Rating: 
Summary: Good Balance of Suspense and Humor
Review: A decent plot matters - especially in a film like this where the last twenty minutes slowly drift into a string of humdrum sequences. And a decent plot is what this film is capable of - I salute the filmmaker for that. First off,we get Paul,a teen science whiz who puts on his thinking cap when his mother starts dating a man who works at a science research lab. But it ain't jealousy (though that would've made the film a bit more congenial). He wants to know the secret behind the plutonium experiments,which caught his eye the moment he stepped foot into the lab. While on a date with his girlfriend,played by the sultry Cynthia Nixon of 'Sex and the City',they discuss their plan on stealing the plutonium and immediately put their plan into action by going to the lab,despite the heavy rain outside. With a quick thinking mind that drugdes at the snap of your fingers,Paul carefully damages the monitor alarms,leading the security to believe that the havoc is caused by the lightning outside. Of course,the task is completed successfully. From then,Paul creates a bomb from the plutonium (displayed in a rather cartoonish manner,like something from an 80s TV sitcom),believing that it would turn heads at his school science fair. Soon the scientist (John Lithgow) discovers the missing plutonium,which was replaced by a bottle of glitter and shampoo,courtesy of Paul's creative streak. The scientist,appalled,starts a search party for Paul,who's now in New York attending the science fair. They eventually found him and grilled him and his girlfriend in a police station. Luckily,Paul and his girlfriend were soon rescued by their opponents at the fair (never mind the competition - the opponents are at large to win the affections of Paul's girlfriend Jenny,thereby the rescue). And from there,Paul and Jenny hide out for a few days and eventually returns home to find a legion of officers from the lab with guns pointed at them. This is where the climax of the film begins. 'The Manhattan Project' was packed with more wit than I'd thought,which prevented the film from becoming routine. Most of the scenes are displayed in a very realistic manner,though,this is not a style over substance film. Casting Christopher Collet as Paul is a great deal of fair play - he's very underrated,to say the least. But due to the suspense fading towards the end,this may be somewhat tedious for certain tastes. Having said that,this film is by all means,a fairly entertaining way to kill two hours.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd like to add to the previous review that Cynthia Nixon
Review: gives one of my all time favorite performances in this movie. I first saw The Manhattan Project on a date when I was in high school, and I was really taken with her droll self-assurance, natural looks and intelligence. As a girl in the 80's, I could hardly identify with dumbbells Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. Marshall Brickman created an entertaining and admirable part for a young actress. Check her out!
Rating:
Summary: ITS BEEN A LONG WAIT FOR A TOTAL CLASSIC!!!
Review: I HAVE CHECKED FOR THIS MOVIE 2,000 TIMES AND I CANT BELEIVE THAT IM READING IT WILL BE RELEASED ON JUNE 4TH.ILL BE THE FIRST
IN LINE TO BUY THIS FILM .IT RANKS PROBABLY IN THE TOP 5 MOVIES
OFF ALL TIME JUNE 4TH CANT COME FAST ENOUGH IM MORE EXCITED FOR
THE RELEASE OF THIS THEN SUMMER ITSELF.DEAD SERIOUS IM EXTATIC ABOUT THIS MOVIE AND NOBODY REMEMBERS IT .TOTAL SHAME BECAUSE ITS AWESOME HOPEFULLY THERE WONT BE ANY DELAYS IN REACHING THE
SHELVES LETS PRAY!
Rating:
Summary: I go to school where they filmed this!
Review: I personally love this movie, and every time I watch it, I see familiar sights - the student parking lot and soccer fields that I walk across every day to get home... the science rooms (that still have the same cabinets!), and the hallways I walk through every day... not to mention the movie has a great story... : )
Rating:
Summary: 'too many secrets'
Review: Like "real genius" and "wargames", this is a smart, funny, and endearing 80s movie with an important message about the responsibility that comes with intelligence and privelege. In all three movies, we forgive the bright but naive high school kids for their actions (hacking into military computers, building a military laser, building a nucler weapon) because they are ethical human beings who try to do right. Their morality puts into sharp relief the profound immoralities of authoritarian institutions and the cowardice or fear that causes people to participate in them.
Rating:
Summary: 'too many secrets'
Review: Like "real genius" and "wargames", this is a smart, funny, and endearing 80s movie with an important message about the responsibility that comes with intelligence and privelege. In all three movies, we forgive the bright but naive high school kids for their actions (hacking into military computers, building a military laser, building a nucler weapon) because they are ethical human beings who try to do right. Their morality puts into sharp relief the profound immoralities of authoritarian institutions and the cowardice or fear that causes people to participate in them.
Rating: 
Summary: Preposterous!
Review: The first half of this movie was interesting...then it got a little silly...then it got downright laughable. A high school kid creates a nuclear bomb that could destroy a city. He enters it into a science fair. Are you still with me? Ok, so the kid's name is all over the news as a nuclear terrorist. The bomb he made (partly out of salad bowls, mind you) could have killed thousands of people. The kid should be sent to prison for life, right? Oh, wait, the kid only wanted to alert the community about a secret government project, so all is forgiven, and his mom gives him a big hug as he walks out of the nuclear facility! It doesn't get more ridiculous than that.
Rating: 
Summary: It's No Lord of The Rings, but good movie
Review: The viewer of this movie must realize if you peak into every scientific detail and discrepancy of a movie from 1986 about nuclear weapons, you're going to find yourself not even watching the movie. It's a fun little tale about a kid who beats the system at their own game without realizing the ramifacations of building a nuclear device. Personally I was surprised at the detail that WAS gone into in the process of procuring the plutonium, and the other components he built from scratch. If you liked War Games with the young Broderick you'll love this, and visa versa.
Rating:
Summary: Forget the bomb, it's about the characters
Review: This movie has been a personal favorite since I first saw it on HBO in the 1980s, enough that I bought a copy on Laserdisc, when there still were such things! A generic recipe for any decent movie might run along these lines: Take some interesting and/or sympathetic characters, put them in a situation that challenges them and their attitudes, and see what they do. Here we have the light-hearted high school genius (who stumbles upon a secret nuclear weapons lab in his town, and wonders what to do about it); his socially-conscious political-activist girlfriend; and a government scientist for whom ultra-purification of Plutonium is an abstract, intellectual challenge (until he finds himself in a situation where the end product might kill actual people that he knows). People who dislike this movie generally have a complaint either with its plausibility, or its tone. OK, plausibility first. The weapons lab is "hidden in plain sight." An obvious high security presence would call unwanted attention to it; instead, it is disguised as a medical facility. (When I was in high school, my band teacher had some tape recorders that he used for students to record and listen to themselves in the practice room, etc. He kept these thrown in a big cardboard box, right out in the open, and each unit had scrawled on it: BROKEN. Not a single one was ever stolen. Same strategy here.) And the techniques that our young student hero uses to break into the lab are all well-established earlier in the film, including the fact that he can throw a mean Frisbee. Yes, it requires some suspension of disbelief, but no more so than most other movies. At least an attempt is made to explain the events and make them seem logical. (My one minor peeve: Every time I see this film, I keep telling our young hero on the screen not to hold that unshielded weapons-grade Plutonium so close to his HEAD, but he never listens to me! Oh well.) As far as tone goes, it has been said that this film is too light and cheerful, given its plot elements. One musician friend of mine commented, as we watched young Paul build his device, that "This [cheery underscoring music] doesn't sound like Music To Build A Nuclear Bomb By." My response to my friend was: The music is not for the bomb, it is for young Paul! He is having fun building a complex gadget, without any evil or underhanded purpose, and the character of the music represents his frame of mind very nicely. (I should add here that I like the musical score of this film overall, especially the just-mentioned building-the-bomb sequence, and the opening title music, which has just the right undertone of suspense in it.) It seems that even the movie studio is confused by this film's tone. The Laserdisc release had, very cheezily pasted onto the film, a subtitle, making the name "The Manhattan Project: The Deadly Game", presumably to make the film sound darker and scarier. It didn't work. Nor does this film need to be dark and scary to do what it is trying to do. I was very happy to see that the DVD no longer has this lame subtitle. What it comes down to: This film is not about the bomb, it is about the characters and how they react to the unfolding situation. The bomb is merely The Crisis that motivates the film's action. I for one like the characters, and I like the actors portraying them. (In particular, it is refreshing to see John Lithgow playing a friendly character for once, rather than a psychotic wacko, as he does in Cliffhanger, for example.) I also appreciate that young Paul is not portrayed as a geeky, outcast nerd. He is charming, athletic, and not afraid of girls. This sets up some humorous moments when he meets some actual nerds later in the film. (Favorite quote: "Why are you helping us?" "Because life, my dear, is more than freezing toads.") I for one recommend The Manhattan Project. It may not be in the Top Ten Films Of All Time, but I think it deserves a solid four stars. DVD transfer quality seems decent, and is definitely at least as good as the laserdisc version. No extra disc features to speak of, really, just a theatrical trailer. Still worthwhile!
Rating:
Summary: Forget the bomb, it's about the characters
Review: This movie has been a personal favorite since I first saw it on HBO in the 1980s, enough that I bought a copy on Laserdisc, when there still were such things! A generic recipe for any decent movie might run along these lines: Take some interesting and/or sympathetic characters, put them in a situation that challenges them and their attitudes, and see what they do. Here we have the light-hearted high school genius (who stumbles upon a secret nuclear weapons lab in his town, and wonders what to do about it); his socially-conscious political-activist girlfriend; and a government scientist for whom ultra-purification of Plutonium is an abstract, intellectual challenge (until he finds himself in a situation where the end product might kill actual people that he knows). People who dislike this movie generally have a complaint either with its plausibility, or its tone. OK, plausibility first. The weapons lab is "hidden in plain sight." An obvious high security presence would call unwanted attention to it; instead, it is disguised as a medical facility. (When I was in high school, my band teacher had some tape recorders that he used for students to record and listen to themselves in the practice room, etc. He kept these thrown in a big cardboard box, right out in the open, and each unit had scrawled on it: BROKEN. Not a single one was ever stolen. Same strategy here.) And the techniques that our young student hero uses to break into the lab are all well-established earlier in the film, including the fact that he can throw a mean Frisbee. Yes, it requires some suspension of disbelief, but no more so than most other movies. At least an attempt is made to explain the events and make them seem logical. (My one minor peeve: Every time I see this film, I keep telling our young hero on the screen not to hold that unshielded weapons-grade Plutonium so close to his HEAD, but he never listens to me! Oh well.) As far as tone goes, it has been said that this film is too light and cheerful, given its plot elements. One musician friend of mine commented, as we watched young Paul build his device, that "This [cheery underscoring music] doesn't sound like Music To Build A Nuclear Bomb By." My response to my friend was: The music is not for the bomb, it is for young Paul! He is having fun building a complex gadget, without any evil or underhanded purpose, and the character of the music represents his frame of mind very nicely. (I should add here that I like the musical score of this film overall, especially the just-mentioned building-the-bomb sequence, and the opening title music, which has just the right undertone of suspense in it.) It seems that even the movie studio is confused by this film's tone. The Laserdisc release had, very cheezily pasted onto the film, a subtitle, making the name "The Manhattan Project: The Deadly Game", presumably to make the film sound darker and scarier. It didn't work. Nor does this film need to be dark and scary to do what it is trying to do. I was very happy to see that the DVD no longer has this lame subtitle. What it comes down to: This film is not about the bomb, it is about the characters and how they react to the unfolding situation. The bomb is merely The Crisis that motivates the film's action. I for one like the characters, and I like the actors portraying them. (In particular, it is refreshing to see John Lithgow playing a friendly character for once, rather than a psychotic wacko, as he does in Cliffhanger, for example.) I also appreciate that young Paul is not portrayed as a geeky, outcast nerd. He is charming, athletic, and not afraid of girls. This sets up some humorous moments when he meets some actual nerds later in the film. (Favorite quote: "Why are you helping us?" "Because life, my dear, is more than freezing toads.") I for one recommend The Manhattan Project. It may not be in the Top Ten Films Of All Time, but I think it deserves a solid four stars. DVD transfer quality seems decent, and is definitely at least as good as the laserdisc version. No extra disc features to speak of, really, just a theatrical trailer. Still worthwhile!
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