WARGAMES (1983)

Cast

Plot

This movie is about as good as it gets from John Hughes. The plot revolves around the rather farsighted premise (this is 1983, folks!) that a young high school punk hacks into the national defence network (the old internet) and starts off a global nuclear incident. As Cold War paranoia abounds him and his girlfriend have to convince a disbelieving US military that it's all a big mistake. Sounds all a bit hokey, I know, but where the film lifts itself above the normal teen trite Hughes has been responsible for, is the beautiful simplicity of its message. This is delivered in the form of a neat little simile comparing global nuclear war to the game of Tic-Tac-Toe (that's Noughts and Crosses to you, Mr Englishman). The nature of the game is finally understood by a supercomputer, who announces to all who will listen: 'It would appear the only way to win, is not to play at all'. Genius.