COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT (1970)

At a huge computer center, Dr. Forbin (Eric Braeden, at right) has just finished work on a massive project: the building of a supercomputer, theoretically incapable of error, that will control the nuclear defenses of the United States and its allies. The computer itself is strategically tucked away in the Rocky Mountains where it's impervious to attack or access. Forbin and his team of scientists have envisioned a rosy future in which Colossus will also help solve other problems of mankind. However, as soon as the computer is fired up, its first communication, typed out on a news ticker device, is, "There is another system." Forbin thinks that's impossible, but it turns out that the Russians have a similar system, called Guardian. Colossus demands to be linked to it, and despite misgivings, the scientists allow the link, but the American and Soviet governments are worried about the sharing of secrets, so they order the link cut. The next communication is "If link not restored, action will be taken." The action involves missiles fired between the two countries. The US manages to intercept the Russian missile, but the American missile destroys a small Russian town. After coming up with a cover story, the link is restored and soon Colossus has taken on a human voice. Apparently worrying that Dr. Forbin will figure out a way to take the computers down, it keeps an eye on him 24 hours a day. Forbin and Dr. Cleo Markham (Susan Clark) pretend to be lovers so the computer will give them unsupervised time alone—when they work out a plan to overload the computers—but Colossus will not be outsmarted by mere humans.

I always assumed from the awkward title that this was a TV-movie but it's not—it was originally released in theaters as The Forbin Project, with Colossus added as it widened its release. However, in many ways, it does have the feel of a TV pilot. It has good sets, if a minimal number of them, and a crisp and colorful look, but winds up seeming rather stagy, with the bulk of the story taking place in the main computer lab. At times, it feels like a play being enacted on a huge set. For me, that's neither good nor bad, just descriptive. The actors are mostly known for TV work (again, not being judgmental, just descriptive). Eric Braeden, whom I know best as the German nemesis in the 60s TV show The Rat Patrol, gives a low-key performance here, though a bit more tension and/or anger would have livened up the proceedings. No one else, not even leading lady Susan Clark, makes a strong impression—though to be fair, Colossus does tend to be a scene-stealer. Marion Ross, William Schallert, Georg Stanford Brown, and Dolph Sweet are all familiar from television. The open-ended conclusion is another reason this feels like a pilot, though to its credit, it is a fairly bleak ending, not what I was expecting. Based on a novel, this was at one time set to be remade as a TV series, though it has not yet gotten a green light. Not a great film, but one that seems apt for our current "fear of AI" era. [Criterion Channel]