Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After a lightning bolt zaps a robot named Number 5, the lovable machine starts to think he's human and escapes the lab. Hot on his trail is his designer, Newton, who hopes to get to Number 5 before the military does. In the meantime, a spunky animal lover mistakes the robot for an alien and takes him in, teaching her new guest about life on Earth.
Short Circuit is a likable but uneven 1986 sci-fi comedy. The plot is a charming fish-out-of-water premise that works well enough for family entertainment but relies on convenient contrivances and thin conflict. Acting is fairly weak — Fisher Stevens' accent is widely criticized as offensive, and Steve Guttenberg is affable but not especially skilled here. Cinematography is functional and unremarkable for a mid-80s family film. The novelty is moderate — Number 5 as a sentient, pop-culture-absorbing robot was a fresh and endearing concept at the time, even if the overall structure is familiar. The ending is predictable and emotionally manipulative without fully earning its sentiment.