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Short Circuit 2
Robot Johnny 5 moves to the city to help his friend Ben Jahrvi with his toy manufacturing enterprise, only to be manipulated by criminals who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes.
Release : | 1988 |
Rating : | 5.7 |
Studio : | TriStar Pictures, The Turman-Foster Company, |
Crew : | Production Design, Director of Photography, |
Cast : | Tim Blaney Fisher Stevens Michael McKean Cynthia Gibb Jack Weston |
Genre : | Drama Comedy Science Fiction Family |
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Reviews
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
This movie isn't as good as the first Short Circuit movie but it is still very funny. Steve Gutenberg is gone but Fisher Stevens is still here with Michael McKean instead and they're both great.
Ben the walking stereotype is in New York selling little editions of Number Five.There he meets one of Spinal Tap, and they go into business with Gibb to make more of the little Number fives. This all covers the sub-plot involving a jewel heist where some old boy called Oscar has hired two thugs to raid a bank.The only problem is, the building where these criminals were working has been taken over by Ben. And then all of a sudden, Number Five arrives and causes all sorts of xenophobic hilarity.Oh how I nearly smiled.....This was rife during the late eighties and the early nineties, a film that wasn't expected to succeed as well as it did (sister act, Wayne's world, Beethoven), did do great business and garnered a sequel.Some were okay, Bill and Ted delivered a good sequel, but this one fell into the category of great idea to begin with, but this is just scraping the barrel.Stevens does what he can with the material, but there is none, it's just a case of Johnny five doing what he did in the first movie, copying things from the TV, radio, and commercials, to comic effect.It was endearing the first time, but this just grates and annoys.There the token scene near the end where we think Johnny Five may get killed, but hen he goes all gold plated at the end.It's a dud movie, Sheedy can only be bothered to do a voice cameo, and it lacks any charm the original had.
For the most part, family friendly films are enjoyed by its audiences, no matter how many critics dislike it. The funny thing is that even sequels to these kinds of films, are welcomed with open arms by their previous viewers. Turned out I had the exact opposite feeling for this originally. Like most moviegoers, we like to see sequels with the same characters. Short Circuit 2 only provided two original characters from the first: No. 5 and Ben. Before seeing the rest I didn't know what to expect and I wasn't sure if I would have liked it.Without reading any reviews, I noticed the approval rating for this film had decreased from that of its original. However, I also noticed that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert thought it was better the first so it had to be given a shot. Surprisingly, I was satisfied more with this installment that I was with the first. The sequel to the first not only improves itself but also involves its characters more within the plot.Besides No.5, who now calls himself Johnny 5, being the main character, Newton Crosby's co-worker, Ben (Fisher Stevens) moves to the "The Big City" to try and make a living selling No.5 knock-off toys. Also trying to make a living is cheapskate speed talker, Fred Ritter (Michael McKean), who cops a deal with Ben to sell out his inventory so he can gain part of his profit. Fortunately, Johnny 5 is sent to them, from Crosby in Montana to help them get the job done.Stevens still plays a goofy Ben who still doesn't quite know how to speak correctly. McKean also has some comical moments due to his street smarts. I was amazed to find out he was the voice of Insaniac from Small Soldiers (1998). Johnny 5 is still the same; still speed-reads, still loves dancing, and is still constantly looking for input. Just like the first film, there is a love interest here. This time it is for Ben, her name is Sandy Banatoni played by Cynthia Gibb. I can't say Gibb gives anything for the movie character wise, but she is a nice addition to the cast. What impressed me even more was how the character of Ritter was given so much attention in character development. It was great to see him have a change of heart.The effects still look good even though they are obviously dated. The music, scored by Charles Fox, made me feel more during important scenes than Shire's in the first film and this made me appreciate it more. The comedy seems to be ramped out a little too. I got more laughs from the exchanges between McKean and Stevens than I did from the first with Stevens and Guttenburg. I can't compare Johnny 5 because he's the top character no matter what.However, what I really grabbed my attention here was how involved the characters became with being apart of something close to them. Johnny 5 wants to be accepted by everybody, Ben wants to be accepted by society and have a girlfriend, and Ritter wants to be successful (which I don't blame him for). And to see all these wants attained made me feel so warm inside that I was absolutely content to see such a well done sequel be released to the public.The next chapter of Johnny 5 not only has more laughs but the characters have much more attraction to them. The music and special effects are just the chrome and spit-shine.
It's rare a sequel exceeds the original, but this does in leaps and bounds. The lovable robot - wanted by the military in the first film - is shipped to Indian scientist Fisher Stevens in New York, taking to the streets of The Big Apple: wanting to be human like everyone else.But Number Five, now Johnny Five, has other problems: including bank robbers and helping his creator connect with a beautiful, ambitious climber set to buy toy versions of himself... or rather, itself... from Stevens and seedy partner Michael McKean. Director Kenneth Johnson, who successfully adapted THE INCREDIBLE HULK to television, does for Johnny Five what he did for The Hulk: adding, through interesting low-angle shots and character-driven perspective, depth and humanity to what had been, in both the Robot and Hulk's origins, merely child's play.