Eric Braeden stars as Dr. Charles Forbin, who has created a supercomputer named Colossus, built solely for the purpose of controlling the nuclear defenses of the Western alliance. It isn't too long after, however, that the Russians announce that they too have built a similar computer for those same purposes on their side--Guardian. And when the two machines begin sharing information at a speed nobody can believe, an attempt is made to disable them.
　　This unfortunately just raises the machines' ire; and in retaliation, they launch their weapons at each other's home nations. The result is a chilling scenario that is potentially becoming all too real these days.
　　COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT was not a big hit at the box office for various reasons. One is that its cast wasn't exactly well known. Another reason is that its ending isn't exactly a happy one. Still a third reason is that Universal had trouble trying to promote it in the wake of the huge success of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The latter reason is obvious: Colossus and Guardian, like HAL in the Kubrick movie, become central characters here. The difference here is that while HAL malfunctions due to a programming conflict, Colossus and Guardian remain all too stable, convinced beyond a doubt that they know how to protect Mankind better than Man himself. As the computers point out: "One inevitable rule is that Mankind is his own worst enemy."
　　Joseph Sargent's direction is efficient, and the special effects work of Albert Whitlock still manages to work despite its obvious age. An overlooked gem in the sci-fi genre, this should be given a revival.

　　故事发生在1968年，一场意外中，泰勒（查尔登·海斯顿 Charlton Heston 饰）和诺娃（琳达·哈里逊 Linda Harrison 饰）的飞船穿越到了两千年后的时间线中，他们来到了一个被人猿统治的星球上，直到两人在沙滩上发现了自由女神像的残骸之后他们才恍然大悟，原来这里并不是什么外星球，而是人类唯一的家园——地球。地面上突然出现的巨大裂痕让泰勒和诺娃调入了庞大繁杂的地底世界之中，他们要面对的，是猿族首领佐斯博士（莫里斯·埃文斯 Maurice Evans 饰）的无情追杀。
　　1970年，为了拯救泰勒一行人，救援飞船来到了地球，哪知道也穿越了时空，布伦特（詹姆斯·弗朗西斯 James Franciscus 饰）是飞船上唯一的幸存者，并且最终幸运的和诺娃成功会师。两人于无意之中得知了猿组要从地球上铲除所有人类的计划。