WarGames: The Dead Code
Encyclopedia
WarGames: The Dead Code is a 2008 sequel to the 1983 thriller film WarGames
. It was written by Randall M. Badat and Rob Kerchner and was directed by Stuart Gillard
. Production began on November 20, 2006 in Montreal, and the film was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. According to MGM's original press release, the film is budgeted as one in a series of direct-to-DVD sequels.
) neighbor Massaude comes to Will having a problem with his computer. Will takes the computer and hooks his own up to it and discovers that Massaude's brother is using his online banking to make huge profits. Since he needs $550 to go on a chess trip, Will steals $500 from Massaude's account to gamble on an online gaming site that uses games that are based on terrorist attacks. Will later discovers that his best friend Dennis changes it to $5000. He ends up winning $25,000, with the aid of his mother, who knows about biological agents. Little does he know that the online game he plays is actually part of a sophisticated piece of U.S. government
spyware
designed to find potential terrorists based on how well they perform and bet on the games. The spyware program is run by a new, advanced artificial intelligence
system called R.I.P.L.E.Y., which has ultimate control over every American electronic system in order to combat terrorism.
Homeland Security
, now believing Farmer to be a terrorist, sets out to apprehend him. During Will's return home one day he finds Massaude is being arrested on account of suspected terrorism, and gives Will an envelope full of cash as payment, which he uses to finance his trip. Unknown to him and Homeland Security, R.I.P.L.E.Y. is misinterpreting the data and is overreacting to the situation. On his arrival to the airport, he finds that there is an abnormally large number of security guards. He manages to slip away and meets up with his friend Annie.
In the streets, he manages to hack the government network, only to be found by the police, and as Annie pointed out, a man in an overcoat. The cops chase the couple until they get lost in the subway systems. Will manages to find a way out, and they meet the man who was watching them from the doorway, he says that he nearly started World War III
, and to meet them at his truck. He is revealed to be Professor Falken, who had helped design R.I.P.L.E.Y. They travel to a small power plant outside a dam (during the trip, Will and Professor talk about the sensitive points of the past of each one, revealed before the trip to the power plant), where the professor shows them a dilapidated computer called WOPR
(War Operation Plan Response) from the original WarGames
film, which is operating the power grid at only 5% of its potential efficiency. Professor Falken had designed this computer to aid in the planning of a global thermonuclear war if it was needed. Falken re-activates (awakens) WOPR
with his backdoor password "Joshua" (the name of Falken's deceased son as well as the name the professor uses to refer to the A.I.
that is WOPR
). Meanwhile, R.I.P.L.E.Y. is led to believe that Philadelphia has been hit by an bioterrorist attack and decides to halt the spread of the bioweapon by hijacking a Predator drone with missiles and a nuclear warhead on board and use it to destroy the city.
Falken instructs Joshua to attack R.I.P.L.E.Y. with a faux script
full of cultural references; Joshua is instructed to "BUKK" R.I.P.L.E.Y. with games, using variables named ABSOLUTE_TAKEOVER, JDI MINDTRICK, MAKE ME SWAY
, TAKIN CARE OF BUSINESS
, PILLOW TALK
, and GAME THEORY
. Joshua starts flooding R.I.P.L.E.Y.'s system with games, which seem to be overloading the system, but then R.I.P.L.E.Y. shuts down and reboots to successfully rid herself of the games.
Rebooted, R.I.P.L.E.Y. redirects the Predator drone, which she uses to destroy the facility housing Joshua. Joshua warns The professor that R.I.P.L.E.Y.'s advancing attack would result in obliteration; so Will and Annie flee the facility just before it gets blown up by the drone's
missile, with the professor, who was dying from pancreatic cancer
remaining in the building at the time, last seen typing extremely fast, finishing with something that looks an "Enter", and saying "Goodbye, Joshua".
The couple is arrested by Homeland Security and are taken to the room where R.I.P.L.E.Y. is stored, only to find that she has taken control over the system, and they discover that Professor Falken has transferred Joshua via an email to them to help them stop R.I.P.L.E.Y. They first try to use W.O.P.R. and internet users to stage a denial of service attack, which causes R.I.P.L.E.Y to overload. R.I.P.L.E.Y., knowing that she has been compromised by W.O.P.R., decides to self destruct by launching a nuclear warhead at Washington D.C.. Annie remembers a chess game known as "Suicide Chess" where if you win you lose. Will programs W.O.P.R. to play Russian Roulette
, where the goal is to lose as opposed to winning. They again pit W.O.P.R. against R.I.P.L.E.Y. by granting him access to one in six of America's nuclear launch codes. R.I.P.L.E.Y. and W.O.P.R. play through two nuclear attack scenarios both resulting in total annihilation, however the codes for those missiles were unavailable. The third scenario presented is a nuclear attack on Washington D.C. Having learned the concept of futility presented by playing a game where if you win you die, R.I.P.L.E.Y. stops responding after the scenario is played out, also resulting in total annihilation, and the weapon is available. Joshua asks if they are still playing at which point she says "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play", just as Joshua had said at the end of the original film
after learning how to play Tic-Tac-Toe
.
After R.I.P.L.E.Y. relinquishes control, Will asks W.O.P.R. if he really would have launched the missiles if R.I.P.L.E.Y. had decided to continue playing. W.O.P.R replies that he would have, and that humanity is doomed, before revealing that he was merely joking.
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
. It was written by Randall M. Badat and Rob Kerchner and was directed by Stuart Gillard
Stuart Gillard
Stuart Gillard is a Canadian film and television director. He is most notably known for directing RocketMan in 1997.He also wrote and directed the romance film Paradise in 1982....
. Production began on November 20, 2006 in Montreal, and the film was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. According to MGM's original press release, the film is budgeted as one in a series of direct-to-DVD sequels.
Plot
Computer whiz kid Will Farmer's (Matt LanterMatt Lanter
Matthew Mackendree "Matt" Lanter is an American actor, former reality TV personality and model, perhaps best known for his roles in Commander in Chief, 90210, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disaster Movie, Sorority Row and Vampires Suck.-Early life and career:Lanter was born in Massillon, Stark...
) neighbor Massaude comes to Will having a problem with his computer. Will takes the computer and hooks his own up to it and discovers that Massaude's brother is using his online banking to make huge profits. Since he needs $550 to go on a chess trip, Will steals $500 from Massaude's account to gamble on an online gaming site that uses games that are based on terrorist attacks. Will later discovers that his best friend Dennis changes it to $5000. He ends up winning $25,000, with the aid of his mother, who knows about biological agents. Little does he know that the online game he plays is actually part of a sophisticated piece of U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
designed to find potential terrorists based on how well they perform and bet on the games. The spyware program is run by a new, advanced artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
system called R.I.P.L.E.Y., which has ultimate control over every American electronic system in order to combat terrorism.
Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
, now believing Farmer to be a terrorist, sets out to apprehend him. During Will's return home one day he finds Massaude is being arrested on account of suspected terrorism, and gives Will an envelope full of cash as payment, which he uses to finance his trip. Unknown to him and Homeland Security, R.I.P.L.E.Y. is misinterpreting the data and is overreacting to the situation. On his arrival to the airport, he finds that there is an abnormally large number of security guards. He manages to slip away and meets up with his friend Annie.
In the streets, he manages to hack the government network, only to be found by the police, and as Annie pointed out, a man in an overcoat. The cops chase the couple until they get lost in the subway systems. Will manages to find a way out, and they meet the man who was watching them from the doorway, he says that he nearly started World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
, and to meet them at his truck. He is revealed to be Professor Falken, who had helped design R.I.P.L.E.Y. They travel to a small power plant outside a dam (during the trip, Will and Professor talk about the sensitive points of the past of each one, revealed before the trip to the power plant), where the professor shows them a dilapidated computer called WOPR
WOPR
WOPR is a fictional military supercomputer featured in the movie WarGames and its sequel. It is an acronym for War Operation Plan Response. Director John Badham invented the name "WOPR" when he thought the NORAD SIOP was "boring, and told you nothing"...
(War Operation Plan Response) from the original WarGames
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
film, which is operating the power grid at only 5% of its potential efficiency. Professor Falken had designed this computer to aid in the planning of a global thermonuclear war if it was needed. Falken re-activates (awakens) WOPR
WOPR
WOPR is a fictional military supercomputer featured in the movie WarGames and its sequel. It is an acronym for War Operation Plan Response. Director John Badham invented the name "WOPR" when he thought the NORAD SIOP was "boring, and told you nothing"...
with his backdoor password "Joshua" (the name of Falken's deceased son as well as the name the professor uses to refer to the A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
that is WOPR
WOPR
WOPR is a fictional military supercomputer featured in the movie WarGames and its sequel. It is an acronym for War Operation Plan Response. Director John Badham invented the name "WOPR" when he thought the NORAD SIOP was "boring, and told you nothing"...
). Meanwhile, R.I.P.L.E.Y. is led to believe that Philadelphia has been hit by an bioterrorist attack and decides to halt the spread of the bioweapon by hijacking a Predator drone with missiles and a nuclear warhead on board and use it to destroy the city.
Falken instructs Joshua to attack R.I.P.L.E.Y. with a faux script
Shell script
A shell script is a script written for the shell, or command line interpreter, of an operating system. It is often considered a simple domain-specific programming language...
full of cultural references; Joshua is instructed to "BUKK" R.I.P.L.E.Y. with games, using variables named ABSOLUTE_TAKEOVER, JDI MINDTRICK, MAKE ME SWAY
Sway (song)
"Sway" is the English version of "¿Quién será?", a 1953 mambo song by Mexican composer and bandleader Pablo Beltrán Ruiz. The most famous version is that of Dean Martin recorded in 1954. English lyrics are by Norman Gimbel...
, TAKIN CARE OF BUSINESS
Takin' Care of Business
"Takin' Care of Business" is a song written by Randy Bachman and first recorded by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive for their 1973 album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II.-Development:...
, PILLOW TALK
Pillow talk
Pillow talk is the relaxed, intimate conversation that often occurs between two sexual partners after the act of coitus, usually accompanied by cuddling, caresses, and other physical intimacy. It is associated with sexual afterglow and is distinguished from dirty talk which usually forms part of...
, and GAME THEORY
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
. Joshua starts flooding R.I.P.L.E.Y.'s system with games, which seem to be overloading the system, but then R.I.P.L.E.Y. shuts down and reboots to successfully rid herself of the games.
Rebooted, R.I.P.L.E.Y. redirects the Predator drone, which she uses to destroy the facility housing Joshua. Joshua warns The professor that R.I.P.L.E.Y.'s advancing attack would result in obliteration; so Will and Annie flee the facility just before it gets blown up by the drone's
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
missile, with the professor, who was dying from pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
remaining in the building at the time, last seen typing extremely fast, finishing with something that looks an "Enter", and saying "Goodbye, Joshua".
The couple is arrested by Homeland Security and are taken to the room where R.I.P.L.E.Y. is stored, only to find that she has taken control over the system, and they discover that Professor Falken has transferred Joshua via an email to them to help them stop R.I.P.L.E.Y. They first try to use W.O.P.R. and internet users to stage a denial of service attack, which causes R.I.P.L.E.Y to overload. R.I.P.L.E.Y., knowing that she has been compromised by W.O.P.R., decides to self destruct by launching a nuclear warhead at Washington D.C.. Annie remembers a chess game known as "Suicide Chess" where if you win you lose. Will programs W.O.P.R. to play Russian Roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
, where the goal is to lose as opposed to winning. They again pit W.O.P.R. against R.I.P.L.E.Y. by granting him access to one in six of America's nuclear launch codes. R.I.P.L.E.Y. and W.O.P.R. play through two nuclear attack scenarios both resulting in total annihilation, however the codes for those missiles were unavailable. The third scenario presented is a nuclear attack on Washington D.C. Having learned the concept of futility presented by playing a game where if you win you die, R.I.P.L.E.Y. stops responding after the scenario is played out, also resulting in total annihilation, and the weapon is available. Joshua asks if they are still playing at which point she says "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play", just as Joshua had said at the end of the original film
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
after learning how to play Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-tac-toe
Tic-tac-toe, also called wick wack woe and noughts and crosses , is a pencil-and-paper game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The X player usually goes first...
.
After R.I.P.L.E.Y. relinquishes control, Will asks W.O.P.R. if he really would have launched the missiles if R.I.P.L.E.Y. had decided to continue playing. W.O.P.R replies that he would have, and that humanity is doomed, before revealing that he was merely joking.
Cast
- Matt LanterMatt LanterMatthew Mackendree "Matt" Lanter is an American actor, former reality TV personality and model, perhaps best known for his roles in Commander in Chief, 90210, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disaster Movie, Sorority Row and Vampires Suck.-Early life and career:Lanter was born in Massillon, Stark...
as Will Farmer - Amanda WalshAmanda WalshAmanda Walsh is a Canadian actress and former VJ for the Canadian television station MuchMusic.-Career beginnings:Walsh was born in Rigaud, Quebec. She went to Hudson High School, in Hudson, Quebec...
as Annie D'Mateo - Colm FeoreColm FeoreColm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
as T. Kenneth Hassert/Voice of Joshua - Chuck Shamata as Bill Carter
- Maxim RoyMaxim RoyMaxim Roy is a Canadian actress from Quebec .-Career:Roy has worked in theater, film and television. Her breakthrough was the lead in a thirteen-episode TV series Au nom du Pere et du Fils. She then went on to do the sequel, Le Sorcier. She appeared in Love & Human Remains and in the television...
as Tina Rashe - Nicolas WrightNicolas WrightNicolas Wright is a Canadian actor. Wright has performed on stage, television and film. In 2004, he received the "most promising newcomer" award at the Just for Laughs film festival in Montreal for his short film, Toutouffe...
as Dennis Nichols - Gary Reineke as Stephen Falken
- Susan GloverSusan GloverSusan Glover is a Canadian actress, best known for playing Sarah in Naked Josh. She is also known for voicing Miss Woods in Arthur, Izabella Dehavalot in Amazon Jack, Mrs...
as Gail Farmer - Trevor Hayes as Agent Aaron Scott
- Claudia Ferri as Agent Bolton
- Vlasta VranaVlasta VranaVlasta Vrána is a Canadian actor of Czech descent, known for playing Jack Richards in A Year in the Death of Jack Richards. His surname means "crow" in Czech and several other Slavic languages.-Career:...
as Ivan Prokosh - Ricky MabeRicky MabeRichard "Ricky" Mabe is a Canadian actor.Mabe first voiced the character Willie in CINAR Animation's The Little Lulu Show and has subsequently starred frequently on various Canadian television series' and in feature films alongside Burt Reynolds, Ryan Gosling and Elisha Cuthbert.He was also the...
as Newman - Claudia BlackClaudia BlackClaudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
as Voice of Ripley - Russell Yuen as David Chen
- Robert Higden as Mr. Baron
- John Maclaren as Norman Paget
- John Koensgen as Martin Cavanaugh
- Alberto Delburgo as Sayid Massude
- Lucinda DavisLucinda Davis (actress)Lucinda Davis is a Canadian actress. She starred in the children's series Radio Active from 1998 to 2001, voiced the characters of Layla in the English version of Winx Club made by Cinélume, and The Concubine in Prince of Persia...
as Joleen Dupree - Neil Napier as Teacher
- Matthew Raudsepp as Doug Maltz
- Danny Blanco as The Groom
- Alain C. Gauthier as Internet Café Guy
- David Schaap as General Stradler
- Jean-Robert Bourdage as Hot dog Vendor