Movie 190: Pirates of Silicon Valley

Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) by Martyn Burke
starring Noah Wyle, Anthony Michel Hall



In a nutshell: Cheesy acting and low production quality couldn't keep me from enjoying this nerdy made-for-tv movie about the most important CEO working today. A guilty pleasure? Probably

Quick Synopsis: Visionaries Steve Jobs and Bill Gates revolutionize the world of home computing using their brilliance combined with cutthroat tactics and questionable ethics.

Content:

• Much more recognizable as a made-for tv than You Don't Know Jack and has a C-list cast to match
• Pirates will ONLY be enjoyable if you are interested in nerdy things like the history of Apple Computer
• Even with this consideration, I'm still not sure why I enjoyed it. Everything that happens is greatly over-dramatized to the point of being unbelievable. But there is still a sense of nerdy glee in seeing this stuff come to life
• Noah Wyle actually looks like Steve Jobs and does a pretty good job of embodying his spirit. But the part when he starts turning into a out-of-touch, tyrannical boss is very paint-by-numbers
• Anthony Michael Hall (from Breakfast Club) is better than Wyle, but at playing a more boring character, so it's pretty much a wash when it comes to choosing which character I'd rather give more screen time to
• I love the character actor (Joey Slotnick) who played Steve Wozniak. You will recognize him
• The histories of these two companies make great material, even if only portions of the story are what actually happened. It's very interesting to see the roots of two companies that are so integrated into many of our daily lives and how they rose to prominence
• Final Verdict: even if you are intrigued by this story, be warned that this is a very cheesy version. I'm glad I watched it, but I find it very hard to recommend

Rolling rankings:
1. (500) Days of Summer (#185)
2. The Maltese Falcon (#188)
3. Up in the Air (#182)
4. The September Issue (#183)
5. You Don't Know Jack (#189)
6. Rachel Getting Married (#187)
7. Pirates of Silicon Valley (#190)
8. Sex and the City 2 (#186)
9. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (#184)
10. Extract (#181)