Westworld (1973)
Last Watch Date - June 28, 2026
Total Times Watched - Once
Comments
Ah, Westworld. Best known in recent years as the TV series with an amazing first season that seemed to collapse in on itself like a dying star. I only saw the first season and parts of the second, so I can't comment on ALL of the episodes and story of the TV show. What I can tell you is that everything the first season built was thrown into a heap in what I did see of the second season. I didn't enjoy it. It didn't hook me AT ALL. And so I haven't bothered finishing that season or watching anything newer. Is this a mistake? MAYBE!
THIS Westworld is a very different creature. It was made in the 1970s as a standalone scifi flick, and my friend, it sure is a 1970s movie. There are some really great things about that, including the vivid color of blood, while there are also some not-so-great things, like the echoing sound in some scenes (notably the bathtub).
The story is simplified to fit 90 minutes and I think it actually works really well in that way. While the TV series built a larger mystery with more depth and a much richer world, the movie has a premise and gets to the point. The story wraps up where it needs to wrap up, and it feels satisfying in that state. Do I need to know the ins and outs of how the androids are made? No. A one-liner of "the machines made these machines!" was enough.
What makes this movie interesting to me isn't necessarily the androids turning on them, but the way it unlocked the main character's potential. He comes in as a meek and mild-mannered guy looking to go on a vacation but highly skeptical of the gimmick of the park. Do what I want? Roleplay as a cowboy? This is weird. It doesn't take long for his first gunfight and that little switch in his brain to go off and say "this is fun."
He never becomes depraved or gross, but he's far more eager to unleash his gun from his holster and fill some bodies with lead. The repeat character of the gunslinger adds some humor and some general threat. You can feel it coming when the back office techs discuss the various implants and bugs that the androids have. It all works quite well.
As for the scenery and immersiveness of the parks, the Western World felt exactly like what I think most people would say is the Old West. The Medieval World looked a bit too cheesy, and though you're only in that world for a few minutes throughout the movie, it took away a bit for me. It looked more like a play from a high school than a movie set. Roman World is barely shown but would fall somewhere between those extremes.
Acting is solid in this, though there isn't much to work with in terms of script or character development. This movie is a scifi thriller and it sticks to that. You don't need to know a bunch about these guys, you only need to know that they're at the park and ready to goof around.
Since this movie only lasts 90 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome. I appreciate that they didn't go into a massive backstory of how the park came to be, why the androids are the way they are, or any silly side plots. I enjoy movies like this.
Recommended?
Sure. It's VERY 1970s in terms of film, sound, set, and costume, but I think it's charming in its own way.