Customer Reviews
Great movie. Poor DVD Release - By: Bruce Flynn, 10 Jun 2008 
This is an excellent movie, but disappointing that it has only been released in the inferior 'pan-and-scan'release. The laser-disc version from a number of years ago was at least a widescreen version, so not worth buying in this 4:3 format.
Disappointing such an inferior release for such a cult movie.
Chilling tale of technology turning on its masters! - By: Mr. C. Evans, 22 Apr 2006 
I cannot recommend this film enough. It is a gripping, well crafted & intelligent tale that is as relevant today as it was almost forty years ago.
The supercomputer 'Colossus' is activated, bringing alll of the United States' nuclear arsenal under its control. Shortly after coming on line, Colossus detects the Russian's very own supercomputer, named Guardian.
As the two computers begin to 'communicate' & learn at an alarming rate, the American & Russian governments attempt to sever contact. As a result Colossus launches a missile attack against Russia & demands that its creator, Dr. Charles Forbin be put under its surveillance.
As Forbin plots to destroy his creation, Colossus makes its plans for the future of the human race...
The conclusion of "Colossus" is as chilling as it is unfogettable. I wonder if James Cameron was influenced by this movie (along with "Westworld") when he came up with the concept for "The Terminator"?
My only gripe is not with the film itself but with the DVD. For some incomprehensible reason, the pan & scan format is still popular with the American market. Although it doesn't ruin the viewing experience too much, it would have been great to have seen this in its proper widescreen format.
In the age of widescreen televisions & anamorphic widescreen DVD transfers there reallly is no excuse!
Regardless, I urge you to buy this film, it is simply too good to slip under the radar & thus it gets full marks.
Based on a novel by D.F. Jones - By: B. Chandler, 30 Nov 2004 The Colossus movie scenario is sort of a combination of "War Games" in the sense of getting out of hand & the novel "This Perfect Day" in which alll of society is regulated.
The use of good, but not over the top, actors gave an eerie feeling of reality to this film.
It is 1966 with the complexities of nuclear war we must turn to artificial intelligence to handle the multitude of factors in a reasonable time. We must keep in mind that this computer "Colossus" (named after the real life machine by Turing) can only do our bidding.
What is this? Colossus has discovered another entity in Russia (Guardian), & requests to converse with it. Well we can always pull the plug (yeah sure.) To counter the threat of being sociallly separated the computers threaten to launch nuclear missiles. At the U.S. & Russia. Getting increasingly pushier Colossus, after requesting voice recognition & voice synthesis (a spooky sixties version of voice synthesis), goes on to regulate the lives of the people who created it; of course it is for their own good.
One can put up with nuclear war if need be, but regulating lives is intolerable. Something must be done. Watch & see what unique solutions are planned. Will they succeed? Who are you rooting for?
War Games - 25th Anniversary Edition [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
