short circuitTriStar Pictures
1986
PG

“Hey, laser lips. Your mama was a snow blower.”

There are a few movies from the 1980s that I refer to as my Psych Ward Movies. these were movies that ran in theaters that the staff members at the psychiatric ward I was in at the time would take us to once in a while as a group outing. Takin’ the crazy kids to the movies, and all that. One of those movies we were taken to was th surprise sci-fi comedy hit, Short Circuit

I remember sitting there with my fellow inmates from 4 East, taking in the wacky hijinks of this military grade robot whi is now ALIVE!, running around with Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy avoiding that other guy from Police Academy, thinking this was the greatest movie I had ever seen. Keep in mind, I was also 12 years old and terminator 2 had yet to be released. but, for what I was able to see in the theaters that year, Short Circuit was just what I needed.

Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy co-star in this high-tech comedy adventure about Number Five, a robot who escapes into the real world after he short-circuits in an electrical storm and decides that he’s human. Because he’s carrying destructive weapons, the Defense Department and his designer are desperate to find him. But Number Five is being protected by a young woman who is teaching him a gentler way of life.

Watching Short Circuit now, sure, you can say that the movie didn’t hold up that well, both from the acting and the story departments. And of course, using an actor in brownface to portray a character of Indian (as in, from the country of India) decent would not fly in this day and age. And really, I find Ally Sheedy’s character more annoying than whimsically charming. But, beyond that, the two highlights here are Johnny 5, and the always lovable Steve Guttenberg. Also, any movie that has G. W. bailey is worth a watch, really. Even if it is the Police Academy movies.

Overall, Short Circuit is a product of its time, and that product is a whimsical fantasy featuring a living robot getting in wacky situations. Think of this as a prequel to Pixar’s Wall-E if you want. Recommended for a nice 80s throwback.