Short Circuit

Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.

• Director: John Badham
• Genre:Comedy / Family / Sci-Fi
• Runtime:99 minutes

Cast

Ally Sheedy : Stephanie Speck
Steve Guttenberg: Newton Crosby
Fisher Stevens : Ben Jabituya
Austin Pendleton: Howard Marner
G.W. Bailey : Skroeder

Number 5 (voiced by Tim Blaney) is one of five prototype robots proposed for use by the U.S. military, although the scientists mainly responsible for creating them, Newton Graham Crosby, Ph.D. (Steve Guttenberg) and his partner Ben Javhri (Fisher Stevens), are more interested in peaceful uses of their artificial intelligence, like playing musical instruments. A demonstration is under way in the grounds of the developer’s company, Nova Laboratories, in Damon, Washington. After a lightning storm ends the presentation of the prototypes, a power surge hits Number 5 while it is recharging and alters its program, causing a malfunction. An associated accident causes it to be taken off company grounds and it wanders away, unable to communicate and not knowing where it is.

Number 5 finds itself at the home of animal-lover Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy) in Astoria, Oregon, who initially thinks the robot is an extraterrestrial visitor, but then determines that the robot was built by Nova. After she helps it satisfy its cravings for “input” (due to its malfunction), and explains the nature of life and death to it, Stephanie and the robot realize the power surge has brought the robot to life; the robot subsequently gains a respect for life, rejecting the destructive nature of its military programming, as well as a fear of the disassembly that awaits it back at Nova, believing it to be akin to death.

After several narrow escapes from a troop of soldiers led by Nova’s security head Captain Skroeder (G. W. Bailey) — who disobeys orders from Howard Marner, the director of Nova in his attempt to destroy the wayward robot — as well as from Stephanie’s unscrupulous ex-boyfriend Frank, Stephanie and the robot finally convince Newton of the robot’s sentience, but are unfortunately cornered by the full weight of Nova’s security and the army, who seemingly destroy the robot. Unbeknown to the soldiers, it was only a copy built by Number 5 (from spare parts), and with the robot’s “destruction,” the project that spawned it is ruined and Skroeder is fired. Number 5 (who renames himself “Johnny 5″ after hearing the song “Who’s Johnny?” throughout the movie) leaves for Montana with Stephanie and Newton, who has quit his job after siding with the robot. Read more

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