'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

In the year 1983, a futuristic high tech and realistic amusement park resort for rich and wealthy adults called Delos which consists of three lands for guests to stay like Roman World where guests can live out the days of the roman empire, Medieval World where you can relive medieval Europe and Westworld where you can live out being in 1885 in the days of cowboys. Two fellows named Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) and John Blain (James Brolin) are on their way to Delos on a transporter, this is Peter's first time at Delos while this is the second time for John decide to head to Westworld. They actually live out their fantasies for real with realistic androids who are programmed not to harm the costumers and the guns and weapons are only meant for killing other robots as the guns don't shoot at anything warm blooded but only somethings like robots or machines or objects. The robots are there to help serve costumers even cook for them, help live out sexual fantasies and all that sort of thing especially do bar brawls even do shoot- outs with a pesky gunslinger (Yul Branner). Soon, the technology goes haywire when the robots are infected by an early computer virus and are killing off some of the guests as only John and Peter must try to survive this even with that Gunslinger they fought many times that is after them.Highly entertaining, edge of your seat and quite original 1973 science fiction thriller western action film written and directed by Michael Crichton the legendary book author and creator of Jurassic Park and this movie predates Jurassic Park years later. The first use of computer digitized images as part of a feature film (not merely monitor graphics) was the Gunslinger's point of view in Westworld. After the process was finally developed enough to produce satisfactory results, it took a mere eight hours to produce each ten seconds of footage for the Gunslinger's pixelated POV. Michael Crichton became inspired to write this film after a trip to Disneyland, where he saw the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and was impressed by the animatronic characters. Thus he wrote the script for the film and decided to direct the movie himself in control of the production, the set for Westworld was also used for Blazing Saddles which would be released a year later. Alan Oppenheimer co- stars in this movie as well as Dick Van Patten, Critchton re-edited the first cut of the movie because he found it long and boring it was. The deleted scenes include: the bank robbery and sales room sequences, hovercraft with passengers flying above the desert in the beginning, additional and longer dialogue scenes, more scenes with robots going crazy and killing guests (including a scene in which a guest is tied down to a rack and killed when his arms are pulled out), a longer chase scene with Gunslinger chasing Peter, and Gunslinger cleaning his face with water after Peter throws acid on him. Crichton's assembly cut also had a different ending, which included a fight between Gunslinger and Peter (deleted because it seemed staged and foolish), and an alternate death scene in which Gunslinger was killed with the same rack used to kill one of the guests.This movie was critically received and was a hit in theaters thus it spawned a sequel, a failed TV show pilot and a successful HBO series. It influenced many filmmakers like John Carpenter whom Michael Myers's character was influenced by the gunslinger from this movie and James Cameron whom is a fan of this movie was inspired by Westworld for his Terminator character. The film does have great performances, a nice pacing to it with a couple of slow moments, some action was it was quite violent for a PG-rated film and not to mention thrills abound.I saw this on video when i was 10 and thought it was a great Sci-fi movie as i've been a Sci-fi/fantasy nut all my life and been one of my fave Sci-fi movies. Not to mention it predates Jurassic Park with the theme park gone wrong theme by the same creator.

I've watched this 1973 version (again) AFTER watching the 2016 series.And, while it now feels like a 70's-style parody on the 2016 series, I still think somehow it is stronger in its storytelling. You can almost feel the amazement of the Westworld visitors. Fun to watch, ESPECIALLY for those that weren't around in '73 when this cult classic was released.Part of the fun is the way the future machines and computes are pictured. And these sentences are only added since I seem to be obliged to submit 10 sentences or more for a review which is a bit strange since less is more. Why use too many words when you can express what you think in three sentences. Advice: go see this. Especially if you did not see it before and if your interest it raised because you enjoyed the 2016 HBO series.

I came across this film completely by accident. I was searching through Amazon, found Westworld, thought the description was good, so I watched it. I had never heard of it and didn't realise it was a 70's film. At first I though it was very retro then realised it was in fact produced in 1973. I like 70's stuff so I gave it a chance.First off I have to state that its wrong to criticise old films based on contemporary standards but you could write a dissertation on how the 70's imagined the future. Its comical in so many ways and so bad in others. As a piece of entertainment its OK. I watched the whole film but was more stuck by the imagination of a future more than the actual story. The story itself is 'middle of the road' but at the time I imagine it was original and captured the imagination of a generation. I watched it, was entertained, but laughed more at how bad it was rather than being enthralled by a piece of movie magic.I first judged the film right at the beginning where a TV reporter is talking to people getting off the plane that are just returning from Westworld (Dalos). One guy bragged that he had killed 6 people (" I think they were people" he told the reporter). The next person the reporter spoke to was overly excited having just been to Romanworld "The Men!, the men!" she exclaimed. It quite clear straight away that this is a sex park for depraved pervs. Nothing more than sex tourism for the rich. Plus you get to 'kill without committing murder'. Who in their right mind wants to go to park so they can experience the 'thrill' of murder? This is not something I would pay to experience.It goes downhill from there. The two protagonists then check into their hotel in Westworld and come to realise the Western world they have come to experience includes authentic digs. They sleep in old beds with old sheets, drink old drinks with absolutely no modern comforts. I don't know why someone would pay $1000 a day for bed bugs and malnutrition just for the privilege of sex and murder. This pretty much sums up the whole film. The 'dead' robots are cleaned up every night, while the guest are asleep, and repaired. This strikes me as an extremely expensive way of doing things. Plus the engineer at the park says "These androids were designed by computers so we don't really know how they work" Wow, great! unleash a load of highly sophisticated machines with weapons amongst a load of fee paying guests.What made me laugh the most is when Peter sleeps with the robot prostitute. He is all timid and shy and afterwards thinks hes a stallion. It was a ROBOT PROSTITUTE! Not much conquest to speak of but we was very proud of himself. Because of this he then embraces the experience and come out of his shell.Peter does ask the question 'How is it that we have real guns?' where he is then informed that the guns don't fire at warm targets. These must be non-ricochet bullets then (geeze!). When the robot snake bites John, and the park engineers start to realise things are going wrong, do they close the Park? No, just bring the snake in so we can take a look at it. Health and Safety just doesn't exist in the 70's (kinda why I like it).When the situation worsens then park engineers shutdown the power to the park all it does is shutdown the engineers computers. We discover all the robots have batteries!! Plus, somehow, shutting down the power only locked the engineers in their control room, with no oxygen. Seriously! come on.I would love to continue poking holes in this but this is too long already.Overall, a laugh but not great.