"The Manhattan Project” follows in the vein of several "smart teenager” movies from the 1980s such as "Real Genius,” "WarGames” and "Weird Science.” "The Manhattan Project” is more serious than those, however, and still has some resonance today.
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Christopher Collet plays Paul, an advanced 16-year-old with an interest in science. Dr. Mathewson (John Lithgow), a single scientist who wants to impress Paul's mother (Jill Eikenberry), invites Paul to see his top-secret project, thinking the teen won't know what he's looking at. When Paul discovers that Mathewson is secretly processing plutonium in a secret government installation disguised as a medical research center outside his hometown, Paul decides to do something about it. With the help of girlfriend Jenny (Cynthia Nixon), Paul breaks into the lab and steals a container of plutonium.
Rather than go to the authorities, Paul decides to build his own atomic bomb, which he thinks will give him scientific renown and at the same time expose the government's secret. What Paul doesn't count on is the lengths the government may go to in order to keep its secrets — and to keep nuclear bombs out of the hands of a clever teenager.
While the story is a bit fantastic, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility. And the continual upping of the ante as the film progresses will keep viewers engaged.
Extras: Audio commentary, featurettes, subtitle track.
— Matthew Price
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