DEFENCE PLAY

US, 1988, 95 minutes, Colour.
David Oliver, Susan Ursitt.
Directed by Monte Markham.

Defence Play is quite an enjoyable espionage and conspiracy film. It focuses initially on the training of Russians to infiltrate American society - and uses this later for an infiltration into a strategic experiment in America. It also focuses on young graduates and their scientific abilities as well as a rocket being launched and potential sabotage.

The film focuses on young people and their ingenuity (perhaps more than can rightly be expected, however enjoyable for the film).

The film was directed by veteran TV star Monte Markham, who appears as the hero's father. There are good aerial sequences. The film builds up some suspense and is an enjoyable example of its kind.

1. Enjoyable espionage? Conspiracy? American technology and military developments? The emphasis on the abilities of the young?

2. American settings, the town, the desert, the laboratories? The technological hardware? Rockets, the darts, planes? Editing and pace? Musical score?

3. The title and the indication of war games, the use of computers and real-life style video games? A film of the '80s?

4. The opening with the training of the Russians, their being like contemporary Americans from youth films? The authorities and their supervision? Not standing for failure? The officer and his being in the launch off the American coast? Contact with the spy? The Russian ship outside American waters? The infiltration of the experiment? The Russian spy, his collaboration, the attack on the professor and his death? The attack on Scott and Karen? His going back to the boat, trying to wreck the rocket? His failure? The film's comment on American-Soviet? relationships? Pre-glasnost of the '80s?

5. Scott, the American young man, graduate and intelligent? Home life? The jeep for his graduation? His relationship with his father and his father's absence? His job, the computers, friendship with Karen? His friendship with Nick, driving the jeep, observing the planes and the Dart? His father and sending him back home? The death of the professor and the phone call? His going to Karen, the investigations, getting into the laboratory, discovering the tape? Trusting Starkey? The pursuit by the police, being accused of murder? Nick effecting his escape like a TV film? With Karen, tracking down Starkey's origins? The chase in the desert, the Dart? The reconciliation with his father? His skill with the computer and the crashing of the two Darts? An American hero?

6. Karen, relationship with her father, her work, friendship with Scott, her father's death, helping Scott with his investigations, with his escape, the pursuit? Happy ending?

7. Dietz, Beltzer and Starkey - their experiment, without authority, the Dart and its disorienting the radar of the planes, its crash? The reprimand from the professor? Audience suspicions about the traitor? Beltzer and his being disagreeable? The truth about Starkey, his help enlisted by Scott, his being the traitor and his escape, his mission to destroy the rocket?

8. Colonel Denton, his responsibility, relationship with the professor? The investigations? His curtness with his son? Coping with the situation? Holding up the countdown?

9. The police, the officials, their investigations?

10. The professor, his skills, his death? The grief of his wife?

11. The plausibility of the plot: the experiments with weapons like the Dart? Its disorienting radar on big planes? Its ability to elude pursuit? The graduates and the scientists involved? The relationship to rocket launches? The sabotage by the Russians? Popular ingredients - enjoyably done?