With HBO
announcing the release of the Westworld series, based on the 1973
film and set to premiere in fall 2016, I just had to see the original movie to
know what to expect.
Westworld as
a film packs a punch, with wonderful directing by Michael Crichton and standout
performances from the cast, especially Yul Brynner’s portrayal of a rogue
robot. The settings are also something to admire—they’re so well-crafted that
you can picture such a thing happening in real life. The movie is a thriller,
taking us on a ride of man versus machine.
HBO’s attempt to
make a series based on this movie will be the second try, as CBS attempted it
in 1980 but canceled the show after airing just two episodes.
For me, the
movie is well-structured from start to finish and doesn’t need any elongation.
But we’ll have to wait and see what HBO has in store.
This film is
more than just fun to watch—it’s enticing in the way it’s written. Michael
Crichton, who wrote and directed this film, later wrote another book based on a
failed theme park. That book became the 1990 classic and later a billion-dollar
film franchise: Jurassic Park.
This sci-fi film
is set in the near future, and Crichton captured the idea of what people would
love to experience. Interestingly, many of these things are available today.
There are now numerous parks where you can see reenactments of historical
events.
I’m not sure if
such parks existed when Crichton wrote this story, but what I do know is that
this was the first movie to introduce the concept of a computer virus
corrupting a program or machines in a theme park setting.
The movie begins
with the introduction of Delos, a park with three segments: Westworld, a
reenactment of the Old American West; Medieval World, a reenactment of medieval
Europe; and Roman World. While the movie focuses more on Westworld, we also get
glimpses of what’s happening in the other worlds.
A newcomer to
the park, Peter (Richard Benjamin), meets an old-timer, John (James Brolin), on
their way to Delos. John explains to Peter that everything in Delos feels
real—you get to live and experience life as it was in the world of your choice.
In Westworld, where they’re headed, you can kill people and choose to be either
good or bad.
The entire
Westworld is populated by both humans and androids, and the only way to tell
them apart is by their hands. Guests are given real guns, but the park’s
computer program ensures they can’t shoot humans.
The manager of
Delos notices that the machines are breaking down more often than they should
and witnesses them breaking protocol on the monitors. This leads to closing the
park to new guests, but they allow current guests to continue enjoying their
stay.
Before long, the
theme park goes rogue, and machines and humans turn on each other.
Westworld is a fun movie, and I’m glad I saw it.
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