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Below is the random thought titled "Movie Review: War Games". Be aware that these thoughts may be based on opinion, and my opinion might not agree with yours. Also, the thought below may be based on mood, time of day, or any number of other factors. Please keep this in mind.
I ended up watching the movie War Games last night. It was on, and I figured that since I was probably the only person in the world who had not yet seen it, I might as well watch. It took two hours, and it's two hours of my life that I will never get back. It's not that the movie was bad, it's just that it wasn't good. Why people make such a big deal of it is sort of an unknown to me.
The plot was interesting, and had promise, but execution of that plot was the major issue. I find it hard to believe that such an intelligent kid could be friends with and attracted to such ditsy (and obviously not very bright) girl such as Jennifer. Maybe he just wanted to get lucky? Whatever. The fact remains that the movie seemed to depend totally on stereotypes, right down to the dad smoking a pipe while watching TV. Cookie cutter "nerd" characters, as well as typical military personnel and of course the disillusioned scientist who has given up on the world. Nothing that hasn't been done hundreds of times, and much better I might add.
The portrayal of computers is what really bothered me though. While technically accurate for the era as far as hardware goes (love those 8 inch floppies), the use of that hardware was the problem. Everything seemed so easy, convenient and utterly un-technical. As with all movies, it seems that passwords can be guessed easily on the third try, no matter what you are breaking into. And characters make weird noises as they are printed on the screen. One thing that really bothers me is that the general public knows that computers are not huge boxes with thousands of lights. Why don't movie producers know this? One can only assume they have never used a computer before.
There were definitely some great lines ("I'd piss on a spark plug if I thought it would do any good!", "Strange game. The only winning move is not to play"), but that still doesn't excuse the rest of the movie and make it anything other then mediocre.
Is it too much to ask Holleywood to produce a good computer movie?
| nah bro it was an awesome movie. we have to appreciate the efforts in the past. the movie was accurate for its time and its still an awesome movie, even though we might not appreciate the logic. even though nowadays, we dont dial up computers or do any other old time stuff, the movie is still providing some history background. and its a funny movie!! the script is really good!! i mean come on in the beginning? "who had the first idea of reproduction without sex?" "your wife." ha. | ||
| Holleywood You jackass | ||
| a lot of movies may have all of those stereotypes, but this movie was made 30 years ago. | ||
| actually in 1983 there was an internet, however it was solely for governmental use. Second, how can someone who was not even alive at the time the movie came out have any kind of opinion on the historical accuracy or any other aspect of the movie. In my humble opinion, i feel you should just sit back and laugh at the older movies that are way over your head, and let the movie critics do the movie reviews... @Noodles... i believe it was the commodor | ||
| i liked it. technology is rarely portrayed accurately (very few things are in movies) so it isn't worth getting all pissy about it. the school computer password was pencil. | ||
| Does anyone know the password matthew used to access the shool computer so he could change the grades?? | ||
| Yeah, I just think you're a dick and that's pretty much it. | ||
| i'ts suprising =P well I guess not, but I cant figure out why there is not a single hollywood movie ( that I know of) that is accurate. Like war games, when anything involves like a super computer for instace IT LOOKS STUPID and impressionable people that want to look smart will actually think that thats what super computers look like. or stuff like that....you know | ||
| Guys, be real ok. The movie war games was not as much about war, hacking, or the computer as it was to pay respect to the person who created the internet. He was indeed a teen who changed his grades in school through his own devices which came to be known as the internet. I met the guy.. He is very cool. He came to visit me and I am lucky that he did otherwise I'd have been in the same predicament that he was. You might say, "a man in Black? "Creating a sequal to war games is a bad idea though because the movie was about him, not about computers. People like this are tired though and just want to be left alone. All this movie will do is lose respect to intellectual history and gather interest among those who want to lick the licence plates of those who were the impetus for such endeavors. I wish mine was a scratch and sniff. (Editor's notes: You mean Al Gore? :-) Considering it was released in 1983, I doubt it has much to do with the Internet.) |
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| Wargames was a good moive i enjoyed it a lot | ||
| I saw this movie when I was a teenager and let me tell you. I REALLY LOVED. I'm a computer programmer and that movie gave me a big kick into computers back then. I saw the movie a few days ago and I still feel is a good movie, may be I'm being to much nostalgic here but I miss the days when i used to hook my PC to a 300 or 1400 bauds to connect to a BBS or another computer | ||
| Why do children of today insist that movies made 5, 10, 20, or 40 years ago were bad, just because they weren't made with technology available today?
Most movies about technologies were fairly credible, even though not accurate, back at the time they were made. Name a single movie that is accurate, and I bet most people, especially non-nerds, would be bored silly.
More modern movies such as Hackers or Antitrust are more believable by younger children, but still very inaccurate, only because the younger people can more easily relate, just like the kids in 1983 when War Games was released.
The movies are trying to make a point in the film, not to be historically accurate about realism, it's a fantasy story.
(Editor's note: But there's a point where inaccuracy and fantasy becomes so apparent that more educated members of the audience are now no longer able to suspend disbelief...) |
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| "Is it too much to ask Holleywood to produce a good computer movie?"
Is it too much to ask you to spell Hollywood correctly?
(Editor's note: Oops...) |
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| I saw it when I was 14 years old and liked it alot. This was the early 1980's when war with the soviets was very real and computers were still some mysterious power machine to most of us. I am not sure how I would like it as a 35 year old women in 2005. My kids would laugh it off the screen. They probably would like the end of the movie. I'm sure that part has a message that withstands the test of time. | ||
| Well I found a way u can win at tic-tac-toe there are 4 variations First X goes in the center square then goes O in a corner. then X in the diagonal opposite corner of first X. Now if O places it directly across from the first O. Lastly place the final X to block the O’s. Now where ever O will go to block it X can still win. | ||
| Wargames is a classic and you really have to go back when being called a 'nerd' was not very fashionable to really apreciate it. If I hadn't seen it in teen and were to watch it today, I'd probably consider it a joke also. To 'Joshua': do you think anyone gives a fuck how old you are ? to me you look even younger, like 20 younger. | ||
| What type of computer was used by the kids in this movie...? : ) It was a test question for me..... | ||
| I love reading posts from 40 year old virgins. Rock on you fuckin' losers.
(Editor's note: While I cannot vouch for the others who have comment, I can assure you that I do not fit this description. For one thing, I'm 24...) |
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| I have to say that I think you are being overly critical of a movie that was made in 1983. Yes, the use of the hardware was technically incorrect and it was all too easy but think about the audience back then - computers really were a 'black art' not everyone had access to. Personally I really enjoyed the movie (but you have to take it as is!). I guess I'm a little biased since I loved this movie so much when I was a kid...just the kind of fantastical stuff I wanted to believe!!! | ||
| One must remember that if they made the movie too technical it would slow the picture down. It was a movie for people who are peaceniks and a philosophical movie. The theme of the movie was to promote peace. And after the fall of the Soviet Union who can say it was all bad? |
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| I thought the movie rocked. The backdoor password was Joshua. After his grandson. |
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| Well the movie is not very good but youshould try the PS1 GAME "WarGames Defcon1" It is one of the best!!!!!!!!1 |
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| who can tell me in the movie, what was the secret backdoor password used to access the WOPR computer? ( help me i need some help ) |
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| I do agree w/ you that wargames is a badly made movie...but there are some good computer movies...um like Hackers...well maybe that waz just b/c of angalena jolie... but still tere are some out there | ||
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