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WarGames (Widescreen) | 
| Director: John Badham
Actors: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, Ally Sheedy, Barry Corbin
Studio: MGM
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 15.98
Buy New: CDN$ 9.19
You Save: CDN$ 6.79 (42%)
New (17) Used (4) from CDN$ 8.06
Rating:  67 reviews
Sales Rank: 13507
Format: Ntsc, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 907056
ISBN: 0792838467
UPC: 027616705624
EAN: 9780792838463
ASIN: 0792838467
Theatrical Release Date: June 3, 1983
Release Date: April 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item, factory Sealed. Buy direct from the U.S. and save! We only ship airmail to Canada (7-15 days).Caiman, les prix qu'on aime! Tous nos produits sont neufs. Envoi par avion des Etats-Unis
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| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.com
Cute but silly, this 1983 cautionary fantasy stars Matthew Broderick as a teenage computer genius who hacks into the Pentagon's defense system and sets World War III into motion. All the fun is in the film's set-up, as Broderick befriends Ally Sheedy and starts the international crisis by pretending while online to be the Soviet Union. After that, it's not hard to predict what's going to happen: government agents swoop in, but the story ends up in the "hands" of machines talking to one another. Thus we're stuck with flashing lights, etc. John Badham (Saturday Night Fever) directs in strict potboiler mode. Kids still like this movie, though. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, theatrical trailer, Dolby sound, director commentary, optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 62 more reviews...
 One of the most memorable films of the 80s February 4, 2008
Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
Looking back on my formative years, several theatrical releases stand out above all others, films such as the Star Wars trilogy (of course), E.T., Grease, and - yes - Wargames. Back in 1983, this film was incredible. Home computers were still mysterious contraptions I knew little about (I doubt I even had my Commodore 64 yet), and here was a guy hacking into other computers to change his grades, play cool new games, and who knew what else. And if that weren't enough, his computer actually talked. Looking back now, I have to wonder how many hackers became hackers because of Wargames. I know the film produced plenty of kids just like me who suddenly wanted a computer more than anything else in the world. Younger generations might not appreciate Wargames as much as I do - many will never have seen an old school computer room, computer tapes, an external modem that actually holds the phone receiver, gigantic floppy disks, or even an old-timey command prompt, nor will they know what it was like to grow up in the shadow of a possible full-scale nuclear was between America and the Evil Empire - but I have to believe they will enjoy this film nonetheless. It had been many years since I last watched Wargames, and I'm actually a little surprised at how well the film holds up all these years later.
In the event of a first strike nuclear attack by the Soviet Union, response time is of the essence if you want to live up to your end of the mutually assured destruction bargain, so it makes sense to let a computer handle as much of the response action as possible - especially when that computer is the W.O.P.R. (War Operation Plan Response). After all, the W.O.P.R. spends all of its time calculating different nuclear war scenarios, and - more importantly - it does not fall subject to the fallibility of human beings, the kind of unpredictability that sees 22% of nuclear launch commanders failing to release their birds during the most realistic of tests. Unfortunately, the W.O.P.R. has a secret backdoor that no one knows about - until, that is, a geeky teenager manages to get in through that backdoor. While trying to hack into a software company's computers to sneak a peek at their upcoming games, David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) manages to gain entry into a much more interesting game server. He and would-be girlfriend Jennifer Mack (Ally Sheedy) get a kick out of targeting American cities for destruction in a game of Global Thermonuclear War, having no idea that the folks at NORAD are staining their shorts over reports of incoming missiles from the Soviet Union - not until the three-minute scare makes the news the next day. When the W.O.P.R. actually calls back, David realizes that the game he started is still running - and that it is much more than just a game.
There's plenty of excitement and suspense as the wargame races toward an end-game scenario which could well result in the very real deaths of hundreds of millions of people. It's going to take more than a kid to convince the brass at NORAD that the incoming missiles they see on all of their screens are actually illusory, especially when that kid is suspected of treasonous espionage. Broderick, Ally Sheedy, and Dabney Coleman turn in excellent performances, but my props have to go to Barry Corbin, whose character, the eminently quotable General Jack Beringer, gets all the best lines, such as "I'd piss on a spark plug if I thought it'd do any good!" and "after very careful consideration, sir, I've come to the conclusion that your new defense system sucks."
Man, I love the 80s - and Wargames is one of the true classics from that greatest of decades.
 Teenage Film - which entertains March 5, 2006
R. Kirk (Planet Earth)
This is an interesting drama, filmed in the mid-80's. It works, because it is suspenseful, and full of wonderful plausabilities, when one considers the intrigue introduced by computer hackers.
Dated but still worth watching. July 19, 2004
Ms. H. Sinton (Ingleby Barwick. U.K.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When this movie was released it was very up to date with the technology it featured. In this day of laptop computers and Internet access to mobile phones it certainly looks dated but put that aside and you are still left with a really good movie with a plot idea that still works today.
The story revolves around an underachieving, bored teenager (played by a very young Matthew Broderick) whose main interest in life is his computer. From his bedroom he can alter his school grades, reserve flights, and download software, all by hacking into other computers. While searching for new games from a software company he comes across a set of titles he assumes are games and decides, with his girlfriend, to play Global Thermonuclear War. Unfortunately it isn't a software company he has hacked into but a military system and he is playing against NORAD's computer. When the realisation hits that the NORAD computer, when it's turn comes round, will launch atomic missiles for real, the race is on the stop the game.
This is still a gripping film that can well pump up the tension even after several viewings. Recommended
 well be back in two and two May 31, 2004
chris Peters (Chicago, IL)
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
this movie is best seen in sequence after slingblade, american psycho, kids in the hall, wag the dog, and lawnmower man. Not to be rude or anything, but I find this movie slightly erotic when the computer asks mathew if he wants to play a game. after you watch this, you need to really get the totally erotic euphoria of Bob Roberts and you got a really good movie marathon. Seriously though, if you have a blind date, rent this one and shell do anything you ask, even if she doesnt like you, I swear by this DVD as a date movie, it sets the mood just right. The performances and Brodericks beedy eyes make it a two thumbs up thriller that few other movies will come close to.
enjoy
The original W.O.P.P.E.R. April 11, 2004
B. Chandler (Arlington, Texas)
This animal is a whopper in more ways than one. All you have to do is suspend any type of belief in reality and it is a lot of fun trying to outguess the next move. Even after you have seen it a million times you will find your self kibitzing "look look look it is still running." And what is Joshua doing at the back door?
A teenager, David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) that is too tech savvy for his own good is searching for the new game on the net. He stumbles into the NORAD mainframe evidently it was DARPA/net. For those with a short lifespan DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was the precursor to the internet. We all know what happens when you do this. Yep, now David with the help if his teenage sweetie, Jennifer (Ally Sheedy) must worm his way into NORAD and stop the game or we are toast.
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