Short Circuit Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Something wonderful has happened... Number Five is alive!
Life is not a malfunction.
Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots, undergoes a sudden transformation after being struck by lightning. He develops self-awareness, consciousness, and a fear of the reprogramming that awaits him back at the factory. With the help of a young woman, Number 5 tries to evade capture and convince his creator that he has truly become alive.
| John Badham |
6.00 out of 10 (9849 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Short Circuit
posted on 22 Jul 2009I knew it was about a robot with a mind of it's own, and I had seen it listed in TV times so much, I had to try it one day, and I'm glad I did, from director John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, WarGames). Basically a group of experimental military robots have been created, and one of them, Number 5, gets a surge of lightning from a strike on a power cable going into his system. He has escaped and is now wanting (that's right, wanting) to learn about the world around him, and that is where vegetarian animal lover Stephanie Speck (The Breakfast Club's Ally Sheedy) comes in. Number 5 wants "input", aka information, and he gets all of this from rapidly racing through books and watching TV, until he has become alive. Meanwhile, his creator Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg) along with fellow robot expert Ben Jabituya (Fisher Stevens) are looking for Number 5, aka Johnny 5, to see what has happened to him, and they are against the military forces who think it's best to destroy him. Also starring Austin Pendleton as Howard Marner, Police Academy's G.W. Bailey as Skroeder, Brian McNamara as Frank, John Garber as Otis and Tim Blaney as the voice of Number 5. Guttenberg is always good to see on screen, Sheedy makes the most of her fascinated character, and Stevens makes some good giggles with his Apu from The Simpsons impression. The whole family will love the hip robot with it's whiny voice, cheekiness, mimicry and gadgets, he is obviously what makes this film such fun to watch. Good!
"Circuit Breaks Out With Laughter"
posted on 29 Jun 2009"Short Circuit" is one of those motion pictures that I enjoy viewing so much about a Nova Robotics Robot named Number 5, struck by a power surge of lightning and giving him life. He suddenly escapes with a malfunction and searches for "imput". Later, he befriends a young woman named Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy) who gives him imput about life including animals, laughter from the Three Stooges on TV and even death (or in Number 5's case, "disassembled.") He then learns that Nova and the team want Number 5 destroyed and makes a break for it through the roads of Oregon. Steve Guttenberg plays a creator of the Nova robots when he and his friend Ben Jabituya (Fisher Stevens) look for the robot first before Howard (Austin Pendleton) and Skroeder (G.W. Bailey) does and destroy him. The show stealer is Number 5 (voiced by Tim Blaney.) The comedy Number 5 shows in "Short Circuit" will please kids as well as adults with hilarious and touching moments at times. Look for outstanding filming throughout Oregon that in my opinion is almost like driving through Arizona. TriStar Pictures, Inc./PSO Presentations, 1986, Rated PG for language and some violence.
something for everybody
posted on 05 Jun 2009This movie can be viewed on a basic level: action, explosions, gunfire! On a "higher" level, there are the characters: Ally Sheedy's naive, ditsy lover of disadvantaged creatures, who takes in stray animals. Her wide-eyed confidence, "I KNEW you'd pick me!", when she thinks the robot is an alien visiting earth, is typical of her endearing character. The relationship to the robot is very credible. The gestures of the robot are better than E.T.'s and must have been designed by an actor.
On another level, there are the political and economic implications: weapons research, the tension between congress and the military, etc.
On another level, there is the wit: the Indian character's slight alterations of American cliches forces us to hear those cliches for the first time and to see how silly some of them are.
Finally, for the contemplative, there is the metaphysical level: what does it mean to be alive? what is the difference between being alive and merely being functional?
It would be surprising if there were anyone who couldn't find something to enjoy in this movie.
Sappy
posted on 26 May 2009If you like Care-Bears movies, then this one is right up your alley. With the exception of a little Three Stooges shtick, everything else was just way too sugary-sweet. Now if you're looking for an 80's techno-gizmo-kid's type movie, give Flight of the Navigator (1986) a try.
As Much Fun as Ever
posted on 21 May 2009We bought this movie as it was unavailable for rent at Blockbuster. My teenage son and his friends had just seen WALL-E and the face of the robot looked so much like "Johnny Five" that we wanted them to see Short Circuit. It was just as much fun as it was the year it was released. Definitely stood the test of time. A bunch of 16 & 17 year old enjoyed it just as much as we did.
short circuit
posted on 14 Feb 2009certaining different from the second one, as i own and seen the second first before buying this one.
it very good and i rather enjoy it, there are some great scene, and worth buying if you own the second one, as they are both completey different and worth comparing.
Its all about the 80s
posted on 21 Jan 2009At the time this movie was released I was 8 years old and I really enjoyed the film. Feeling a little nostalgia I bought the blu-ray version and boy was I disappointed , not by the movie, but the quality of the Blu-ray. This Blu-ray version is 1 notch above VHS quality and thats even debatable. The scene outside with the fog is were you can really see the lack of quality in this movie.
Great Robot Movie All of Times
posted on 06 Jan 2009I love the movie when I watched that with closed-captioning on HBO 10+ years ago. Unfortunately, this DVD doesn't contains Closed-Captioning. I love the extra features and the quality of DVD is great! I was disappointed IMAGINE company didn't add one very important feature for Deaf - a closed captioning. Amazon did put down Closed-Captioning and I bought it, and found it doesn't contains with Closed-Captioning. Of course, I was disappointed and knowing I couldn't do much. (Short Circuit 2 has Closed-Captioning and English Subtitle with Tri-Star Columbia Company.). Hope Fox company will release this title and add this very important feature a Closed-Captioning.
Flawed Genius
posted on 21 Dec 2008I saw this about a decade ago, and as a 7 yr old i thought it was brilliant. Having re-watched recently, the magic's sorta worn off, but it was still an excellent film. You will thoroughly enjoy this if you like the idea of a humanised robot with real emotions. It's sorta funny to note how both #5 and Stephanie are slightly naive, and how #5 translates everything into computer language. upon walking in on Stephanie in the bath "nice software!" lmao. Also while kids while easily identify Skroeder as the bad guy, adults and teens will recognise how he has basically become more of a machine than the robots he works with because of his inhumanly cold, ruthless attitude.
BANG ON SENSOR!!!
posted on 12 Nov 2008Short Circuit is warming, it addresses life and touches on common sense issues.
Number 5 was, is and will be one of the smartest none human leads in HollyWood!!
Steve Guttenberg of the Police Academy fame,paled in comparison beside this fast thinking-quick acting robot. The "disassemble, reassemble" scene had me in stitches.
But on afterthought;it was black humour,machines can be put back together but humans who build and assemble machines can't be put back together.When you are dead,you're dead!
The cast weren't over the top,they kept the humour within endurance levels. The robots acting and voice are stellar!!
This is one of my 4 all time favourite comedies!!!Unbeatable,Rib Cracking Humour!!
"Your Mama was a Snow-Blower!"
posted on 19 Oct 2008Short Circuit is a rare case when a robot character makes a film and outshines the rest of the cast in the film.A military organization that builds weapons known as Nova creates five robots. One of the robots, Number Five, is hit by lightning and as a result is able to become "alive". He escapes from Nova and befriends a woman named Stephanie and begins to gain a lot of "input" and learns a lot. Nova plans on capturing him, but Number Five realizes that he must not get captured in order to remain alive.First off I have to say that this film is a comedy and much of it should not be taken seriously. By that I mean that the depiction of the military group of Nova constantly bickering and having lame discussions is something that film intended on doing.The acting and human characters are pretty odd in this film. I can see why Steve Guttenberg is constantly criticized by viewers. He is just a boring not funny guy who makes robots in this film. Ally Sheed plays Stephanie, a really naive and not that intelligent veterinarian. Also the character of Ben being a Caucasian who speaks like an Indian Person is something that I think is pretty funny, if not a bit racist as well. But for the most part the human characters are not special at all and completely overshadowed.They attempt to make a love story with Guttenberg and Sheed's character. However it comes off as rushed and horrible and I did not buy it. If anything the romance with Number five and Stephanie is much more convincable.The reason for this film being good is Number Five. Number Five is one of the greatest robot characters ever in a film. Hilarious, intelligent, and highly entertaining. He can do anything. It is quite interesting seeing him gain input and learn a lot about the world. It is not common for a robot to steal the show and make a movie good just by itself, but this is one case where that happens and the film is good because of it.Quite an interesting film. Lame acting and human characters. However a great character in Number Five. I recommend this film to viewers because of Number Five.
So cutesy but so good!!
posted on 01 Oct 2008I haven't seen Short Circuit for some time now, but it is such a huge milestone in my childhood that I have to say something about it. Maturer audiences will have a hard time overlooking some of the childish nuances of the movie, but it is such a fun and entertaining family film that all of those things can be easily forgiven. It reminds me of other wonderful family films like Flight of the Navigator and The Goonies, that I used to watch over and over when I was a kid. I feel like I've lost something when I can't think of a single movie now that I love so much that I will watch it a few times a week. Maybe I just am more aware of the time involved in watching the same movie over and over today than I used to be. Johnny 5 is a robot designed for military use until one day it's struck by lightning and, apparently, comes to life. This is a pretty tired formula, something man-made suddenly displaying life-like qualities and wanting to be recognized as a real boy, but it's accompanied by some clever messages about the advancement of technology, particularly technology designed to replace humans, which has always been seen as a bit of a dangerous idea, criticized brilliantly by everyone from Charlie Chaplin to James Cameron. Johnny 5's adventures involve his efforts to avoid capture by the people who made him ("NOVA! No!!"), while at the same time trying to prove to the world that he's a living entity now. They could not make a movie like this today. Sadly, CGI has forever replaced the need to create a physical robot like the one that plays Johnny 5 in this movie, so any Short Circuit that was made today would just be some soul-less digital effect cavorting across the screen, instantly forgettable. But here, he's really there, and he's heavy and clumsy and metallic, but so memorable as a movie character that I've recently read that the actual robot prop was sold for something like $500,000. Now THAT is a fan!Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy have a cute chemistry on screen that is satisfactorily simple. They are both cookie-cutter caricatures, Sheedy the lonely Stephanie, who drives an ice-cream truck for a living, and Guttenberg plays a scientist named Newton, who works for the evil NOVA but who only needs a cute ice-cream lady and a charming robot to change his evil ways. Sound like fun? No? Well, it is, trust me. The film has definitely dated, but I'll take special effects that look dated 20 years later over expensive CGI that never looked real in the first place any day. A lot of films claim to be fun for all ages, but Short Circuit is one of the few that really is. It's too bad that movies like this seem to be gone forever now….
I love Number 5. DVD format is UDF
posted on 11 Sep 2008The DVD's picture quality is OK, viewable. You cannot expect much if it's about 25 years old. But be careful, it will not play on Mac or Linux automatically. Installation of additional software or packages on Linux is painful and very often it does not work. It is a proprietary format that plays only on Windows PC's.
Amazing visual quality (Blu-ray version)
posted on 05 Sep 2008My wife and I just finished watching this on blu-ray and the visual quality is truly stunning. It compares favorably even to some of the latest release blu-ray movies. I wasn't expecting too much, but it's definitely worthwhile in high-def - the robots look super sharp, landscapes / fields look almost 3D.
The subtitles appear to be closed captioned (description of background sounds, applause, etc).
The movie itself is obviously a timeless classic - we love it!
Too cute, but watchable
posted on 04 Sep 2008Short Circuit is like the movie "ET" with a robot substituted for the extra-terrestrial and a young woman in place of the child. Unbelievable and sickeningly cute at times, this movie should be placed on the "to avoid" list of sci-fi enthusiasts, however, the movie is well done and entertaining, so it is marginally worth watching. My rating: 5 of 10.
Short Circuit! A movie to charish!
posted on 03 Aug 2008Ok, when i was a little kid i remember watchin this movie. I was like 5 or something, and since then i have looked and looked and looked, any finally i rented it once, then i really didnt have time to watch it, so i kept looking and looking, and the only place i could ever think of is somewhere online. So today i finally bought both of them! I just loved this movie the first time i saw it! Im 18 now, and im still thinking, i cant wait till those movies get to my door step! I would reccomend this movie to anybody, yes it may be a little Korny, but who cares! This is one of those movies you will charish for a lifetime!
A lovable movie that makes me feel like a kid again..?
posted on 03 Aug 2008
I really like this movie. -I've grew up watching great
comedies as a kid. -But watching this movie makes feel
like a kid again. -I did stumble on this on Cable not
that long ago. -It really brong back fond memory's as
when my dad had rented this. -I ate Mcmondalds big mac
which was on a saturday when this movie came out on VHS
From that time period. -I was hooked on how wow the
director. -John Badham. -Did with his direction. -and
the writers. -Allard. -Did a merciful job in this good
hard work he put on the script. -So what and ho gives a
damn what those awful critics say about Badhams direction
and the script. -Sure the script may have a little weekness
But also looks and feel as it was made by it's self. -Not
some Hollywood script writter. -But the hollywood script
writer has a point. -Their are certain key elements that
are so good. -I cannot complain.
Short Circuit. -1986. -Starts out as are own lovable
number five ho escapes one morning from Nova robot company
and then is strucked by lightning. -Then he venutres out
too the country site as a computer genious. -Newton Crosby.
Played by the talentive. -Funny; -Steve Guttenberg. -I think
Guttenberg fits well into this funny catagory and does his
dialogue so good. -And it never wears out..!
So does of the likness of; -Actress.. -Alley Sheedy. -From
Wargames. -1983. -She is very talentive. -And has a warm
since of humor. -Which Steve and Sheedy are so blend in
this concept. -Director. -Badham. -Does really well with
some interesting capers. -Including where Johnny Five goes
out and fines his other noval robots ho are destin too
stop Number Johnny Five.. -A three stoges moment by voice
imitator; -Tim Blainey. -Ho've have done voices before..!
I like Blainey's kindness too this movie. -He put's out all
the juices in this one big great movie. -Sheedy does really
wonderful.. -Even though that she kind of hams it up and
does a canny performance as a pet owner..! -And; -she aslo
owns a funny mini van called; -Stephanie's snack Shack..!
The center of this movie is; -Guttenberg; -and the zany
Thadias; -Captain Harris; -the actor from the; -"Police
Academy.." -Movies..! -Over all..! -It does not matter
two Have any of other talentive; -"Police Academy.." -Actors
in this kind of movie. -Face it; -it's a comedy..!
An Ingenious device..! -Well written by; -Allard and his
team partner..! -The music is a blast from the past..! -And
so are the funny qote scenes that are forgiven..?
I aint spoilen this movie for you diehard fans ho have
not scene this movie. -But saw the second one. -"Short
Circuit. -1986. -Is funny in ways. -It can make you luagh
or cry during the end where Johnny Five is malfunctioning.
not mention. -Short Circuit 2. -Way back in; -1988..!
These are memorable funny films..! -That won't be left
forgoten in our minds for generations..!
"NUMBER FIVE ALIVE!"
posted on 31 Aug 2009GREAT, KID-FRIENDLY MOVIE! -FUNNY ADVENTURES OF AN ENDEARING LITTLE ROBOT. WE WATCHED IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHEN MY KIDS WERE SMALL.I RECENTLY BOUGHT IT FOR MY GRANDSON SINCE HE LOVES ROBOTS, AND I DIDN'T CARE FOR THE CONTENT OF OTHER MOVIES/CARTOONS AVAILABLE TODAY.
P.S. HE LOVES SHORT CIRCUIT AS WELL!