Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

'Westworld (1973)' is now better known as the source-material for the acclaimed television series, though it's actually a seminal piece of science-fiction in its own right that inspired far more than just its own remake. Indeed, Yul Brynner's dead-eyed, unflinching and dread-inducing 'Robot Gunslinger' is the grandfather to not only the eponymous 'The Terminator (1984)' but also, perhaps slightly less obviously, the relentless Michael Myers from 'Halloween (1978)'. Of course, the idea of a corporation putting cash before customers, and their safety, is one practically inherent in the sci-fi genre, and cinema in general, but this was one of the first features to use that conceit so heavily and to do so in conjunction with the now common theme of machine turning against man. While we're on the subject of firsts, it's also interesting to note that this was the first picture to feature computer-generated imagery - and not just on monitors, in the form of the pixelated vision of the 'Robot Gunslinger'. These P.O.V. shots, which took eight hours to render ten seconds (not bad considering the infancy of the technology), add a lot to the believability of and ominous nature surrounding the killer bot run amok and, though they look somewhat dated now and it is difficult to believe they provide the superior aiming they supposedly do, are an impressive effect considering the age of the piece. The effects in general are pretty remarkable. Every android seems as such, especially when they are pulled apart and put back together again. Rich, paint-like squibs explode ruby red when someone gets shot, compounding the piece within the era but also giving it a distinct, slightly comic-book aesthetic. You believe this is an amusement park and that everything is built to be specifically the way it is, replicating real-life but never exactly getting it spot-on because that just wouldn't be 'fun.' In this way, the slightly less realistic blood makes more sense as it usually sprays from androids and if you, as a guest, saw the real gore when you 'killed' a foe, it wouldn't have the same 'movie' appeal. The violence isn't flinched away from but is never too graphic, allowing the movie to be entertaining first even when it is at its most suspenseful. These moments are perhaps when it works the best, when our hero runs for his life from the never-ceasing chase of his new enemy. It is also a joy when we are introduced to the park along with the protagonist, seeing the wonders of 'Westworld' first-hand. Where it falters slightly is in its structure. There is time spent with the scientists seeing small signs of things going wrong which should be building tension, but these people aren't really characters and so it kills the pace. As do the 'Romanworld' and 'Medievalworld' asides. This version of the 'robot uprising' doesn't have any sentience attached to it either. Just unthinking machines calculatingly killing anything with a high-body temperature. The film is enjoyable throughout, though. It's just that it could have used with some tightening in the pacing and structure department. 6/10

Campy as this movie is, you can really see the genius of the premise, written and directed by Michael Crichton. Well ahead of its time in 1973, when computers were far from ubiquitous, it shows the inevitable progression of robot technology, and 'computers designing computers'. There are also some fantastic shot sequences in the second half of the movie, particularly as rogue robot (Yul Brunner) hunts down one of the guests (Richard Benjamin) at Westworld. This also prefetches the 'Terminator' series. Unfortunately, I can only recommend it with reservations, because the first half of the movie is too silly, alternating between cliché scenes in a saloon and lame attempts at humor. Dick Van Patten's character is just ridiculous. The sex scene between Benjamin and the robot prostitute is too, with a corny preamble and then some laugh out loud rolling back and forth. There's just not enough darkness and grit in the first half, and I don't necessarily mean not enough hardcore violence, I mean it's just too light. Part of the problem is in casting Benjamin, and another part is in direction and editing towards a PG rating.The film does redeem itself when the robots snap. Yul Brunner turns in a great performance and the look in his eyes is memorable. There is real tension, and I loved how the film also combined at least parts of 'Medieval World' and 'Rome World' into the story, though it could have done more. You have to cut it some slack for having been made in 1973, and appreciate it for the outstanding premise, the potential of which Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy recognized before creating HBO's series.

It is important to note the context that this is viewed and reviewed after watching the highly popular TV series which goes by the same name. So some of the observations (maybe most) could be comparative in nature. The simplistic approach at times exploitative of the premise is what works the best - there is some genuine fun to be had. However it was far too ambitious and ahead of its times and doesn't seem to have aged too well especially the technology part - for that matter it is the same case even with the current TV series. Delos Westworld is a futuristic theme park accessible via an hovercraft consisting of 3 worlds - Lawless Western, Roman and Medieval. It provides a real escape vacation to its visitors to have a time of their lives without fear of consequences. All the worlds are populated with sophisticated robots that look, talk and behave like humans where each are programmed a character and a narrative - but one rule abides them all - never harm a guest. The supervisor at the park's service facility starts to observe an increasing trend of malfunctioning robots leading to unprogrammed behavior by the hosts.Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) is visiting the theme park for the first time with his buddy John Blane (James Brolin) who has been there before. When a gunslinger (Yul Brynner) teases Peter at a saloon and eggs him on for a duel, after initial reluctance Peter draws his gun and kills the gunslinger. This ice breaker works well for Peter who starts to have fun along with James going from one adventure to another including another slaying of the gunslinger. When the robots unprogrammed behavior continues to rise, the management decides to stop further guests from coming in and plans to deal with it. Can it be contained or will it spiral out of control?The theme park expanding to other genre worlds like medieval and Roman is exciting to watch even while the primary focus still remains in the Westworld. Michael Crichton is one of the most acclaimed science fiction writers of this generation but not known for his subtlety, he takes this to whole new level by helming the director's seat for this one. His trademark mix of mainstream action and highly researched science fiction is highly evident and works again here. The production values has to be appreciated, it looks grand and adequate by all means when watching the movie but when you think back on the scale - more is shown than spent. The leads Richard Benjamin and James Brolin seems to be having the time of their lives with breezy performances while the eternal foreigner Yul Brynner does a menacing villain with his trademark bald head, walk and accent. What starts off as a fun adventure quickly turns into a slasher movie (scenario is setup right from the beginning though) but competently held together by a masterful performance by Yul Brynner. It is interesting to watch which at times makes you wonder the wishful thinking towards AI during the 70s itself (not to forget the HAL9000 of the 60s). What sets it apart from the TV series especially for me is there are no dreaming, feeling or hallucinating robots here - that just comes off as silly for me. An adventure you'd wish to be in!! Funny, intelligent, corny and what not!!

So, much has been spoken abt this, and written about it, and this kinda feels timely since this past week has seen the premier of the sequel/remake. Nightmare scenario at a theme park comes true, and literally, before you can say 'Terminator' or 'Terminator 2: Judgment day' (I'm sure Cameron watched this before conceptualizing and executing those), all hell breaks loose for 'the paying guests' or 'the audience' or 'the newcomers'. Yul Brynner plays a variation of his multitude of western performances, specifically referencing 'The Magnificent seven', and I don't mean just from a costuming perspective. Other than that though, this has to be, in spite of a few clichéed (by today's standards) and schlocky moments, one of the most relentless thrillers ever, calling to mind not just the 2 Cameron nouveau sci-fi action classics, but also characterizations like Rutger Hauer's in 'The hitcher' (its remake with Sean Bean in the lead was also not too bad). Movies like 'Duel' and 'Breakdown' and 'Joyride' also spring to mind, but this one got there first. Both Richard Benjamin and James Brolin's characters are there to serve the tale and not the other way around, and what seems simple on the surface can be interpreted as an allegory of sorts for the modern world to, maybe, learn from, or just ponder. The action, and thrills, are kept refreshingly minimalistic, and though some would hasten to describe this as a B-movie of sorts, I am more comfortable with categorizing it firmly in the list of grade-A not-too-mainstream blockbusters, maybe quite a bit ahead of its time. The score, the editing, the effects, the cinematography, the minimalistic production/location design and all the performances serve the narrative without calling attention to themselves, and the result is a focused movie that refreshingly (once again, for its time) throws us smack-deep into the action without so much as a backstory, allowing us to fill in the blanks, which is the kind of thriller I've always enjoyed. Not to be missed, and definitely a very good pre-requisite for everyone who wants to see how JJA and Jon Nolan have adapted it at HBO, for the modern world.