Colossus - The Forbin Project

In considering both the book and the film please do remember the book was first published in 1966, and the film was made in 1969 - 30 years ago. Man had only just walked on the moon. Computers have developed further and faster than space travel. Looked at from that perspective the film still stands scrutiny.

This was my father's first book, and written for two reasons a) to see if he could and b) as a celebration of the human spirit which will never give in.

Try and find the book(s) if you can, they are worth reading


A thoughtful classic but should have been full screen   April 27, 2006
Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States)
26 out of 28 found this review helpful

Colossus-The Forbin Project, although slightly dated as regards today's computer technology, is nevertheless a science fiction classic. This movie was derived from the novel bearing the same title, and is a very faithful, and effective, reproduction of the novel.
The premise is simple--what will be earth's next dominant species after mankind? The answer? Mankind will be succeeded by, and dominated by, the artificial intelligences that mankind itself creates. The film effectively tells the story as to how such a thing could come about. This is a chilling tale of the end of human dominance of the earth and the beginning of the dominance of the earth's new masters. The acting and direction in this film are quite good, and manage to make this tale seem quite believable.

What a shame this DVD is not a full-screen reproduction of the film, and is instead reformatted for the TV screen. It is painfully obvious to the viewer that one is not seeing the entire picture, and it is inexplicable that this DVD did not offer the full reproduction of the film in filmscreen aspect. Perhaps someday such a reproduction will be offered. When it is, many of us will want to snap it up.

This annoying and significant imperfection aside, this is a very enjoyable viewing experience, a good film, well worth repeated viewings and a must in the science fiction afficianado's collection.


This Is The Voice Of World Control...   November 24, 2000
David J Candy
22 out of 25 found this review helpful

Every five years or so - usually quite often by chance - I'll catch an obscure, low-key movie on late-night television that will enthral and mesmerise my interest through either a really great story or stylistic visual look. Colossus: The Forbin Project is one of those movies.

The basic premise of the movie is a vast computer system, named Colossus, built by the computer genius Dr. Charles Forbin to manage the United States nuclear missile stockpile - thus successfully eliminating the potential dangers of nuclear war due to man's irrational and emotional reaction by allowing a rational decision-making machine to safeguard the American defences.

As mankind soon discovers, much to the dismay of its creators, Colossus does its job far better than originally programmed to do.

Once activated (I just love those scenes at the beginning where the lights in the complex are turned on), Colossus soon detects the existence of a Soviet counterpart system (named Guardian) and requests, no... orders its creators to have Colossus linked up to the Soviet machine.

Once the two systems are able to communicate on the same level (they devise their own computer programming language that only they know), the Colossus-Guardian system begins to issue demands on the threat of nuclear death.

What follows the fast-paced attempt by Forbin and his colleagues to somehow dismantle the threat posed by Colossus before the computer gains too much power.

The movie ends on a gloomy note. Colossus has just broadcast over television his ultimatum-greeting to the world ("This is the Voice of World Control...") and then detonates an American missile silo to show that it means business. Until this point, Dr. Forbin had shown himself to be calm and civil while dealing with his `problem child'. The shock of Colossus' cold murder leads Forbin to believe himself to be the cause for this new terror unleashed on the world.

Granted, the dated 1970s 'futuristic' feel is fully evident here. The computer terminals are very big and antiquated compared to our present-day PC terminals and Colossus' raspy electronic voice is typically Kraftwerk-esque robotics at its very finest. However, considering that this was evidently a low-budget film, the sets are still executed suitably and superbly.

A fellow cinema buff told me that Colossus: The Forbin Project bombed in the theatres mainly due to its sudden, depressing ending and an obvious lack of big-name stars. In my opinion, the acting by Eric Braedon and Susan Clark is excellent, and so too are the rest of supporting cast.

It is these very factors along with the tight storyline that actually give the movie its strength.