WarGames

As tension mounts between Ukraine and Russia and the risk of a major war seems to be becoming an important possibility, it is interesting to see that some films seem to be prescient and foretell the dangers emanating not only from new technologies but also that in the event of a new world conflict there will really be no winners. Wargames written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes more than thirty-nine years after its release keeps all its effectiveness and continues to captivate us by its inspired realization, its duet of two young actors Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy and the fact that this film knew how to capture the beginnings of the modern computer. The fact that the action takes place during the 80's in the middle of the cold war and shows a real tension between the United States and Russia shows that human history is cyclical and that we don't really learn the lessons of history.

David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) is a high school student and above all a computer enthusiast who is able to hack into his high school's computer system and connect to U.S. government databases. This young hacker doesn't realize that by trying to hack into a video game publisher, he will unwittingly succeed in penetrating a military supercomputer. After running a global thermonuclear war game that he thought was a simple simulation, he will cause the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to the threat he simulated as the Soviet Union. Realizing that what was just a video game is actually the risk of a third world war, with the help of his girlfriend (Ally Sheedyi), he must alert the authorities to prevent the start of the third world war and especially find a way to regain control of this real game.

John Badham is certainly one of the greatest American directors of the 80's and 90's and will have captured the attention of the public with impeccable and perfectly mastered blockbusters. Whether it is Saturday Night Fever (1983), Blue Thunder (1983), Short Circuit (1986), Stakeout, The Hard Way (1991) and of course Wargames, his films have managed to stand the impact of time, notably by their impeccable casting, scenarios that manage to keep all our attention, but above all, the touch of a seasoned director who has been able to maintain each of his films at a true level of quality.

Wargames creates a real immersion and manages to remain credible, not seeking sensationalism at all costs. By giving a real psychological thickness to the characters and showing us that the use of nuclear weapons to defend a country is double-edged and often amounts to playing with fire. In the same way the film introduces us to an artificial intelligence that will remind some people of Skynet from the Terminator universe. This one is a real killing and extermination machine capable of provoking a third world war by playing on the fear of Russia's actions.  While watching this movie now, it is impossible not to think about the current conflict between Russia (Vladimir Putin) and Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelensky).

WarGames
Directed by John Badham
Written by Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
Produced by Leonard Goldberg, Richard Hashimoto, Harold Schneider, Bruce McNall
Starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, Ally Sheedy
Cinematography : William A. Fraker
Edited by Tom Rolf
Music by Arthur B. Rubinstein
Production companies : United Artists, Sherwood Productions
Distributed by MGM/UA Entertainment Company (United States), United International Pictures (international)
Release dates : May 7, 1983 (Cannes), June 3, 1983 (United States), December 14, 1983 (France)
Running time : 114 minutes

Reviewed on February 20, 2022 (Prime Video)

Mulder's Mark: