Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cvl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!joe
From: joe@cvl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: WarGames: A minority opinion
Message-ID: <454@cvl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Jul-83 17:23:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: cvl.454
Posted: Fri Jul  1 17:23:50 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Jul-83 07:37:12 EDT
References: <2621@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Md. Computer Vision Lab
Lines: 24

Of course, it's just a movie.  But if you're going to argue that we
shouldn't critically evaluate it on the grounds that "this is a
science-fiction/fantasy/monster film," well...I don't have any interest
whatsoever in such films.  What you really mean is it's a B-movie
bug-eyed monster film.  And a bunch of reviewers are going around
talking about it as if it weren't.

Completely disregarding the technology, there was still absolutely
NOTHING believable about WarGames.  The characters were one
dimensional, the plot was silly, the actions had no visible
motivations, and moral was subtly revealed with a sledgehammer.
There's no question of "realism" here.  But if you can't suspend
disbelief, then what's the point in sitting through the movie?

If the film was really about giving control to human beings instead of
computers, then it did a poor job of demonstrating the "favored"
alternative.  I'm sorry, but the way the human beings in WarGames
behaved, I sure hope that the computers are in charge.  At least they
don't do things without SOME sort of justification.

Yours for a sane society,

joe pallas