Yesterday I saw “Wargames” in SonyPix, while switching between channels, (at that time the match was boring)… The movie was released in 1983. A very old movie , but the initial sequence of the movie , got the attention towards it.
The movie is about the period of the cold war between USA and Soviet. The starting scene goes like this,Two scientist in Military operation center,takes the shift and starting the work for the day. After sometime, they are getting nuclear missile alert, i.e. Nuclear Missile Launch command from the top. But they are not doing the launch. Actually it was not a original command, it was a psychological test , where 20% of the members are failing in this test.(not launching the missile). So the management decides to automate the whole system. So they are ending up with “War Operation Plan Response” or WOPR for the same.
David, a high school student, who is interested in small network hacking, (in introduction he hacks into the school network and changes his grade from F to A) and interested in games. One day he accidentally get into the WOPR network , where he finds lots of games. He gains the access on to the games part of that network. He tries to hack the system using several password,but he fails. but after lots of discoveries he found Dr.Falken, who developed the system , and studies about him more and finds the password is “josuha” , his son name.
He successfully cracked in to the system and commands the system to play a game, “Global Thermonuclear War”, which is the nuclear attack game between Soviet and USA. He chooses , Soviet as player and launches missiles over Seattle and Las Vegas, without knowing the consequences. The Command initiates the system and raises the high alert in the Military operation center (MOC). The message reaches till President, and David come to know this via News channels. Being a afraid kid , he runs-away from home. The WOPR contacts David and tells that the games in progress and still to win. David arrested by FBI and bring in to chief of the operations John , (who was the assistant for Falken). By enquiring David , John came to know its just Simulation, but nobody believes. David again escaping from MOC with a school team who visits the place. He leaves to Goose island where Falken lives, with his girl friend. After so much talk with Falken (he tells the name of his son and gets the interest) . Falken come to know the problem and willing to help David.
Meanwhile reacting WOPR’s simulations, MOc initiates attack over Soviet. Falken comes for the help and suggests the General that its only the simulation. General calls the air force bases and confirms its only the simulation , it has no impact on the bases. But now they are not able to stop the launch command, the control is got by WOPR, even with the password they cant break the system. WOPR initiates the launch command with 10 digit code, which itself creates and fixing the time to attack.
Falken comes up with an idea to avoid this. He asks David to play a game with WOPR and try to take control. But nothing works. David founds that all the games are implemented in the system , except tic-tac-toe, which is a self learning game, so he starts tic-tac-toe, the players are WOPR and WOPR itself. After attempting many tries , WOPR results only with “no winner”. It tries all the combination ,but all games ends with tie. Meanwhile the launch code got discovered and WOPR aborts the game and calculates the effect of simulations on attack with US. and also to Soviet. and declaring the result as No Winner. It calculates the scenario with all the countries with nuclear missile strikes, enter into loop , resulting “no winner”. After this much complicated loop, WOPR comes to a conclusion and displays that “this is a strange, game” , there is no point in play ahead, and calling the crew to choose some other game. MOC cheers this victory over WOPR and congrats David and Falken for their efforts.
The movie was nicely written , even after 24 years it creates same tension. But by seeing a big machine with blinking LCD’s , somehow I suddenly remember captain , I donno y ? 🙂
Nice movie to watch , try ur luck ,if Sony PiX replays it in sometime….
My Dreams 