One of my all-time favorite movies is Short Circuit, the 1986
comedy about a government robot that magically becomes sentient during a
thunderstorm. I’ve watched it countless times, enjoying the improbable
situations and the vivid characters, most notably Number Five, the
wide-eyed robot with an innocent outlook and a strong will to live.
Recently, I rewatched Short Circuit 2, directed by Kenneth
Johnson, and while my attachment to the sequel is not nearly so strong,
it’s still a cute movie featuring the irrepressible robot who calls
himself Johnny Five.
In this movie, Newton Crosby, the reclusive
scientist who helped create Number Five, has moved to Montana with
Stephanie Speck, the batty animal lover with whom the robot bonded after
escaping the NOVA Robotics facility. Meanwhile, Newton’s partner, Ben
(whose last name mysteriously changes from Jabituya in the first movie
to Jahrvi in this), has moved to the big city to make a go of it selling
tiny robot replicas. Unfortunately, mass-production is not an option
with his meager resources, but when he writes to Newton and Stephanie to
tell them of his troubles, they send Johnny Five his way.
In
this movie, Johnny (Tim Blaney) continues his journey of self-awareness.
He is considerably more well-spoken here since he’s had months to soak
up all sorts of input; this makes him easier to understand but also a
tad less distinctive. Still, he retains his insatiable curiosity about
the world as well as his idealistic streak. All he wants is to be
well-educated and respected as a genuine person. While Ben tries to keep
him cooped up in the warehouse where he is speedily constructing
miniature robots, Johnny soon finds his way outside and discovers that
the city is a pretty cold place for a robot. If people aren’t screaming
in terror or shooting him nasty looks, they’re taking advantage of his
super skills and naivety. Will he ever be able to enjoy the life of an
actual person?
While Johnny searches for himself, Ben is in the
process of becoming an American citizen, which doesn’t make a lot of
sense because in the first movie he said he was from Bakersfield,
California and that his ancestors were from Pittsburgh. What’s more, he
was working in a high-security government facility; would he really have
been able to get such a job without being a citizen? Still, because
Ben’s syntax is so ridiculous and his naivety level is almost as high as
Johnny’s, it’s easy to roll with this idea even though there seems to
be a continuity gap.
Additionally, while I never really noticed
this until my most recent viewing, half the stuff Ben says in the first
movie comes out a double entendre. The idea is that he has no idea what
he’s saying, but it starts to feel like a lot of Freudian slips for a
scientist who would really like a little one-on-one time with a woman.
However, in the sequel, while he continues to say some pretty strange
stuff, the innuendo is almost absent. While he is very lovable in the
original film, he’s even sweeter here, and he just seems generally more
innocent.
So innocent that he can’t see that street vendor Fred
(Michael McKean), who gets him his first big sale, has the heart of a
con artist. So innocent that he gets completely tongue-tied when Sandy
(Cynthia Gibb), the eager young buyer for a major toy company, comes
anywhere near him. Can this man whose mastery of English is so
incomplete successfully pass his citizenship test? Can he avoid being
taken in by shysters? And does he have any chance of winning the heart
of the woman he finds so irresistible?
There’s a bit of crude
language in this movie, particularly from a gang of street thugs who
enlist Johnny’s aid in ripping off some cars – though Ben actually
chides Johnny for repeating their off-color slogan, which made me smile.
The plot is more complicated than in the first film, which is so
beautifully simple. Here, we’ve got Johnny embarking on a journey of
self-discovery; Ben working to become a citizen and woo Sandy; Sandy
attempting to prove herself to her ornery boss; Fred trying to make a
quick buck but unwittingly coming under the influence of Ben and
Johnny’s noble spirits; and a bunch of low-down dirty jewel thieves
doing their best to make off with several million dollars’ worth of
diamonds hidden in a vault near Ben’s warehouse.
It’s a lot more
involved than Robot Comes Alive, Government Tries to Capture Robot,
Girl Shields Robot, and not necessarily for the better. With the
big-city setting, there’s usually a lot of commotion, and it can be
harder to really connect with the characters here. Additionally, some of
the scenes are just plain absurd, and the climax feels even more
violent than the first because the brutality is more personal. Besides
that, Johnny’s vendetta toward the end of the film seems a bit at odds
with his peaceful approach to life.
Still, there’s a lot to like
here, particularly in the interaction among the four main characters.
Three years ago, I was thrilled to see Stevens resurface on LOST
in a very different sort of role, so it was fun to return to this and
hear him adopt that goofy pseudo-Indian accent again. He’s such a
plucky, upbeat guy that you really want him to succeed. Also, as someone
who understands the way that shared references can strengthen bonds
between people, I absolutely love how he uses the melodies of oldies to
secretly communicate with Sandy from a distance when he is in distress –
especially since the only LOST episode to heavily feature Stevens involves rigging up a phone so one man can make a life-saving call to his girlfriend.
On
the back of the box our video came in, a blurb indicates that Siskel
and Ebert thought this was even better than the original. I would beg to
differ. However, if you loved Johnny Five and Ben the first time
around, you’re likely to find plenty of entertainment value in Short Circuit 2.
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