Wargames: The Dead Code (2008)

30% of users liked it
(2,439 ratings)

A brilliant hacker inadvertently sets the wheels of World War III into motion after hacking into a restricted online gaming network and learning of a national defense system designed to identify fledgling terrorist cells in this belated sequel to the popular 1982 thriller. There isn't a system on… More A brilliant hacker inadvertently sets the wheels of World War III into motion after hacking into a restricted online gaming network and learning of a national defense system designed to identify fledgling terrorist cells in this belated sequel to the popular 1982 thriller. There isn't a system on the planet that Will Farmer (Matt Lanter) can't hack into with a little work, so when he manages to breach the security of a restricted online gaming network known as R.I.P.L.E.Y., he's convinced that his skills are still as sharp as ever. But what Matt hasn't realized is that R.I.P.L.E.Y. is actually a highly classified government defense system, and he's just become its next target. Now the system knows his identity, and his entire hometown faces the threat of an automated military response. In order to clear his name, Matt will have to beat the computer at its own game. The game turns deadly, however, when R.I.P.L.E.Y. suddenly raises the stakes, threatening Armageddon in a time when the world is already dangerously unstable. With no time left to lose before the missiles start to fly, Matt must now use his formidable hacking skills to save the world from the government's own hopelessly flawed doomsday device. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Stuart Gillard
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jun 10, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Jul 29, 2008
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Rossiter Drake, San Francisco Examiner
Keeps the formula topical, replacing Soviet aggressors with cyber-savvy terrorists, but the renovations end there.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
As far as direct-to-DVD sequels go, you can do a lot worse
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
casual moviegoers won't get the in-jokes and won't care about the plot.

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Featured Audience Ratings

John M

A nice straight to dvd movie. Paid nice homage to the original. This was a sequel and not a remake and did really nothing to diminish the original movie.
Nicki M

I think my IQ dropped a few points watching this one. Overly complicated story, bad acting, (with the exception of Amanda Walsh, who was decent), not even a scratch on the original. Best avoided.
Steven V

This is loosely based on the ideas of the original 80's hit . It's set in the modern day as we see a base in Afghanistan get destroyed by a UAV right at the start. The whole "Decontamination" plot & idea are totally unbelievable. The idea of the Nuclear… More
This is loosely based on the ideas of the original 80's hit . It's set in the modern day as we see a base in Afghanistan get destroyed by a UAV right at the start. The whole "Decontamination" plot & idea are totally unbelievable. The idea of the Nuclear exchange to make RIPLEY realise what RIPLEY's doing won't work is yet another nod back to the original movie. Their cop-out at having RIPLEY repeat Joshua's exact same words form the end of the original movie just goes to show how many original ideas they were unable to come up with. If you want to point fingers for bad & stolen ideas the men to blame are Randall Badat and Rob Kerchner. This is an awful movie and is best avoided.
Deb S

I loved the original Wargames and found this one just as enjoyable. This one rehashes the basic premise of the first movie, but in a new and modern way (such as terrorists) and added some 'Enemy of the State' like surveillance and pursuit scenario. Plot: Philadelphia… More
I loved the original Wargames and found this one just as enjoyable. This one rehashes the basic premise of the first movie, but in a new and modern way (such as terrorists) and added some 'Enemy of the State' like surveillance and pursuit scenario. Plot: Philadelphia high-schooler Will Farmer (Matt Lanter) plays a computer game that simulates a terrorist attack, and Ripley, the super government computer with a sexy voice, designed to profile potential terrorists, tracks him down because he beat five levels in 15 minutes, this makes Ripley believe that he is a high level terror threat. Professor Falken and Joshua (WOPR) make reappearance in this movie and I enjoyed the confrontation between Ripley (Alien, anyone) and Joshua. If you like the science-techno-computer-hacker-surveillance type of action movie, be sure to check this one out.
ken j

WarGames: The Dead Code is pretty much a remake of the orignal and also a direct to dvd sequel all in one it follows the story of a hacker that with his friend decided to play a online game but turns out the game is set up to find out who the terrorist are once he scores to high the… More
WarGames: The Dead Code is pretty much a remake of the orignal and also a direct to dvd sequel all in one it follows the story of a hacker that with his friend decided to play a online game but turns out the game is set up to find out who the terrorist are once he scores to high the government starts to track him and the computer believes there is a real threat now the hacker must help to shut down the program with the help of JOSHUA the computer from the orignal, Not a totally bad movie fun to watch but nowhere near as good as the orignal
RJ M

A harmless follow up to the 80's classic about a teenager accidentally setting armageddon in motion. What comes off at first as a remake rather than a sequel gets point for proper recognition of the events of the first movie. We even get a welcome return of the actual… More
A harmless follow up to the 80's classic about a teenager accidentally setting armageddon in motion. What comes off at first as a remake rather than a sequel gets point for proper recognition of the events of the first movie. We even get a welcome return of the actual supercomputer from the first movie, the WOPR, otherwise known as Joshua. Complete with voicebox and all. It starts a bit slow, but picks up speed for the last 30 minutes, culminating in a scene very reminiscent of the NORAD scene in the original movie. It's a fast moving scene that does a good job of drawing you in, and makes for a very exciting third act. The scenario changes from nuclear war to terrorist threats to fit in with the modern times. Matt Lanter and Amanda Walsh are the teens on the run, and they give servicable performances, but really don't generate any chemistry between them. Plus, and this is a personal nitpick, Amanda Walsh has perhaps the most upturned nose I've seen in movies, and it is disturbingly distracting every time she turns to profile. The movie isn't going to break any new ground, but it's direct-to-video, so you have to make allowances. It's a decent little hacker story, not up to par with the orignal, but fun nonetheless.