--- title: "WarGames: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wargames/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/wargames" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # WarGames (1983): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like WarGames, and the praise gathers in two places: the premise and Matthew Broderick. The idea of a teenager dialling into a military computer and mistaking it for a game is called irresistible more than once, and Broderick’s hacker, reasoning with adults and machines alike, is singled out throughout. John Badham gets credit for keeping a patchy script moving, and several reviews find the film holds up as a story about computer security and growing up. The reservations cluster around the ending and the adults. Empire finds the late chases and sentimental finish weaker than what precedes them; Variety thinks the grown-up characters are thin. The two coolest notices are among the oldest: The New York Times finds the climax more comic than frightening and the film unwilling to think seriously about nuclear war, and The New Yorker, enjoying the early comedy, objects to the cautionary message and to generals played as buffoons. The spread runs from warm to lukewarm, with no outright dislike. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 1983. The critic calls it a scary and intelligent thriller, one of the best films of the year, praising its convincing computer premise and entertaining execution that balances technical details with emotional engagement. He highlights the director's skillful weaving of computerese, personalities, and puzzles, along with a wonderful ending. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wargames-1983) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating A-. 30 July 2008. The critic praises the film's blend of Cold War paranoia with timeless themes like internet security and coming of age, noting John Badham's light touch on the script. He highlights Matthew Broderick's performance as the teen hacker trying to reason with both adults and computers. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/wargames-1798204628) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 2015. The film is tense and witty in its conclusion, with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy working well together in the story of a hacker who nearly triggers nuclear war. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11565327/WarGames-review-tense.html) ## Empire — Simon Braund Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2006. The film remains a chilling techno-thriller with strong tension from the computer game premise and Matthew Broderick's performance. Later chase sequences and a sentimental ending weaken it. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/war-games-review/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1982. The critic finds the script has short circuits but praises director John Badham for soldering it into a terrifically exciting story driven by an irresistible idea about a smart kid causing and resolving global trouble. It notes weaknesses in the adult characters but commends the performances, especially Matthew Broderick. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/wargames-1200425336/) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 1983. The critic praises the sly, affectionate comedy in the first part centering on a teenage computer enthusiast who accidentally accesses a military system. She faults the film’s cautionary nuclear message and its clichéd portrayal of generals as buffoons. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1983/06/13/wrapping-it-up-2) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 1983. The review describes it as an entertaining movie that tends to disappear from memory quickly, with an irresistible initial gimmick about a kid hacking into a defense computer but notes the climax is more comic than terrifying. It suggests the film has not given enough thought to the real possibility of thermonuclear war. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/03/movies/wargames-a-computer-fantasy.html) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wargames.md