Review of WarGames (1983) by Joel A — 09 Jul 2011

[65/C+] This is a smart, coiled little caper that taps into the booming paradigm of computers of the early 80s. Broderick is well-suited as a precocious suburban teen, whose enthusiasm for PC tech (looking mighty clunky in its early incarnations) is coupled with an impish predilection for hacking and altering school records, and a thrill-seeking curiosity for breaching mainframes in quest of fun and games.

And, of course, it is all fun and games until he unwittingly goes a little too far. And that goes for the movie, as well. What starts as an amusing and engagingly boyish thriller, riding the intelligent perceptions and whims of Broderick's protagonist, loses its focus as things get all heavy and mock-desperate. The forgettable second half, losing the defter touches of earlier scenes, tends to sink a peculiarly charming momentum. But it's still mostly very watchable.