Guardian of the galaxy

On the other side of futuristic robot intelligence remake news we have Colossus. 1970's terrific Colossus: The Forbin Project combines a little very plausible sci-fi futurism with a modest, almost stage-play setting for a tight political-thriller atmosphere. Writing is sharp and acting capable, and the film increases in tension as characters take a backseat to the mounting tête-à-tête between Forbin and Colossus.

For a technology-paranoia movie shot in 1970 (with loaner parts from IBM and CDC, who had implemented the first successful supercomputer in 1965, a year before the source novel was written), Colossus remains surprisingly current.

Regrettably, the current DVD available is a pan-&-scan affair, though a widescreen copy (from the original-format laserdisc) is available through less official channels.

The remake will expand on the original by including material from the two subsequent Colossus novels. Imagine Entertainment is calling it a 2010 release for now; Ron Howard is the favorite to direct.