Tuesday, March 3, 2015

WarGames Review









WarGames


Release Date: 4th August 1983 - Australia


Production Companies
United Artists (presents)
Sherwood Productions (produced
in association with)


Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

Rating: PG

Runtime: 108 minutes


Budget: $12,000,000

Box Office Gross: $124,600,000 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
David Lightman is a teenage hacker capable of getting through the most advanced security systems. He's a codebreaker and can even access computer games. He unknowingly accesses the war computer from the Defense Department and starts a confrontation that could escalate to World War III.

With the help of his girlfriend
and an eccentric computer
whiz, David must battle
against the clock, outsmart
his opponent and prevent a
global catastrophe involving nuclear arms.


Cast
Matthew Broderick - David Lightman
Ally Sheedy - Jennifer Mack
Dabney Coleman - Dr. John McKittrick
John Wood - Dr. Stephen Falken
Barry Corbin - General Jack
Beringer
Juanin Clay - Pat Healy
Kent Williams - Cabot
Dennis Lipscomb - Watson
Joe Dorsey - Col. Joe Conley
Michael Madsen - Lt. Steve Phelps
Maury Chaykin - Jim Sting
Eddie Deezen - Malvin
John Spencer - Jerry
Irving Metzman - Richter
James Tolkan - Wigan
David Clover - Stockman
Drew Snyder - Ayers
Michael Ensign - Beringer's Aide
William Bogert - Mr. Lightman
Susan Davis - Mrs. Lightman
Duncan Wilmore - Major Lem
Billy Ray Sharkey - Radar Analyst
Jason Bernard - Captain Knewt
Frankie Hill - Airman Fields
Alan Blumenfeld - Mr. Liggett
Len Lawson - Boys Vice Principal
Stephen Lee - Sgt. Schneider
Michael Adams - Travis
James Ackerman - Joshua
Tom Lawrence - Sgt. Sims
Charles Akins - Major Ford
Glenn Standifer - Major Wenstin
William H. Macy - NORAD Officer
(Uncredited)

Crew
Director - John Badham
Writers - Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
and Walon Green (Uncredited)
Continuity Consultant - Harold Michelson
Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Richard Hashimoto
Executive Producer - Leonard Goldberg
Producers - Harold Schneider and
Bruce McNall (Uncredited)
Casting Director - Wallis Nicita
Technical Advisor - Duncan Wilmore
Production Designer - Angelo Graham
Visual Consultant - Geoffrey Kirkland
Art Director - James J. Murakami
Set Decorator - Jerry Wunderlich
Costumes: Men - Barry Francis Delaney
Director of Photography - William A. Fraker
Special Effects - Joe Digaetano,
David Domeyer (Uncredited) and
Donald Pennington (Uncredited)
Visual Effects Supervisor - Michael L. Fink
Computer Graphics Design Consultant -
Colin Cantwell
Computer Graphics Unit - Marcia Dripchak,
David R. Hardberger, Judith Herman, 
Sylvia Lovegren and Jonathan Seay
Miniature Photography - Jack Cooperman
Film Editor - Tom Rolf
Associate Film Editor - Michael Ripps
Supervising Sound Effects Editors -
Milton C. Burrow and William L. Manager
Sound Mixer - Willie D. Burton
Re-Recording Mixers - Carlos Delarios,
Michael J. Kohut and Aaron Rochin
Music - Arthur B. Rubinstein


Awards

1984 Academy Awards
Best Writing, Original Screenplay -
Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes (Nominated)
Best Cinematography - William A. Fraker (Nominated)
Best Sound - Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios,
Aaron Rochin and Willie D. Burton (Nominated)


Review
Many childhood memories include watching old films that belong to the nostalgic '80s, like The Neverending Story, TronE.T. and even Short Circuit. There is one movie that doesn't compare to these family classics, a film that takes place years ago when WARGAMES was part of an era when computers were an integral part of our lives. Films like these have paved the way for other computer-focused hits. While its plot was thoughtful, suspenseful and thought-provoking, this feature was imperfect. Its predictability prevents this film from being impactful, even when it's aged many years.

The original Hollywood teen sensations, Matt Broderick and Ally Sheedy, both did a good job capturing their character personalities. It's the first time Broderick has played a troublesome high school student; many consider this Matthew's breakthrough. He will soon play another troublesome teen who is more laidback and less skilled in hacking and ends with the name who would for all time be known as Ferris Bueller.

I know WARGAMES as a film that influenced a new avenue for pictures to create stories similar to its premise, including much-needed examples like Summer Wars, Sneakers and Hackers. It's nowhere near as flawless as it could have been, but it contains memorable moments, and it is nice to watch for people interested in computers. Please, no hacking this post. Instead, leave your opinions in the comment tab below.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

No comments:

Post a Comment