WarGames: A Review

14th December, 2018.

I think we can safely say I’m … 

Slightly tired.

Yes: slightly tired seems to be the phrase.

At least … going by that introductory video, there.

You don’t think I’m over-doing the pseudo-Max-Headroom scratch video thing, there, do you … ?

I hope not.

But … ?

Well, look at it this way, I hope not!

At any rate, I think I have something of a confession to make.

I’m out of work, right now: as you possibly know.

And struggling to keep occupied.

It helps that TV box Sets, and movies are relatively easily got.

As is my media collections.

There’s always something in there that’s worth watching.

Some time back … ?

One of those films was the last film to ever star Natalie Wood: called Brainstorm.

I’d suggest seeing Brainstorm: it’s possibly the only film I know of that predicted the future.

To cut a long story short, I’d watched Brainstorm not long after publishing a Teaser about CompuServe, the first commercial internet: so it showed an unfamiliar public how a networked computer could be used to talk to others, damage computer controller factories and watch porn on a computer.

Years ahead of when people started to do so.

I thoroughly enjoyed that night.

But remember comparing Brainstorm to a couple of other films of the time: Tron and WarGames.

With the amount of free time on my hands?

I thought watching one of the two seemed the right thing to do.

See if you can guess which one I went for … 

~≈§≈~

WarGames opens with two US squaddies signing on for duty: at an underground silo.

Only for the one thing happening that the silo’s crew don’t want … 

The order to launch comes down the wire* … 

~≈§≈~

The scene shifts … to NORAD, where the base’s senior IT head, John McKittrick (Dabney Coleman) convinces General Jack Beringer that — in order to prevent silo crews refusing to fire the missiles — the missile bases be automated.

With the War Operation Plan Response computer: or WOPR, as it’s known.

~≈§≈~

The scene shifts again.

We meet slacker schoolboy, David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) who has a novel solution to his low grades.

Hacking into the school’s computer system to change his grades.

And, in a hormonal attempt to impress Jennifer Mack (Ally Sheedy) he ALSO manages to change hers, as well.

It’s only after the David finds a promotion brochure for a local games company, he gets his next idea.

Trying to find the games company’s computers, steal the game’s source code … 

And play them at home, before anyone else.

Little knowing what’s quite going to happen … 

~≈§≈~

Now … was it good?

Bad?

Indifferent?

Hedgehog flavoured?

Running up and down, screaming, and singing songs about Holy Island?

Well, I think we can rule out the last two!

Frankly?

It’s been several years since I’d last seen WarGames: and, while I can’t speak to its accuracy — the film seems to be implying the WOPR is what we’d now call General AI, and, from I can see, we’re nowhere near it — I can say I’d forgotten something.

The simple fact that WarGames isn’t the world’s greatest film.

But is a taut little thriller that opens with a beautifully tense scene, and  keeps up a relentless pace … 

And manages to be entertaining, along the route.

Frankly?

WarGames does make for a good night in … !

WarGames

★★☆☆

*        Yes, that’s THE Michael Madsen … Ear chopping, Stuck in the Middle?   Yeah, him … doesn’t he look young … ?