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Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton, G.W. Bailey ... see more see more... , Brian McNamara , Tim Blaney , John Garber , Robert Krantz , Tom Lawrence , Marvin J. McIntyre , Penny Santon , Ray Sharkey , Wabei Slyolwe , Jan Speck , Barbara Tarbuck , Jack Thompson , Marguerite Heppy , C. Eleanor Heutschy , Marjorie Card Hughes , Howard Krik , Lisa McLean , Mary Reckley , Herb Smith , William Striglos , Vernon Weddle , Billy Ray Sharkey

Struck by lightning, an endearing little robot known only as "Number 5" escapes from an experimental electronics firm. Technician Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg) and his indecipherable East Indian as... read more read more...sistant, Ben Jabituya (Fisher Stevens), set out to locate Number 5 before the military can go through with its plans to destroy the robot. Number 5 takes refuge with loopy Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy), who is convinced that the mechanical man is an extraterrestrial. Hoping to teach the "alien" all about Earth, she fills Number 5's memory banks with reams of pop culture -- and then the real fun begins. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

66% liked it

149,564 ratings

Critics

57% liked it

21 critics

PG, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: John Badham

Release Date: May 9, 1986

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DVD Release Date: September 19, 2000

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Stats: 5,884 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,884)

  • skeletonking101
    February 5, 2011
    skeletonking101
    a great character Johnny 5 and great comedy, and a great plot, with lovable characters, and great acting
  • ajv2688
    January 27, 2011
    ajv2688
    A fun family film about a robot, somewhat like the new Wall-E movie, but with real people. I really liked this movie, it's a fun adventure.
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 15, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    a classic, all should see this one
  • movieguru12
    May 31, 2010
    movieguru12
    The cutest movie. I love Johnny 5!!!!! :) & I love Steve Guttenberg, he is so cute & I adore Ally Sheedy as well!!! :) Just a great 80s movie!!! :)
  • phubbs1
    November 3, 2009
    phubbs1
    Now this was unique in the day, the robot used here was actually really decent and it was real!! no crappy effects it was a full blown full size prop and that made the film a classic and cult. Everyone knew of Johnny 5 haha he was huge at the time and so was this film.

    It is a t... read moreypical kiddie flick with baddies in black, beautiful ladies that need saving, cheesey comedy lines and tags, dumb pratfalls, robots getting hammered to pieces making the kids cry, robots coming back and beating baddies up LOL and on top of all that you have the king of the 80's Steve Guttenberg ^_^

    Its now VERY dated and poor to be honest but there is still that 80's charm that always wins the day.
  • SirPant
    September 21, 2009
    SirPant
    Welcome to the glorious 80?s when every film had Steve Guttenberg and a talking robot in it!
  • stormyweather980
    September 11, 2009
    stormyweather980
    A company called Nova has just made five military robots who can do some serious damage to bad people or anything that they need to get out of their way. However, something happens to No. 5 and he literally becomes intelligent and believe it or not, alive. No. 5 accidentally ends... read more up at the home of a charismatic animal lover, Stephanie (Ally Sheedy). Luckily for No. 5, Stephanie grows attached to the unbelievably smart robot, and her friendship will come in handy after No. 5 finds out that a group of people want to 'disassemble' him.
    "Short Circuit" is without a doubt one of the best movies of its type from the 80's, if not of all time. It's a great comedy movie and even a better family movie. "Short Circuit" is a GREAT movie for kids to watch, but anybody of any age can enjoy it.

    "Short Circuit" is VERY original, parts of it such as when No. 5 (remember that he's a robot) watches "Saturday Night Fever" on TV and tries to dance, and several other parts, are funny. But best of all, No. 5 makes the movie more than interesting enough to watch over and over again.

    If you like comedy movies and especially if you need a great family movie that the whole family can sit down, watch, and enjoy, I recommend getting "Short Circuit." If you like this movie, I also recommend getting the sequel that is humbly named "Short Circuit 2." NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. Always been a favorite movie of mine, and series.
  • SilentWarProductions2009
    September 8, 2008
    SilentWarProductions2009
    Directed by: John Badham.
    Starring: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Tim Blaney.

    << "Not a malfunction Stephanie, Number 5...is alive!" >>

    The story follows a company called Nova who manufacture a group of sophisticated robots as... read more weapons for future warfare, not the original intention of the actual creator. When a bolt of lightning strikes with the 5th model still attached to the generator, it begins to have a mind of its own and escapes into the real world.

    Its been too long...I remember growing up with this film and now, being 20, I think I was around 10 or so the last time I saw it. I think many need to re-watch this classic, because it still has all the magic intact.

    The film hasn't aged a day and the fact that the film is supposedly being remade is a disgrace. Whats amazing for it being made in 1986 is the superb physical robot effects without the use of CGI. There's a shot in the beginning which acts as a aerial type wide shot to show the garbage truck with Number 5 on it leaving Nova, you can clearly see him moving and ducking to avoid being seen. There's so much incredible attention to detail on this characters physical structure, it's damn near flawless, an amazing achievement that has been looked past.

    The character setup is quite amazing. Sure, some of the sub-characters are reduced to generic cut-outs, but the ones who matter are focused on...Stephanie, the 'slightly dumber than normal' woman with a big heart who accepts Number 5 as a real person. Her sweet, slightly eccentric personality and Ally Sheedy's caring performance make it all the worth while. And then of course, there's Number 5. Nowadays its Pixar who are paving the way for animals and robots to be seen as human, but many forget that Short Circuit is where it all started. The first brilliant choice made was to have him voiced by a person and not computer generated and Tim Blaney's balance between the two shows the characters changes throughout the film well. Number 5 is instantly likable, with his adolescent curiosity and funny views on those things around him, you fall in love from the first moment and he easily adapts to anyone willing to take him in, no matter what age...and I got to credit Fisher Stevens for his extremely hilarious performance as an Indian, I was surprised to also see how inoffensive he made it as well.

    I think that's the thing this film will never lose, its power. Sure, some may forget about it over the years thanks to countless new ways of trying to generate animation for the new generations, but once you see the film again, you'll remember why it was such a big part of anyone's childhood and how it still remains magical. Its definitely a movie I'd keep and show to my kids someday.
  • rezpatriot
    January 6, 2008
    rezpatriot
    Funny
  • moonrivers
    December 11, 2007
    moonrivers
    it was cute

View All Short Circuit Reviews

Critic Reviews

David Nusair
May 9, 2012
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

An affable yet forgettable effort... Full Review

Rob Humanick
June 26, 2011
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

The lack of a single malicious bone in this film ensures that its genuinely heartfelt approach never collapses to mere schtick. Full Review

Christopher Null
July 4, 2008
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Looking back at it today it's clear that Short Circuit is absolutely awful, and not just because of Ally Sheedy's haircut. Full Review

Pete Vonder Haar
October 28, 2005
Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat

#5 is alive...and horny

Steve Crum
November 1, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Stars funny, sympathetic robot.

Ken Hanke
May 20, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Amiable enough, but...

Alex Sandell
April 1, 2003
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

Goofy 80's fun. Wanna-be E.T. actually delivers the goods.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
September 1, 2002
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Very entertaining sci-fi drama about the adventures of an escaped robot on the loose. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Ben Jabituya: I am standing here beside myself.
    • No. 5: Stephanie, change color. Attractive. Nice software. Hmmmm.
    • Stephanie Speck: Boy, you sure don't talk like a robot.
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Short Circuit Trivia

  • "johnny five is_________"? taken from short circuit.  Answer »
  • What was the name of the intelligent robot in short circuit called?  Answer »
  • In the short circuit movies, what is the robots name?  Answer »
  • What was the name of the Organization that created number 5, in Short Circuit?  Answer »
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