Ok, I’ll be honest: I don’t know or remember if Short Circuit was a big hit in 1986, and I’m too lazy to look it up. However, my instincts tell me that it probably was, as Hollywood usually doesn’t make sequels to movies that aren’t hits. But it’s sequel, 1988’s Short Circuit 2 is a rather enjoyable film, that may even be better than it’s predecessor.
The only thing I do remember about the original Short Circuit, was that I found it rather boring. It’s premise was simple: a robot becomes sentient and fights to survive amidst great comedic perils. This movie stared Steve (whatever happened to me, wherever did I go) Guttenberg and Fisher Stevens, and I can only remember ever liking Stevens, playing Indo-American Ben Jabituya, the creator of the robot. But that’s all I can remember, so I’ll move onto talking about it’s sequel Short Circuit 2, which I have seen and enjoyed many times.
It’s safe to say that the sequel really begins where the first movie left off, bringing everyone’s loveable robot Johnny-5 and his maker, Ben (Fisher Stevens) to the city that never sleeps: New York. Once there, all trouble ensues as they meet up with people who may or may not have good intentions as far as Johnny-5 is concerned. Of course, all chaos breaks loose, and the movie is a fun and steadily paced ride through some fairly typical Hollywood plot twists, fun character interactions and many great throw-away one liners. Michael McKean and comedy-character actor Jack Weston join the returning Fisher Stevens for all the fun in their interesting and funny, comic book like roles.
But the movie is typically Hollywood, pulling out all the stops including a love interest for Ben (with Johnny-5 helping him out), and culminating in a rather wishy-washy and even tear jerking climax in which the only way out is for Johnny-5 to take serious action and kick a**. And yet, because of its Hollywoodization, the central message of the movie regarding trust and learning to respect one another is almost completely quashed by the film’s own resolution that results in Johnny-5 taking revenge upon those who have discriminated and used him for nefarious purposes. As such, the movie takes the all too easy Hollywood way out, resorting to violence as the only solution.
In this respect, the film fails to provide any respectable alternative for Johnny-5; missing a great chance for some real meaningful character development that could have resulted in a non-violent resolution to the situation our lovable characters were caught up in. Yes, this is a family film, and even though many Disney movies end in a similar fashion, one could have expected something more from even a sci-fi comedy of this nature --- especially considering all the books Johnny-5 supposedly read in the World’s Biggest Bookstore early in this sequel. But I guess Johnny-5 either didn’t make it to the psychology section, or I’m just forgetting that the mass-marketed self-help material of Oprah and Dr. Phill just wasn’t around in 1988.
But I digress. The film, as directed by B-Grade sci-fi director Kenneth Johnson is fast paced and at times quiet funny. And even though Short Circuit 2 isn’t much to remember afterward, it is fun to watch and is successful in creating a situation that actually has me caring to see what happens whenever I stumble across it repeating on TV. And for that, it’s a classic in it’s own way.
Grade B