X
- 1983
- PG
- MGM/UA Entertainment Company
- 1 h 54 m
- 1983
- PG
- MGM/UA Entertainment Company
- 1 h 54 m
Summary At the height of the Cold War, an American teenager (Matthew Broderick) finds a back door into a military central computer (WOPR) in which reality is confused with game-playing, threatening to start World War III.
Directed By: John Badham
Written By: Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes, Walon Green
- 1983
- PG
- MGM/UA Entertainment Company
- 1 h 54 m
- 1983
- PG
- MGM/UA Entertainment Company
- 1 h 54 m
WarGames
77
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary At the height of the Cold War, an American teenager (Matthew Broderick) finds a back door into a military central computer (WOPR) in which reality is confused with game-playing, threatening to start World War III.
Directed By: John Badham
Written By: Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes, Walon Green
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
77
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
77
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
There's not a scene here where Badham doesn't seem to know what he's doing, weaving a complex web of computerese, personalities and puzzles; the movie absorbs us on emotional and intellectual levels at the same time. And the ending, a moment of blinding and yet utterly elementary insight, is wonderful.
WarGames is a soft-sell protest -- pro- people, anti-nuclear and anti-machine -- that entertains. It peddles neither the hysterics of Jane Fonda's "China Syndrome" nor the hopelessness of "Dr. Strangelove." It's a war cry for peace that's good to the last byte. [3 June 1983, p.23]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 42 User Ratings
7.8
81% Positive
34 Ratings
34 Ratings
17% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
2% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 42 User Ratings
7.8
81% Positive
34 Ratings
34 Ratings
17% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
2% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
A remarkable movie that handles the dangers of the Cold War really well and I consider it as classic. I like the story, idea, characters and great climax / ending. Maybe with tensions between the USA, China and Russia it is an actual topic again (India and Pakistan have already erected many safety measures as they knew what is at stake). The story starts with a series of drills simulating a nuclear attack on the USA by Russia. As result it is shown that a lot of the staff at the missile silos did not follow their orders to start a counter strike. To solve this a supercomputer should be tasked to handle this situation so that no human input or better said hesitation is hindering the retaliation plans. The high school student and hacker David Lightman does know nothing about this when he hacks into the systems of a computer game company where he finds a new game he plays. With this set up the story starts. I freely admit that the start is weaker but still good. The story itself works excellent and kept me interested through the movie. Maybe it is also sometimes a bit foreseeable. However this took nothing away from my enjoyment and the final is truly something that I can recommend to everyone. The weaknesses are clearly outclassed by the strengths of the movie. I especially liked the idea and creativity here so I should praise the writers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parks. The cast made this movie really enjoyable as the characters are all believe- and relatable. Lets start with Matthew Broderick as David Lightman. He was actually at the beginning of his career but shows that he is already a great actor. I praise his performance. John Wood as Dr. Falken was probably the hidden gem of the movie and a character I really enjoyed. Alla Sheedy as Jennifer Mack works also really well and I like the dynamic with David. From the support I will praise Dabney Coleman as Dr. McKittrick and especially Berry Corbin as General Beringer who is amazing. The cast works well and enhances the movie. With this I have to praise director John Bradham too as the best actors could not work when a director is failing. The sets where convincing and deliver the atmosphere. I never doubted the movie / setting. The rest was history as it became a hit, received good reviews and was well remembered. Overall this is a must see movie for me and I re-watched it a few times. Might not be for everyone and the start is slow but the strengths and good climax made it a great experience.
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John Badham, a last-minute replacement on the project, impresses with his Spielberg-inflected direction of the young actors and his efficient management of competing plot levels. But much of the credit should go to Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes, and Walon Green, whose screenplay deftly links the boy's sexual and moral maturation with a similar development on the part of the computer, thus accomplishing the thematic goal of “humanizing” technology that all the video-game movies—and video games themselves—have been striving for.
Walter F. Parkes and Lawrence Lasker's script is tight, and Badham directs the whole thing with economy and pace but it's Matthew Broderick's film.
The teaser scene is phenomenal. It depicts the escalating tensions that accompany being one of the men in the final chain that leads to a nuclear launch. In this case, it's just a drill, but the men (played by Michael Madsen and John Spencer) don't know that. They must confront the morality of obeying an order that could lead to a worldwide holocaust. It's a taut scene that is suffused with verisimilitude.
It's almost wonderful. For an hour or so, it is. Funny, scary, occasionally wonderful. On the strength of that first hour, this should be one of the summer's big pictures. Nonetheless, when WarGames goes wrong, it's a great disappointment. [3 June 1983, p.D1]
The first half has a sardonic edge to it, but the more seriously the movie takes itself the sillier it gets.
There are some unrealistic scenes with teen super smart Matthew Broderick, so the story has some flaws sometimes.
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Fascinating concept of an ai veering beyond its human control marred by its over the top ending. The casting and soundtrack are great. The film has a strong start but around the halfway point things descend into farce. Entertaining but limited execution of an otherwise fascinating idea.
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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Production Company
United Artists,
Sherwood Productions
Release Date Jun 3, 1983
Duration 1 h 54 m
Rating PG
Tagline The only winning move is not to play.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 3 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
BAFTA Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
