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WarGames

Play trailer Poster for WarGames PG Released Jun 3, 1983 1h 53m Mystery & Thriller Action Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
High school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy), must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III.
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WarGames

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Critics Consensus

Part delightfully tense techno-thriller, part refreshingly unpatronizing teen drama, WarGames is one of the more inventive -- and genuinely suspenseful -- Cold War movies of the 1980s.

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Critics Reviews

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David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture Like a man drawn to the edge of a cliff by the lure of the abyss below, we're secretly obsessed by the apocalypse. Moralists may claim that WarGames is more exploitation than warning, but it's still an exciting, giddily entertaining movie. Jan 1, 2020 Full Review Martin Chilton Daily Telegraph (UK) The chase sequences with government agents are tame but the film builds to a tense (and witty) conclusion at the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker in Colorado Springs. Rated: 4/5 Jul 31, 2015 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Classic humanist-didactic filmmaking, effectively presented as a thriller. Jul 30, 2013 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz [WarGames] is a standard ‘80s teens-in-peril and up-against-the-authorities tale, but one which, despite a strange side-trip to an Oregon island, really does a great job of building up the tension towards a thrilling finale. Rated: 4/5 Jun 7, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A clever if occasionally far-fetched adventure-thriller. Rated: 3/4 Jan 14, 2023 Full Review Alan Jones Starburst WarGames is, in my book, a perfect motion picture. Aug 1, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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alan g A very good movie about reverting Armegeddon. Well acted by young Matthew Brodderick and Ally Sheedy. Plausible. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review Gerald H It‘s a nice movie, all in all. But the stereotype of „not listening to the kid“ is annoying as always. And the girl is way too old for the role she‘s badly playing. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/17/24 Full Review Lianessa J Who knew in 1983 that Matthew Broderick would be fighting AI in a war game? If this happened today, the entire world would be destroyed by a nuclear arsenal. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/16/24 Full Review Max W What an interesting premise. Very thought provoking and thrilling, leading us to the obvious conclusion, of course, that in order to win, one must not play the game. Must have been quite something when it first came out in the 80s Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/14/24 Full Review Jace E I'm on an 80's kick right now and Wargames is the cause of it. This was my first watch and I was pleasantly surprised. Matthew Broderick is fantastic, and I didn't even recognize Ally Sheedy. Some of the supporting actors are particularly weak (like the General caricature), but for the most part the cast was great. The whole concept is a bit absurd, but it works. Seeing how much technology has advanced in the last 40 years is fascinating. The Tic Tac Toe idea is brilliant, the raw corn rubbed in buttered bread made me laugh out loud, and I just want to know who was driving the wild ATV. Best Character: David Best Quote: "How about a nice game of chess?" - Joshua Best Scene: The initial hack Note: My biggest disappointment is that Leo McGarry only has 30 seconds of screen time... but at least we get to hear him say "Your turn next, Ginsberg" Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/13/24 Full Review John G May seem out of date with the focus on nuclear war. Don't be fooled. A compelling and suspenseful plot, well acted. The ending is profoundly relevant - today. In many ways this movie imagines its future with precision. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

WarGames

WarGames: Official Clip - David & Jennifer Kiss WarGames: Official Clip - David & Jennifer Kiss 2:10 WarGames: Official Clip - Joshua Searches for Launch Codes WarGames: Official Clip - Joshua Searches for Launch Codes 1:48 WarGames: Official Clip - Tic Tac Toe With Joshua WarGames: Official Clip - Tic Tac Toe With Joshua 1:42 WarGames: Official Clip - It's a Bluff WarGames: Official Clip - It's a Bluff 2:11 WarGames: Official Clip - DEFCON 1 WarGames: Official Clip - DEFCON 1 2:14 WarGames: Official Clip - Shall We Play a Game? WarGames: Official Clip - Shall We Play a Game? 2:08 WarGames: Official Clip - Asexual Reproduction WarGames: Official Clip - Asexual Reproduction 2:06 WarGames: Official Clip - The Only Winning Move WarGames: Official Clip - The Only Winning Move 2:30 WarGames: Official Clip - He's Gonna Start a War! WarGames: Official Clip - He's Gonna Start a War! 2:00 WarGames: Official Clip - A Lesson in Futility WarGames: Official Clip - A Lesson in Futility 2:15 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis High school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy), must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III.
Director
John Badham
Producer
Harold Schneider
Screenwriter
Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 3, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 29, 2016
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
Surround
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