Short Circuit

I bought my boyfriend this film recently for his 24th birthday mostly as a joke as I figured it would be one of those movies that we loved in the mid 80s but was craptastically corny when viewed now. Also it was about $9 at K-Mart.

Watching it yesterday it took us back to a time when canape carrying robots were all the rage and Steve Guttenberg had a career. Namely 1986. Sadly I wish Ally Sheedy did still have a successful career, being my favourite breakfast clubber.

Basic plot is Steve Guttenberg is a nerdy scientist/copmputer programmer guy who is responsible for 5 defence robots, one of which (number 5) gets fried in a freak lightning accident. Number 5 then becomes alive (as he repeats many times in the film) and ends up at Ally Sheedy's (Stephanie) place who at first thinks he is an alien, then learns he is a robot from the Novo lab. She too comes to realise he is alive as he doesn't believe in hurting people and also you know he learns some cool dancing moves from John Travolta via Saturday Night fever film clips. She ends up hooking up with Steve and making him see the truth about Number 5 and not letting the Novo bosses blow him up. They end up running off into the wilderness where Number 5 can be hidden safely and can receive more input.

When I saw the back of the film case and saw Ally Sheedy dancing with a robot (not like a robot a la The Breakfast Club) I did cringe and wonder how bad this movie would be viewed through my more 'mature' eyes. And yes it has aged but it's not that bad. Steve Guttenberg has an Indian sidekick (who kinda sounds like Apu from The Simpsons) who is always messing up traditonal American sayings and is actually kind of amusing.
Some of the acting is rather awkward even from my beloved Miss Sheedy but she is literally acting with a robot for about 2/3 of the movie. Overall I still found it entertaining and kind of want to view Short Circuit 2. The shame.

Image: http://fivenonblondes.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/kohler-gone-karbon/