Wargames (1983)

[Tabitha]

I ADORED this film when I was a kiddie - I just thought it was the greatest thing ever - anyone else out there like it?

Plot Summary from IMDB:

A young computer whizz 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 ?

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0086567

Directed by John Badham (The Assasin, Stakeout, Bird on a Wire), starring Matthew Broderick and Ally SHeedy.

 

[Dave]

I knew all about this film, but being a little older than its target audience when it was released, somehow I never got around to actually seeing it. Strange, since it has been on TV endless times before, but true. I just saw it for the first time tonight.

I'm not really sure why there are no replies in this thread in 9 years, as I'm certain everyone has seen it bar me.

It is actually still reasonable good. A little dated, but much more for the eighties fashions and technology, than for the theme itself. The moral of the story is probably laid on a little too thickly; I felt like saying yes I got that point already when you first made it half an hour ago!

The worst parts are Broderick's useless parents and the ubiquitous scenes of exploding computers at the end.

The best parts are seeing Cheyenne Mountain before the Stargate was installed, and the old computer arcade games that I did also play.

As life often imitates fiction, there really is someone in the UK facing extradition for hacking into NORAD defence computers.

 

[Dozmonic]

I really enjoyed the movie when I was young. I watched it a few years ago (I'm still claiming youth) and it was great then too

 

[The Procrastinator]

I'm sure I have an old video of this kicking around - I loved it as a teen and still watch it on occasion. Not too bad for an eighties movie!

 

[Moggle]

I loved this film when I originally watched it on television sometime in the 80s and still do. You gotta love how anachronistic the technology in the film looks by today's standards.

 

[Rodders]

Funnily enough, this was on the goggle box last night. It took me a long time to see it, but what a great film in it's day.

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

This and D.A.R.Y.L. were my introduction to 80s sci-fi before I saw the likes of Weird Science and Tron.
I still have a soft spot for it and it's very well played and stands up quite well today. But yes, sad parallels with the young man up for extradition to the US. I doubt he'll be given a chance to save the world, probably just hooded up and threatened with water-boarding instead. God, the real world is more depressing than a Lars von Trier movie sometimes

 

[Tsujigiri]

Ther new fil is actualyl quite good as well, certainly doesn't leave you feeling that you wished they never bothered. Wargames: The Dead Code (2008) (V)

 

[Disturbed Dee]

OMG yes yes yes, I loved this film too, god only knows how many times I watched this film.. awesome

 

[museatlantis]

Its a great film though its technology is slightly dated. It starts slow but then gets really good.