Colossus - The Forbin Project

I had high hopes for this film. The central idea is hardly novel: Colossus, a supercomputer, takes over the entirety of US defence during the cold war and is rather more intelligent than anyone anticipated. Think Matthew Broderick's War Games, with a liberal sprinkling of Dr Strangelove, Colossus being used as a disincentive to war but also having a Soviet counterpart. Despite showing its age now, the supercomputer set in an age where more powerful meant bigger - much bigger - due to the microchip being a few years away, the style of the film is great. The opening scenes where the computer is switched on and sealed by Dr Forbin give a real sense of scale and retro-cool. And for the first 45 minutes, despite the well known plot, the film is really pretty brilliant. Set in just a couple of rooms, fast-paced, fairly realistic in its political dynamic, it is claustrophobic, taut and tense. Unfortunately, it all starts to fall apart then, in concept and execution. We have an odd and rather implausible trip to Rome, a cheesy, unrealistic love story (not much above the level of Captain Kirk) and the story descends into a fairly mundane sub-Frankenstein story. From a story that promised something novel, at least in execution, we are left at least with a moral question over the concept of freedom for human society (think the Zeroth law in Asimov's Robot stories) but little else to think about. Still, half a very good film and a second half that is more average than poor still equates to decent entertainment and 3 stars.

I first read the novel on which this film is based around ten years ago, and only just found out it had been adapted!

The novel is shortish, and so is the film, although from what I remember little if anything has been ommitted from the original story, and the result is a pleasantly suspensful gem of a film that ticks all the boxes. I can only hope that this film is unbeknown to modern day studios and doesn't suffer the indignity of a remake. Although, I'm certain James Cameron knows ALL about this one...

The film was based on a novel by Dennis Feltham Jones, which was published in 1966, and watching it is an enjoyable romp – at least as much of a romp as a story about a computer can be. It is a movie in which an American supercomputer goes power crazy and tries to take over the world, all with an added cold war twist. Inevitably it is dated, but not in a bad way. The drink of the moment was a martini, and the viewer was given good advice on how to mix the perfect one, also the attempt to cover the naked extremities of Forbin and his mistress also raised a smile. Likewise, of all the voices in the world that Colossus could have chosen, the synthesized voice he/it eventually picked was such a bad one, and it was this element which dated the film the most. My only disappointment was with the sudden ending. If the remake does eventually take place I hope it extends the plot a little. Overall a great movie.

A great cult film, in fact a must see. The questions raised are just as potent today, the ending unexpected and the comedy well delivered. No big names, no 'superfilm' status but definitely worth renting. A precursor to iRobot. Watch it.

I loved this movie as a kid but hadn't seen since 1985 so thought I'd revisit it with post-Terminator post-Matrix eyes and...it was still good. It's a product of its times - punched tape and capacitors, a Kennedy-clone president, everyone smokes and wears those only-in-the-60s costumes (shudder). But it's short, to-the-point, suspenseful, solidly directed, and thought-provoking. Well worth an hour and a half of your time! And, as another reviewer commented - great ending!