who taps into the computer's defense system and almost starts World War III. Ally Sheedy is amazing in her supporting role as the beautiful Jennifer Mack, David's girlfriend. Dabney Coleman and John Wood are brilliant here, too! If you have not seen "WarGames", I suggest you rent it at your local video store near you. And if you liked it, buy it on DVD, if you have a DVD player, just like I do. I think you will not be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: Movie is great, but the commentary is superb!
Review: Watching this movie again brings back some great nostalgic feelings -- back in these days computers were *special*, something amazing and almost magical. Being a software professional, I often yearn for those times again, where we weren't something as boring as "IT professionals" but "wizards". Reading an old copy of BYTE from 1980 or watching WarGames helps :)

I won't praise the movie further, but I want to highlight the commentary audio track: the director, John Badham and the two writers, Lawrence Lasker and Walter Parkes comment every scene in the movie. It's really great stuff, not the usual junk you might hear actors say about their own role in the movie (that seldom sounds convincing) but lots of technical details about how the movie was made (for example, the initial blizzard scene was apparently created with the help of helicopters) to exactly what sort of computer equipment was used (a TRS-80) and why. The commentators are having lots of fun and manage to share a lot of trivia (for example, W.O.P.R. was considered named PSIOP(sp)).

Rating:
Summary: SHALL WE PLAY A GAME???
Review: It's obvious to even a four year old that the point of this movie is simply, nuclear war is pointless. Back in the Cold War 80's, the Evil Empire of the Soviet Union and nuclear holocaust was a very real thing. But the best part of this movie is the technology. Computers with barely enough RAM to play Pong, 5.25 inch floppy disks, and the modems that you actually had to put your phone on like a cradle. For computer nostalgia this is the holy grail movie for today's IT geeks.

Rating:
Summary: Matthew Broderick invented the Internet
Review: 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.
The trivia booklet also describes Dabney Coleman's later TV series "Drexel's Class" as successful. What was the writer thinking?

Rating:
Summary: The original W.O.P.P.E.R.
Review: This animal is a whopper in more ways than one. All you have to do is suspend any type of belief in reality and it is a lot of fun trying to outguess the next move. Even after you have seen it a million times you will find your self kibitzing "look look look it is still running." And what is Joshua doing at the back door?

A teenager, David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) that is too tech savvy for his own good is searching for the new game on the net. He stumbles into the NORAD mainframe evidently it was DARPA/net. For those with a short lifespan DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was the precursor to the internet. We all know what happens when you do this. Yep, now David with the help if his teenage sweetie, Jennifer (Ally Sheedy) must worm his way into NORAD and stop the game or we are toast.

Rating:
Summary: Playing Thermonuclear War
Review: WarGames presented the ultimate nightmare senerio for its time. Made while the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia was still going on. The film, though dated in some respects, still works, given how society depends on computers, even more today, than it did back in '83.

David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) is a teenaged computer whiz. While trying to show off his skills to his neighborhood friend, Jennifer (Ally Sheedy), David hacks into the Pentagon's defense systems. In doing so, he sets the stage for the start of World War III. Evenually, Pentagon officials, led Dr. McKittrick (Dabney Coleman) and General Beringer (Barry Corbin), soon bring the pair in for questioning. As things go from bad to worse, the key to stopping the nuclear meltdown may rest with the reclusive Dr. Stephen Falken (John Wood), who doesn't care if the world survives or not.

Directed by John Badham, the film has it's predictable moments, but thanks to Broderick and Sheedy, things stay watchable and entertaining. The pair play things very convincingly as teens out to only have fun, who get in way over their heads. The authority figures are "real" folks just trying to solve this problem before time ticks away.

The DVD has a solid commentary by director John Badham and writers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes. The track discusses the film and its place as an 80's cult classic. The disc's only other extra is the movie's theatrical trailer. As a way to compensate for the lack of additional bonus material, MGM gives us an 8-page booklet with trivia and production notes.

Thanks to cable and home video, WarGames, has had continued new life, after its original theatrical release. With a case of 80's nostalgia, I can safely recommend this film

Rating:
Summary: The original geek-hacker classic, finally on DVD!
Review: 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).

Rating:
Summary: well be back in two and two
Review: this movie is best seen in sequence after slingblade, american psycho, kids in the hall, wag the dog, and lawnmower man. Not to be rude or anything, but I find this movie slightly erotic when the computer asks mathew if he wants to play a game. after you watch this, you need to really get the totally erotic euphoria of Bob Roberts and you got a really good movie marathon. Seriously though, if you have a blind date, rent this one and shell do anything you ask, even if she doesnt like you, I swear by this DVD as a date movie, it sets the mood just right. The performances and Brodericks beedy eyes make it a two thumbs up thriller that few other movies will come close to.
enjoy

Rating:
Summary: Backdoors are NOT secrets!!
Review: War Games is a part of my top 5 favorite movies of ALL time.
I saw this when I was really young but I remember loving it (mostly because this kid could change his school grades from home...GOD how I wanted to do this sooooo bad!!!) I remember hating Alley Sheedy's character for getting mad at Mathew Broderick's character (David) for changing her grade...I also remember always hanging around the registration room at my elementary school looking for secret passwords to confirm to myself and my friends that teachers really do leave passwords around to get into the school computer....I never got to confirm this. :>(
Anyways this was the first time I saw it and I didn't quite understand it.
Saw it a couple years later on cable (still in the 1980s) and understood it better, saw it the other day on Turner Classic Movies and WO! this movie rocks!
Some of my favorite scenes and dialogue were:

1.the arcade scene playing "Galaga",
2.the GIANT sized floppy disk being used for programs
3.The computer talking (still gives me goosebumps "Shall we play a game?")
4.The father gagging on the raw corn at the dinner table "This corn is Raw!"
5.The line "Mr. Patatoe head!,Mr. Patatoe head! Back doors are NOT secrets!!!
6."Yeah but Jim you're giving away all our best tricks"
7."Remember when you told me to tell you when you're acting rude and insensitive......Well you're doing it now"
8.David Lightman turns into MacGyver in the solitary room and jams the lock via surgical scissors, and a tape recorder...Phreakin' awesome!
9."Protovision I have you now"

Alley Sheedy wasn't really needed in this movie; they could have easily made her character a guy; a fellow computer nerd. They did this to break it down or balance the movie out but it didn't make much difference.The chemistry between them seemed forced, they share one corny kiss and then it gets interrupted at that with a helicopter hovering above them...and that's it!
Even "The Manhattan project" (another high tech drama/thriller) had a romance between the genious kid (christopher Collet) and the beautiful Cynthia Nixon and it was more believable.

This movie overall really teases your brain on "What if". I am trying to get the DVD of this for the extras, I heard they are really insightful. Highley recommended movie by a hard to please person.

Rating:
Summary: Good Suspense!!
Review: This was one of Matthew Broderick's earlier movies, and along with Ally Sheedy, he delivers a fine performance as a young man who "hacks" his way into the Federal Government's NORAD station and accesses the "BIG" Computer.

"Shall we play the game?" is an understatement for the Brains which runs the defense mechanism of the country, and even with its dated material, the fact is that this sort of thing is happening right now, and computer hackers are not a thing of the past.

Dabney Coleman has a minor role in this film, as the manager of the operation at NORAD, a civilian in authority, and his presence generates some friction for Matthew Broderick. But the real surprise is when the author of the computer's system is notified of the impending doom that the real scenarios take place, and we see the ultimate result of nuclear war on a massive scale - "Shall we play the game?"

Chilling!!