Colossus is the new defense supercomputer that is trying to take over the world, and Dr. Forbin is the man who created it, and now must stop it. The excitement in watching Forbin and Colossus go through move and counter-move is what carries this film, and the two are worthy adversaries to each other. It's thin on action for a science-fiction film; the action is more cerebral in nature as Forbin and Colossus grapple for control. Even while attempting to become the dictator of Earth, Colossus sometimes displays a sense of humor that is almost human, and a ruthlessness that is all too human. In the end, Colossus isn't your traditional bad guy. It was programmed to serve humanity, and it seeks to do that by saving humanity from itself. It sees the lives lost in the process as a necessary evil. The ending is not your traditional Hollywood ending either; I strongly suspect they were planning a sequel (The book this is based on was the first of a trilogy). The sets may seem a little dated, but the story is every bit as exciting as it was then, and given the developments in computer technology and artificial intelligence, even more relevant.