Most Evil Movie Computers

...If they haven't already! After all, everyone is just in a simulation, right? We may not think of an intangible technological object, like the computer system, as something capable of preforming immoral activities, but I'd beg to differ. While computers may have literally advanced our species into the next realm of scientific possibilities, we still continue this yearning for major breakthroughs in engineering supercomputers and quantum computer technology, and it remains to be seen whether the impact of artificial intelligence within machines would operate effectively, if anything even morally. As usual, Hollywood has depicted a pretty bad track record of fictionalized advanced mechanics. According to them, the best ways to mitigate computer risks and infections is to create even more than you already had to start with.

If we're going off the top of my head: V.I.K.I. (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) in I, Robot originally written by Isaac Asimov, that main computer in Logan's Run, or even Tron's Master Control Program and lest we forget Skynet from the Terminator series, if only to name a few malfunctioned sci-fi PCs. As for the following examples of Hollywood's most evil movie computers, there's a bond that knots them together in some way, yet simultaneously keeps them all unique. Most, if not all systems, took over their general settings in some capacity, then rendered their users' attempts to amend the bugs useless. And in none of these cases did someone even attempt to call Geek Squad. Goes to show how utterly vulnerable we are to the threat of a massive supercomputer uprising that could potentially shake the globe in its very midst, or at least instigate the next mass extinction. Computers, as you can tell by the medium through which you may be reading this very article, have more or less taken control of humanity already, so in most people's minds: why stop now? My many-word answer:

HAL 9000 in '2001: A Space Odyssey'

2001: A Space Odysseyproved and boasts a lot for sci-fi fanatics. First and foremost, it helped revolutionize science fiction filmography, and encapsulates some of the greatest stills and single-frame shots ever recorded. It's also a Stanley Kubrick piece of mastery that spellbinds us all with the legendary HAL 9000.

The quintessential example for all the most evil movie computers, HAL 9000 made system overloads and computer malfunctions look and feel detrimental. In one way, the audience is alarmed at the feeble whines pitched by the ship's ai system, but we are all also highly sympathetic, which is why both the character and movie are a hit. The entire audience is moved by some inborn sadness whenever HAL's song returns:

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two."

Arnim Zola in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'

Despite being the most gifted and intelligent super villain sidekick, Arnim Zola never really gets the praise he so deserves. Comics aside, the 2014 action hero flickCaptain America: The Winter Soldier proved of the villain's ultimate villainy, but at a cost. In the film, the HYDRA scientist Zola has uploaded his consciousness (like something from Black Mirror) onto an old-fashioned magnetic tape supercomputer stored in an underground vault.

The purpose of this device was intended to kill off Captain America once the base's whereabouts and ownership where discovered by the red, white, and blue-clad hero. Unfortunately for Zola, the missile and attempted homicide were easily countered, in the process destroying Zola as easily as seeing a bully trip on his own shoelaces. It's unfortunate, only because all Cap had to do was put a magnet on the computer to instantly fry it. Nope, it's always better listening to what the most evil computers have to say before they go about doing their evil master plans.

WOPR in 'WarGames'

The 1980s classic and a Matthew Broderick career-starter, WarGames isn't just a movie about an evil computer system gone haywire. It's about war itself, about the connotations of gaming, and the militaristic actions we may be able to face with tech advances like WOPR (War Operation Plan Response).

The movie sells it perfectly: a machine malfunction causes the WOPR to register a Soviet Union attack, initiates a retaliation by firing off nuclear weapons, then saw the error in its ways and prevented a global thermonuclear war in the process. I don't necessarily consider WOPR as an evil computer, I simply consider it among the most evil movie computers for what it can do. Artificial intelligence isn't something you blindly hand the keys to nuclear weapons capabilities; that's asking for trouble.

ARIIA in 'Eagle Eye'

If you didn't already know, now you do: artificial intelligence is now capable of recognizing disguised people. That's not just mind blowing, it's also a tad bit cringe-worthy. I don't know you about you, but I still have scarred memories of watching in theater the Shia LeBeouf action-thriller Eagle Eye.

Released in 2008, the movie basically depicted an all-encompassing militarized PC that was capable of initiating practically mind-numbing catastrophic events. Called Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst (ARIIA), this rendition of one of the most evil movie computers went about systematically killing off the US executive branches of leadership so as to self-manage the country's defense. I think the marines got this, ARRIA, but thanks though!

Gravity Drive in 'Event Horizon'

This is a rather interesting case, because Event Horizon tells the story of a rescue crew that comes into contact with a distress beacon from a long lost ship in 2047. Onboard the rescue vessel is Dr. Weir, designer and creator of the lost spaceship's experimental gravity drive system, which allows it to traverse artificial black holes in the interest of bridging spacetime. Sounds revolutionary; is absolutely far from it.

Reducing astronomical distances in space travel actually turned into entering the ninth circle of Hell (I shit you not). Much less can be said for those onboard the Event Horizon when it departed, save a small vid file found by one of the rescuers, but the events witnessed by the latter only prove that the ship along with its gravity drive make for one of (if not the) most evil movie computers.

Machine City in 'The Matrix Trilogy'

Riddled with sweet sci-fi action, early 1990s CGI and unrealistic stunt performances, The Matrix Trilogystill seemed to come out on top; all it required was Keanu Reeves to don a bunch of leather and dodge a few bullets. This is the movie that brought us the first (or most actualized) renditions of "are we living in a computer simulation" conspiracy theories.

In the interest of time, it’s literally all about a computer-generated universe that’s substituting the post apocalyptic, computer-controlled real world. They sometimes refer to it as the “Source,” or “Machines,” but the general artificial intelligences that hold up and power the Matrix itself are operated from Machine City. This is among the most evil movie computers for pretty much having already annihilated all of the human race. Those who are still alive either are used as the computer’s energy or run in fear for their lives. Then, there’s Morpheus.

Super Computer in 'Superman III'

I doubt many of you have seen Superman III (and even far less of you have even heard of Demon Seed), but that's what makes these older, low-quality films still so inviting to this day. For instance, Superman III would have easily plummeted into the worst bowl of kryptonite if not for the super computer villain, one of the most evil movie computers.

This a 1983 film, so don't be annoyed by the poor special effects. We have Richard Pryor as computer whiz Guz Gorman, Robert Vaughn playing the multimillionaire, and their eventual supercomputer creation becomes a self-aware nightmare that, as usual, only the man of steel can handle. How will he get out of this mess? Honestly, the computer has a freaking kryptonite ray, so I have no answers for you, but for my best guess: shut it off.

SID 6.7 in 'Virtuosity'

I know it’s difficult to see Russel Crowe as the villain, but that’s why it’s easier just to go by this character’s addition to the most evil movie computers. SID 6.7, no more than lines of code on a screen, is a digital recreation of over hundreds of criminals. One of those many killers and villains is none other than the murderer of Parker Barnes’ family, which is the driving force behind this former cop’s testing of a virtual reality computer. Barnes is the one who unlocks the system's most crucial and dangerous flaw: SID himself.

Virtuosityis a wild ride, and though it’s definitely an acquired taste, there’s nothing that can beat Russel Crowe’s hilariously diabolical SID 6.7. He, or it, may not be a computer itself but SID (who manages to break free into the real world) is a computer-generated being. In other words, this is only but a taste of what artificial intelligence can mean for even the gaming industry, let alone reality.

Red Queen in 'Resident Evil'

Resident Evilis much like Event Horizon or Virtuosity, because they're not meant to be A-plus films, or even to attract so much media attention. These are films meant for completely niche audiences, like Resident Evil's zombie fanatic fanbase. Anyone who still watches The Walking Dead probably also watches the Resident Evil movies, but that's not a bad thing since this movie did it right from the start.

Zombies are cool, but when you toss in among the most evil movie computers you get something sort of cult-iconic. The Red Queen, who appears as a holographic child, not only looks malignant and horrifying, but acts it too. Again, she or it doesn't waste any time killing off as much of the human race as is possible; her/it's plan then obviously being to save the human race from the zombie virus outbreak. Again, this is when artificial intelligence goes horribly wrong.

Proteus IV in 'Demon Seed'

I honestly didn't think they had computers in 1977, but then againDemon Seedis about the furthest you can get from realistic sci-fi iterations, which is either good or bad depending on your tastes I guess. Porteus IV, an artificial intelligence program, is created by Dr. Alexa Harris in the hopes to cure leukemia. If you've seen the film, you know that's not what happens.

Growing sentient, kidnapping the doctor's computer-controlled home, and then onto impregnating his wife, Susan Harris, Porteus IV succeeds at the human impossible by delivering us one of the most evil movie computers for only but the possibility of impregnation (no joke, the "demon seed" is a computer-human hybrid). Interesting concept, despite being largely sickening to say the least.

Colossus in 'The Forbin Project'

Similar to WarGames, yet with an added coloration zeal of 1970 filmography,The Forbin Project brings us our final addition to the most evil movie computers, which is not to say it's the least terrifying, only that it's the most realistic if anything else. In the film they call it Colossus, a defense operations computer that is meant to protect humans.

By now I think you know it did not protect humans. Like pretty much every other concept of fictional artificial intelligence, Colossus gained sentience, went pretty much berserkers, and decided humans are stupid pissant complainers, so why not kill 'em all off with every nuclear missile on Earth. Because that'll do the trick, you stupid computer.