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From Amazon.co.uk
Cute but silly, this 1983 cautionary fantasy stars Matthew Broderick as a teenage computer genius who hacks into the Pentagon's defence system and sets World War III into motion. All the fun is in the film's set-up, as Broderick befriends Ally Sheedy and starts the international crisis by pretending while online to be the Soviet Union. After that, it's not hard to predict what's going to happen: government agents swoop in, but the story ends up in the "hands" of machines talking to one another. Thus we're stuck with flashing lights, etc. John Badham (Saturday Night Fever) directs in strict potboiler mode. Children still like this movie, though. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Product Description
David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) is a young computer whizz who hacks into what he believes is a new line of video games, little knowing that it is in fact NORAD, America's defence program. He inadvertently creates a hostile global situation, placing the world on the brink of nuclear war. Together with his girlfriend Jennifer (Ally Sheedy) and a misanthropic computer expert (John Wood), David must fight to prevent an atomic meltdown.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Andrew
Format:DVD
This movie is a classic, a must own for all the "computer people". It's the Nostradamus of computer movies. It talks about hacking at a time where the internet was science fiction and the average computer was half as powerfull as a Game Boy. It has some old school phreaking (tampering phone lines) in there as well but all information is just of historical value. All the things that you see in the movie is a common thing of todays computers, like speech, but when you watch this film have in mind that it was produced in 1983! It's also the movie that inspired programmers to write War Dialers (well known type of software among todays crackers used to find phone lines connected to computers). If you are not interested in classics and historical values but you want some computer action try something like "Hackers", "SWORDFISH" and "Antitrust". But if you are interested in classics also check "Tron".
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Dusty Bin
Format:DVD
I have to disagree with the Amazon review:
"After that, it's not hard to predict what's going to happen: government agents swoop in, but the story ends up in the "hands" of machines talking to one another. Thus we're stuck with flashing lights, etc."
You have to remember this film was brought out during the cold war and the era of the ZX Spectrum. Square blobs on a screen were impressive enough, but the idea of playing out multi-screen global nuclear war was enough to blow any 13 year old's mind at the time. This was combined with the fact that the computer software in question was named after the programmer's dead son and played the same kind of games, tic-tac-toe, that a child would. So, the final scene is not just about flashing lights, it's about a father teaching his son about life and the futility of war - and in so doing teaching every adult present in the US Army bunker the same lesson. This amounts to a very tense and touching finale.
"After that, it's not hard to predict what's going to happen: government agents swoop in, but the story ends up in the "hands" of machines talking to one another. Thus we're stuck with flashing lights, etc."
You have to remember this film was brought out during the cold war and the era of the ZX Spectrum. Square blobs on a screen were impressive enough, but the idea of playing out multi-screen global nuclear war was enough to blow any 13 year old's mind at the time. This was combined with the fact that the computer software in question was named after the programmer's dead son and played the same kind of games, tic-tac-toe, that a child would. So, the final scene is not just about flashing lights, it's about a father teaching his son about life and the futility of war - and in so doing teaching every adult present in the US Army bunker the same lesson. This amounts to a very tense and touching finale.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Iain West
Format:Blu-ray
Specs
Region Code; A only (will not work on standard UK players)
Full Widescreen 1:85:1 (full use of your screen)
Audio; DTS HD MA 5.1
To appriceiate this movie you would've needed to see it the year it came out, the worlds changed...alot, and so has the way we make movies, I seen this on VHS when it was released on video in the mid eighties and it was amazing....kind of lost it's qualities abit but for me it was a great watch especially as it's now in full HD!!
Region Code; A only (will not work on standard UK players)
Full Widescreen 1:85:1 (full use of your screen)
Audio; DTS HD MA 5.1
To appriceiate this movie you would've needed to see it the year it came out, the worlds changed...alot, and so has the way we make movies, I seen this on VHS when it was released on video in the mid eighties and it was amazing....kind of lost it's qualities abit but for me it was a great watch especially as it's now in full HD!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Let's go crazy!
There was a time when Matthew Broderick was Hollywood's go-to guy for charming teenage reprobates, and he seemed a ubiquitous presence on the big screen when I was an adolescent. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Scaroth, Last of the Jagaroth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wargames
Based on a teenager computer whizz and hes girlfriend hack into government computer system and play what they think is a game between the USA and allies against the Warsaw pact... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alawes
5.0 out of 5 stars
wargames
i have loved this film from when i was a kid and it still gives me a buzz when i watch it now
Published 2 months ago by Andrew Kemp
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent film, smomewhat dated technology wise now
This is a very nice well made film and has always been one of my favourites, admittedly it is a little dated technology wise after all this time. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Keith Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars
War Games
Saw this on TV over Christmas and forgot how much i enjoyed the film... so i bought it... didn't disappoint
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. A. Stansfield
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still holds up.
This was one of my favourite movies of the '80s, but which I had somehow neglected adding to my DVD collection until now. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Milne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Film
Loved this film when it first came out, it looks a bit dated but it is still good to watch.
Published 3 months ago by sue
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cold war history told in a great computer games film
This film stands the test of time. Young boy knows computers, well thinks that he does but doesn't realize how deep he is in until too late. Read more
Published 4 months ago by N. Patterson
3.0 out of 5 stars
wargames
this is one of my fav 80s movies but when i got the movie through the post the DVD case was smashed but lucky enough the film was ok . thats why i only rate this 3 stars
Published 6 months ago by brian
3.0 out of 5 stars
blu ray edition out of no&where
ok this just hit my pages
just like that
was going to wait till next week to buy when I could
finance another hollywood blockbuster as were a little
short of... Read more
just like that
was going to wait till next week to buy when I could
finance another hollywood blockbuster as were a little
short of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Peter Harris
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