War Games Reviews

• would you prefer a nice game of chess?

  
  By A2B7BUH8834Y6M on 2000-07-06
  This was an instant teen classic. Far more than a movie about romance, lust or "parents who just don't understand" .... this was a great flick and it still is.

  Matthew Broderick introduced the masses to the world of hacking, phreaking and global thermo nuclear war.

  The average person at that time had never heard of a phone phreak, but we see the lead character get free calls on a payphone and stealing software via his 300 baud modem before anyone knew there was software worth stealing.

  Not only are his parents affluent enough to supply him with a computer, he gets discarded computer hardware from friends at a local university to make the super-duper hacking machine that ends up getting him in big big trouble.

  While a lot of this story is pretty improbable, some of the plot was dead on for the time. There were no minature computers and cameras and while the government had satelites, they couldn't count your eyelashes from the stratosphere like they can today.

  Nuclear war with the Soviet Union was a real threat when this movie came out... all of my friends talked about it and posters with mushroom clouds were all over our school. Sting came out with the song "Russians" and we all peed in our pants when the show "The Day After" aired on prime time TV.

  It was a scary time and this movie masterfully played on the fear of nuclear threats and the real likelihood (and nowadays a reality) of having formerly human-manned stations automated by computers.

  Lots of excitement, great background music and lots of 80s nostalgia abound in this film. If you're in your late 20s to early 40s and you haven't seen this film, it's your duty to get it!

  I wish the DVD had more features, such as out-takes and interviews with the stars and perhaps others (like folks at NASA or other famous computer geeks) who may have been influenced by this film. The DVD platform isn't taken advantage like it should be, especially w/ a film of this genre. Nonetheless, it's a better format than VHS and definitely watchable over and over again.
  
  

• What a Blast!

  
  By A2ZSC81MXLBELX on 2003-01-04
  This review refers to the MGM DVD edition of "War Games"......

  "War Games" is a film to be enjoyed by the whole family. Only the very young may not find it entertaining as it may be beyond their comprehension.Take a trip back to the early eighties. There may have been "a car in every driveway, a chicken in every pot..", but definately not a computer in every teenager's bedroom.

  David Lightman(Matthew Broderick) is a high school slacker. He is highly intellegent but for the most part an underachiever when it comes to his school work. Not a problem though. He only has to go home where he has a very high tech computer set-up for the time period. Once there he justs hacks his way into the school computer and changes his grades! Brilliant! So brilliant in fact, that one day he finds that he has broken into a high security system, and finds himself in the Defense Department's war computer. He was only looking for games, and he found one..."Global Thermonuclear War"!

  The computer starts playing the game with him, he thinks it's a blast(excuse the pun)he even takes the Russian side, until he realizes...this may be no game. The military is perplexed by what they see on their big screens and they immediatley go into a defense mode.The only hope now is to find the creator of this game and hope he can make the computer stop playing before WWIII begins!

  You'll be riveted by the thrilling and high tech action as David and his girlfriend(Ally Sheedy) go on the run with the FBI close on their heels, and try to prevent this terrible tragedy from occuring.

  The young stars steal the show in this one, but it is rounded out by fine performances by Dabney Coleman and John Wood. It was directed by John Badham who keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

  A very nice DVD. You'll view all the action in sharp colors and an outstanding picture. You have the choice of widescreen or standard.(No need to figure out which side it's on, you make that decision at the beginning of the film)Very good sound in Dolby Dig 5.1. There is feature length commentary by the director and the writers. Be sure to GO BACK to RESUME after pressing on this choice to get to it.It also includes a nice booklet and may be viewed in French or with subtitles in English, French or Spanish.

  This is one everyone in the house should be happy with.. and may even take up Chess afterwards...enjoy...Laurie
  
  

• C'mon, all you 80s Fans!! You know you LOVE this Film!!

  
  By A2RF0VYF9YFCAQ on 2008-04-04
  You know it, you love it. WarGames is a film that's even more poignant now that we're celebrating its Silver Anniversary (that's 25 years, Dubya) - with one of the biggest threats we face as a planet being the spectre of loose nukes.
  
  For those WarGamers who simply can't wait until Amazon posts the specs of this oh-so-muy-especial edition:
  
  Disc One:
  * 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer
  * Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 Audio
  * Commentary by Director John Badham and Writers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes
  
  Disc Two:
  * Loading WarGames
  * Attack of the Hackers
  * Inside NORAD: Cold War Fortress
  * Tic Tac Toe: A True Story
  * Interactive Superpower Weapons Briefing Gallery
  * Sneak Peek at WarGames 2: The Dead Code
  * WarGames Theatrical Trailer
  
  Now, don't nuke me: These specs are **UNCONFIRMED**. And yes, it appears there is no new commentary *and* there is that trailer for the upcoming direct-to-DVD release of WarGames 2 with a completely unknown cast. Oh well, c'est la vie, and la vie goes on...
  
  
  

• Spanish subtitles don't work

  
  By A1GEWVS7S905SQ on 2003-11-01
  There is an error in this DVD, and other folks here have also spotted it. The advertised Spanish subtitles do not work. French comes out instead. When you select English, the words are in English. When you select French, the words are in French. And when you select Spanish, the words are again in French.

  I had bought this DVD specifically for its Spanish subtitles since I have family that doesn't understand English very well. Que pena.
  
  

• Movie is great, but the commentary is superb!

  
  By A3QENZCI7VXDQX on 2000-09-07
  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)).
  
  

• The original W.O.P.P.E.R.
  By A20EEWWSFMZ1PN on 2004-04-11
  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.
  
  Short Circuit DVD ~ Ally Sheedy
  
  
• How much things change and how much they stay the same
  By A2E3F04ZK7FG66 on 2008-04-13
  Someone else has beat me to the punch on the special features, so I shall stick to the film's contents. In 1983, a very intelligent but socially isolated teenager programs his computer to dial up a large series of telephone numbers in search of game programs. He finally gets a hit - unfortunately it happens to be a military computer that is programmed to constantly play war games. The teenager decides to play the most interesting looking game on the roster - global thermonuclear war. He thinks it is a game, but the computer is actually looking to "win the game" and launch an attack on Russia. After 25 years this film shows how much things change and how much things stay the same.
  
  What is the same? There will always be some country or some group from which the U.S. fears an imminent attack. Teenagers will always feel a disconnect between their own generation and that of their parents. Younger people will always be quicker with new technology than older generations. However, they'll continue to fail to see the far-reaching implications of their more creative uses of that new technology until often it is too late.
  
  What is different? The Russian empire as it existed in 1983 is no longer the threat it once was. At this time in history, people were genuinely scared of a nuclear war breaking out between the U.S. and Russia since Reagan had upped the ante via defense spending and rhetoric during his first term.
  
  What is really different? In retrospect, it is obvious that neither the U.S. nor Russia actually intended to use their stockpile. Both sides were just using their arms as part of a joint bluff. Although the Russians have a history very different from the U.S., we were basically dealing with a group of people (the Russian leaders) who had a good thing going and, in the end, did value their own skins above all else, just as most Americans do. Thus the real concern was that some mistake would set off some perfect storm of events in which both sides would end up launching all of these weapons that were never intended to be used. That is the subject of this movie.
  
  Today our enemy wears no uniform, has nothing to lose, is not centrally organized so that we can negotiate, and doesn't mind losing their own lives in the quest to end those of many others. That is really really different from 25 years ago.
  
  Don't let my serious review make you think that this film is all dark and fatalistic. It has lots of fun parts to it to contrast with the serious parts. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Outstanding DVD commentary
  By on 2000-11-07
  This really is a must see movie that combines two of the most important cultural events in the eighties, the cold war and computers.

  What's I'm really going to review here is not the movie (its great BTW and the DVD transfer is well done) but the commentary by the producer and writers. I was really impressed with this commentary, its non stop information and the only time they pause are a couple of times when they want to let the viewer take in the scene they just finshed setting up or explaining a certain aspect they would like you to take notice of.

  The commentary really shows that the writers did their homework for this movie, they really do know their stuff when it comes to computers.
  
  

• Matthew Broderick invented the Internet
  By A1EBJ93E1T50RT on 2002-07-28
  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?
  
  

• SHALL WE PLAY A GAME???
  By A11XKY4EIU2KNR on 2004-03-27
  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.
  
  
• Great release but it's NOT 2 discs!
  By A3OVWQ38UBKLLU on 2008-07-30
  In spite of what it says on both Amazon & DeepDiscount this is a ONE disc release. It's chock full of some great features, and has very nice audio/visual quality (anamorphic ws). It's only $9.99 at Best Buy & $9.72 at DD which should've tipped me off that they'd cut out one disc. Overall I would still highly recommend it though.
  
  
• Can't be beat for 80s nostalgia
  By AYVN0PLH89WSO on 2000-11-07
  WarGames: Kid unknowingly hacks into Government super-computer and plays a "game" of global-thermonuclear war, unwittingly setting the ball rolling towards World War III.

  Completely unrealistic, impossible even (why is the Government supercomputer hooked up to the phone line in the first place?).

  But, being a member of the "Nintendo Generation", a child of the 80s, I can't help but love this movie. It truly enraptured my imagination as a child, with a kid who could outwit all those silly adults that didn't understand what was going on like he did, not only that but could communicate with this incredibly advanced computer (at least, that's how it seemed back then).

  If you didn't grow up with this movie, take it as an enjoyable look back at "the way things used to be", but if you're like me, then this is a must-own movie.
  
  

• Dated but still worth watching.
  By AP50P603W4BA7 on 2004-07-19
  When this movie was released it was very up to date with the technology it featured. In this day of laptop computers and Internet access to mobile phones it certainly looks dated but put that aside and you are still left with a really good movie with a plot idea that still works today.
  The story revolves around an underachieving, bored teenager (played by a very young Matthew Broderick) whose main interest in life is his computer. From his bedroom he can alter his school grades, reserve flights, and download software, all by hacking into other computers. While searching for new games from a software company he comes across a set of titles he assumes are games and decides, with his girlfriend, to play Global Thermonuclear War. Unfortunately it isn't a software company he has hacked into but a military system and he is playing against NORAD's computer. When the realisation hits that the NORAD computer, when it's turn comes round, will launch atomic missiles for real, the race is on the stop the game.
  This is still a gripping film that can well pump up the tension even after several viewings. Recommended
  
  
• Would You Like to Play a Game? SURE
  By A2F7CCPK4QL359 on 2006-12-25
  A pre Ferris Bueller Matthew Broderick and a pre St Elmo's Fire Ally Sheedy start in this thriller from 1983...and it does not date itself much
  
  Broderick plays a teen hacker who changes High School grades and hacks into other locations...including a government site, which he assumes is a game site...however the suppose game site is a NORAD computer who still thinks he is playing the game and that where this movie takes flight
  
  With a great start and good best supporting cast (Including John Wood, Barry Corbin and Dabney Coleman), this thriller barely dates itself, especially with news that hackers hack government computers
  
  This piece is a modern day classic
  
  Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD
  
  
  
  
• Outstanding film and excellent new transfer
  By ALTL1IMLKSH9K on 2008-08-06
  WarGames is a classic film of the early 80's, being both a cold war thriller and a cautionary tale about technology. Yet in all that, it's still a fun film to watch - hooking in both adults and kids, and having one of the best climactic scenes in cinema with hundreds of virtual World War III's being played out on the computer screens at NORAD. It's still mesmerizing to this day. The script, directing and acting are all excellent, with wonderful onscreen chemistry between Ally Sheedy and Matthew Broderick.
  
  The 25th Anniversary Edition has a far superior transfer than the previous DVD, being from a much cleaner print of the film, and presented in true widescreen (not merely letterboxed). There are also a few new bonuses added to the release, the best of which is a new documentary with interviews of the cast and creators delving into how the film evolved from its original concepts, survived a directorial change, and came out as the film we know today. There are a few other new features as well, including an interesting look into NORAD and a brief documentary on the history of hacking. The commentary track is the same as the previous edition of the DVD, but that one was already excellent, so there was no need to replace it (although their introduction is cut-off for some reason, so you can't readily figure out who is who).
  
  It's nice to see WarGames finally given a quality DVD release, although there's still room for improvement. It would have been great to have an additional commentary track with some of the actors, a gallery of deleted footage from the first director (if it still exists), and there has yet to be a proper CD release of Arthur B. Rubinstein's excellent soundtrack (something that could easily be done using a Dual-Disc, or even as an alternate audio track). Also - why can't DVD producers add a subtitle track for commentaries so you know who is talking? Even just the name of the person talking at any given time would help. Maybe some of these will be addressed if there's ever a Blu-Ray version. Still, the 25th Anniversary Edition of WarGames is absolutely well-worth having.
  
  
• Great Cold War Stuff
  By on 1999-09-28
  You know, I was only 5 when this movie was made, but I remember seeing it being taped at a 7-11 in Big Bear California. Back then, I didn't understand it very much, I just liked the computer stuff, but now, being 21, I see the importance of this movie as a Cold War commentary. Also, ever since I saw this movie, I've buttered my corn with my bread (those of you who have seen it will understand)
  
  
• SKYBIRD this is DROPKICK
  By on 1999-09-09
  With lines like: "Men...we are currently tracking 2400 inbound Soviet Warheads...but at the moment we can not confirm this, I repeat, we can not confirm this" and "Flush the bombers...get the subs in launch mode...we are at DEFCON1" you simply have to love this movie.

  "Mr. Potatohead!..Mr. Potatohead!!"
  
  

• Computer Geek Classic
  By A24KCW0LJ7IZFF on 2002-01-27
  Wargames is really a melding of two genres specifically indiginous to the 1980's: the cold war thriller, and the teen flick. What comes of these two unlikely pairings is amazing, if only for the reason that they pulled it off. There is a certain amount of charm to Matthew Broderick's character David, an underachieving, slacker, computer geek. The way in which he is isolated from society adds an interesting element to the story. In fact there is a lot in this film for anyone who is willing to look. The relationship between him and Ally Sheedy is charming, even though her attraction to him may in fact be explained by an underlying nymphophilic element in her character. Don't believe those that say this movie is run of the mill or simple in any way. It deals with such an interesting array of themes, including nuclear war, the generation gap, and fear of technology. If nothing else it's a great image of both the domestic and global world of the eighties.
  
  
• A Worthy Addition
  By A172FZ5L66XDA0 on 2002-03-15
  Alright, there are plenty reviews to be found on this film, so there's no real need for me to address the plot, characters, etc. We all know what a fantastic movie this is. It got a few Academy Award nominations, so that speaks for itself. What you really want to know is why should you purchase this in it's newer DVD format, right? Let's get to it.

  First off, it comes in the neat, sturdy plastic case, not the horrible plastic frame with the cardboard cover deal. Those are the worst. The booklet inside is nice with some great details about the movie and the features of the DVD.

  The picture and sound quality are great. Now that doesn't mean perfect because putting it on DVD and cleaning it up a bit doesn't mean that it's going to look like it came out in the 21st century. It didn't. Still, it looks great in the widescreen format and the score is still terrific.

  The extras, in this case, are fairly nice. The best part is the feature-length commentary provided by the director and writers. This means that you can watch the entire movie without sound, but with the director and writers giving comments on the film. This gives you terrific insight into the movie that could not be had before. It's a bit long, the full 2 hours of the movie, but still very informative.

  If you truly love this movie, then you'll definitely find this DVD a very worthwhile purchase. It's even cheap for a DVD. Get it while it's in print because there won't be another printing. The commentary alone warrants the purchase.
  
  

• The original geek-hacker classic, finally on DVD!
  By A141INO5311NA on 2002-07-05
  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).
  
  

• Great flick, but it gave the world the curse of ALLY SHEEDY
  By A7J1H7DWHYC5N on 2005-03-30
  "War Games" manages to rise above the talent of its two main stars, Matt Broderick,who has made a career of being the non-Jewish Woody Allen (except for Ferris Bueller and the horrendous Inspector Gadget) and Ally "I was only good in the Breakfast Club" Sheedy.
  
  The story is ill.
  
  Back before the internet was around, when computer disks were the size of notebooks and the only color on your monitor other than black was green, there lived a boy who would skip school to come home and play games on his computer that were more powerful than Atari, but lacked the depth and midi flair of Nintendo. He was also a hacker who could change his grades from home...no more late night cram sessions for this guy.
  
  One day, his hacking leads him to find what he thinks are government video games. When confronted with a list of possible games:
  
  tic tac toe
  chess
  global thermonuclear war
  backgammon
  
  he picks the obvious choice for a kid coming up in the Regan Era and spooks the Pentagon into thinking that Russia (sorry, the U.S.S.R.) has lauched their entire complement of nukes at us. Uncle Sam doen't like being made a fool of, and so Dolly Parton's sexist boss from '9-5' and the stereotypical patriotic general hunt him down because his tom foolery has tricked the defense computer into actually thinking that the time for nuclear holocaust is now...the countdown to armageddon has begun!!
  
  For those of us who grew up in the 80's & often wondered when the politicians would say "Ah to heck with it", press 'the button', unleash the light of a thousand suns and take us all to an apocalyptic future with mutants, soldiers who feel no pain, and killer endoskeleton robots who wield phase plasma rifles in the 40 watt range, this movie was creepy. We were just beginning to realize how computers ruled everything around us, and no one really knew what hackers were about since PC's were expensive and fairly usless to the average consumer. Like "Fail Safe" before it, this flick is a warning against too many circuits, and not enough people. I would give it 4 stars but I hate Ally Sheedy, and Broderick married the chick from 'Sex in the City', an action which almost cancels out 'Ferris Bueller'. A must watch!
  
  
• Well Worth A Watch.
  By A2DVFHG099GUGE on 1999-11-15
  I remember seeing this several years ago in the theater when I was very young. It's a pretty good movie with an interesting plot. Both Ally Sheedy and Matthew Broderick do well in their roles. Worth a watch.
  
  
• Speech in DD 5.1 sounded hollow
  By on 1999-06-08
  While I obviously like "WarGames" (wouldn't have watched it on DVD if I didn't), the DD 5.1 "upgrade" made many of the actors' voices sound hollow. However, the FX sounds, particularly during the final sequences, sounded much better than the original. I don't plan on purchasing the DVD version, but I might rent it again.
  
  
• Nostalgia-time.
  By AVHCWL9AHLEL9 on 2000-07-06
  I remember seeing this movie for the first time as a double feature with SUPERMAN III. That tells you how old it is. Just seeing some of the computer tech back then brings back memories. It just adds to the flavor of the movie. It's also interesting to see that the company he was trying to get into was located in Sunnyvale...Silicon Valley was there even back then!

  Although a lot of the scenarios in this movie were pretty far-fetched, the characters were all pretty realistic, even if they were extreme versions of themselves: the Army colonel who listens to no one, the reclusive computer genius, the teenaged computer genius. The important part is that they all stayed true to their characters. None of them did anything that you wouldn't have expected them to.

  Some of the reviews for this movie have complained about how unrealistic it was. So? Who said a movie has to be realistic to be enjoyable? Can you say "suspension of disbelief"? This movie was great! Entertaining, exciting...all the things a movie like this should be. They weren't going for dramatic realism here...they were going for excitement and they nailed it right on the head.

  It's not as sophisticated as a lot of today's techno-thrillers, but I still consider it to be one of my favorites.
  
  

• How about a nice game of chess?
  By A3MUHL2M18N9FZ on 2001-08-18
  If you lived in the eighties or are a computer nerd, you'll like this movie. I like this movie for two reasons; the nostalgia and the acting. I grew up around computers and remember going to my dad's workplace in the eighties that had big computers that took up entire rooms, such as the ones in WarGames. As a computer nerd, it brings back memories of the earlier computers.

  If you're not a computer nerd, you may not appreciate this movie so much. The movie shows a young Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Friends) as a high school student with a big interest in computers. While trying to connect to a computer company's mainframe, he instead stumbled upon a government computer.

  With curiousity as his motivation, he learned everything he could in order to crack the code and gain access. Once he cracks the code, he tinkers around, thinking that he was just playing a game. However, he sparked a DEFCON 2 in NORAD and sent the military scrambling.

  He must make the computer learn that there is no winner in war. It also gives viewers a small glimpse of how easy it was to be a hacker back in the day. I gave this three stars because it's not the best movie that i've ever seen. However, it is worth adding to your video collection. The story line is good, the acting is good and offers some nostalgia.

  If you're interested in other movies related to computers, check out Pirates of Silicon Valley. In addition, you may want to check out Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer.
  
  

• Global Thermonuclear War
  By A1A4DEENGHK51T on 2002-06-20
  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.
  
  

• Backdoors are NOT secrets!!
  By A3CSVIU1QHBYPJ on 2004-03-12
  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.
  
  

• One of the best thrillers (of any era)- a modern classic
  By A1HX00DL0SZM1G on 2006-02-10
  The early 1980s was a time of high paranoia as East and West faced off against each other in an increasingly complex game of nuclear brinksmanship and Hollywood definitely took notice with a series of movies that seemed to fortell just how dangerous such machinations could be. Another genre popular in the early 1980s was films centered around the booming possibilities of computers, from Tron to The Last Stafighter, so it perhaps should not surprise anyone that these two genre's would be combined.
  But what was surprising was that the final product, the 1983 movie WARGAMES starring a pre-Ferris Bueller Matthew Broderick, would be so entertaining and skillful in its execution. In fact the movie is perhaps the most consistently watchable and best thriller from the era, transcending its natural audience of teenage boys to encompass a more general appeal with its fast pace, technological wonders, interesting characterizations and tight plotting that remains to this day one of my favorite movies.
  Although the computers and technology looks somewhat primitive by today's standards it was cutting edge for its day (a fact which leaves Broderick having to explain the process of computer networking to Ally Sheedy's character and the "computer geeks" explaining program back-doors). In fact in these days when home computers were in their infancy the plot seems incredibly tech savvy.
  The movie starts with the arrival of two men at one of the sites tasked with launching nuclear missiles. Suddenly a message comes through ordering them to launch and believing the order to be genuine (its actually a training exercise) they prepare to follow out the command. The near-apocalyptic judgment and the hesitancy of the men in the silos lead the military to remove men from the sites and replace them with computers - a decision they will soon regret.
  Switch to Broderick's character, a very smart high school student who is attempting to access a series of new computer games by connecting his computer to his telephone line and having it dial every number in the computer companies area code. Waiting for it to find another computer signal (anyone who ever had to sit through a dial-up connection will recognize the screeching sound of one computer talking to another) Broderick's character comes across what he believes to be the right number. And proceeds to play a game with the rather chilling title "Global Thermonuclear War."
  Unbeknownst to him his "game" is a tactical scenario for the computer in charge of the United States' nuclear weapons silo's and his choice to play the part of the Soviet Union has set alarms ringing at NORAD.
  What follows is a quite exhilirating against time to stop global Armageddon. There are no car chases, no shoot-em-ups - just good solid suspense and tension.
  The DVD features a rather interesting scene specific commentary that is also quite enlightening. Who knew for example that in this pre-CGI age that all the giant computer screens at NORAD had to have the imagery projected onto them.
  All in all, a solid movie that really delivers - you need to check this out. Sure it looks a little dated now, but I would definitely put this in the category of a "modern classic."
  
  
• What's a modem?
  By A16V3WH8OD4HXO on 2006-03-29
  Fun watching this 20 years later and explaining to my young teens why Matthew Broderick's character takes this huge, corded phone receiver and docks it to get "online"...also the old DOS language and computer-generated voice (DO-YOU-WANT-TO-PLAY-A-GAME?) were fun. Surprisingly, the storyline riveted my 13 & 14 year-olds despite the antiquated technology. The whole teenager who is doing something silly and funny (tickets to Paris? OK!) and getting in over his head (and it was Ferris Bueller, after all, every kid's hero) resonated with them.
  
  
• DATED TIME CAPSULE OF A UNIVERSAL "Still Relevant" THEME
  By A2TWIZ33KJCQ54 on 2006-04-21
  WHAT IS "WARGAMES" ABOUT?
  
  If this film is dated and obsolete, then so is the desire for peace. Most teenagers connected with this film 22 years ago when it did nearly $40 million at the box office and today's kids will consider this a novel antiquity with a universal theme still just as relevant today. Sure, the Soviet Union is no longer in existence and dial-up modems are mostly passe, but the idea of universal armageddon has returned again in the wake of 9/11 and seems likely to be a bane to humanity for the forseeable future. "Wargames" goes beyond the obvious and looks hopefully at the future, for if we can get past what happens in this very suspenseful thriller, then perhaps there is hope for us after all.
  
  The film opens and closes in exactly the same way but with different players. There is an order to launch missles and we see a crew [one man in particular] who won't launch. It is a simulation, but it reveals that 22% of the crews would behave the same way. The Strategic Command reluctantly gives control of the nuclear response to their master computer, "W.O.P.R." [War Operations Planned Response], in an effort to take humans out of the loop. The rest of the movie is a desperate struggle to put human control back into the loop with Matthew Broderick forcing the issue as a teenage hacker. And so the film ends exactly where it begins, except this time it is the General who reluctantly takes control of the response and chooses not to launch just as in the simulation where the film began. This is an anti-war theme which is always popular with the young, and peace is a topic that certainly never goes out of vogue with people of any age or background.
  
  -- * MAJOR PLAYERS -- *
  
  Matthew Broderick - David
  Dabney Coleman - McKittrick
  John Wood - Falken
  Ally Sheedy - Jennifer
  Barry Corbin - Gen. Beringer
  
  -- * PRODUCTION CREW -- *
  
  John Badham - Director
  Leonard J. Goldberg - Producer / Executive Producer
  Harold Schneider - Producer
  William A. Fraker - Screenwriter / Cinematographer
  Walon Green - Screenwriter
  Lawrence Lasker - Screenwriter
  Walter Parkes - Screenwriter
  Arthur B. Rubinstein - Composer (Music Score)
  Michael Ripps - Editor
  Tom Rolf - Editor
  Angelo P. Graham - Production Designer
  Richard Hashimoto - Production Designer / Associate Producer
  James Murakami - Art Director
  Jerry Wunderlich - Set Designer
  Barry Delaney - Costume Designer
  Linda Matthews - Costume Designer
  Willie D. Burton - Sound/Sound Designer
  
  
  -- * MAJOR AWARDS --*
  
  Best Cinematography (nom) William A. Fraker 1983 Academy
  Best Original Screenplay (nom) Walter Parkes 1983 Academy
  Best Original Screenplay (nom) Lawrence Lasker 1983 Academy
  Best Sound (nom) Carlos DeLarios 1983 Academy
  Best Sound (nom) Michael J. Kohut 1983 Academy
  Best Sound (nom) Aaron Rochin 1983 Academy
  Best Sound (nom) Willie D. Burton 1983 Academy
  
  IN THE END - -
  
  A very interesting film ,that although apparently dated in its look and thematic focus, still resonates, especially among teen viewers.
  
  
  
  

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