While the film understands the power of games, it tries to position itself as a cheap spy movie and embraces fantastical elements. British billionaires Robert and Kevin Maxwell, as well as Soviet intelligence officers, are portrayed as cartoonish villains. The real-world licensing dilemma, which kicked off after the British software seller Robert Stein sold rights to the game before the Soviet Union’s approval, could have been compelling enough. Still, the filmmakers overshadow it with their additions to the story, such as an obligatory car chase that turns into pixelated graphics.
