Movie of the Day – Short Circuit 2

I will be perfectly honest, I don’t why I decided to pick this movie for today’s post.  In fact the only thing I remember about this movie is that it was the only thing on while my grandmother watched me and my siblings after school let out.  I guess there aren’t too many films out there that dealt with a self-aware robot that wasn’t out to destroy humanity or kill one particular person.  No, this movie was a sequel to a “meh” original with a quirky and amusing talking robot who just gets into all sorts of trouble.  It’s the friendly, kid version of The Terminator!

Fisher Stevens reprises his role of Ben Jahrvi, the co-inventor of the cute robot Number Five, in this sequel to Short Circuit. Since the last film, Ben has moved to the city, where he lives in a truck and sells toy Number Fives as a street vendor. Ben plies his trade until one day luck strikes in the form of Sandy (Cynthia Gibb), a toy buyer in dire straits who offers Ben $50,000 if he can quickly churn out a thousand toy robots. Offering to help the naive Ben is street con man Fred (Michael McKean), who becomes Ben’s partner and finances the burgeoning enterprise through a loan shark. Ben and Fred begin to manufacture the toys in a warehouse; unfortunately, they soon find the building also houses the entrance of a tunnel dug by thieves, preparing to rob the bank across the street. With things appearing their bleakest, a crate arrives from Montana. Inside is the new and improved Number Five, who now insists on being called Johnny Five. Johnny Five has even learned to talk in a litany of phrases gleaned from television shows, and now helps Ben get started in the toy business. In the process, Ben and Johnny Five contend with the temptations and corrupt business practices of a big city environment. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Damn that is a long plot synopsis.  Thanks to Rovi for their lengthy plot recaps since mine would have been something akin to, “Johnny Five and the scientist guy reprise their roles in the sequel to the 1986 original.  Corrupt business man uses Number Five’s niceness to help steal stuff from a bank and then the first ever robot, boat chase scene takes places with sweet 80s music.”  Actually that isn’t that bad of a recap cause honestly, who fully remembers this movie in it’s entirety.  I know remember the main reason I choose this movie is because it is Isaac Asimov’s birthday today and also for the most ridiculous chase scene ever.

This is pretty much the crown jewel of the film, one where Johnny Five has been duped, hurt and almost out of power.  He is chasing down the corporate fat cat that decided to rob from the poor people and their lock boxes in a super safe.  Knowing that Number Five is a robot, he escapes by boat!  Brilliant cause that junk metal can’t fly, but in some weird twist of fate, Number Five catches him.  Also this chase scene is paced wonderfully with Bonnie Tyler’s song “Holding out for a Hero”.

Are you fucking kidding me?  You are on a boat on water, which is from my limited time working with robots, is something that can cause serious electrical damage, yet you choose to steer your boat close to the fucking shore!  I am at a lose for words here, the perfect getaway thrown out the window because some guy couldn’t steer the boat out towards the sea with his loot.

Anyways, Happy Birthday Isaac Asimov!  You helped usher in an era where the rules of robotics are broken on numerous instances by movies and makes me fear for a future when they will eventually take over.