ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

If you liked the original Short Circuit, you won't hate this one, because it includes some (but not all) of the fun elements of the first film, along with one (but only one . . . ) of Short Circuit's cast members (Steven Fisher).

Plus it has that marvelous A.I robot, Johnny Five!

The climax is, I'm afraid, pretty lame — so be ready to have your hopes dashed if you expected the kind of great conclusion the first movie gave us.

Here's the trailer to prepare your expectations.

________________ Short Circuit 2 Trailer 1988


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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IMDB has 26 trivia items for this movie. Here’s a few of the ones I found the most interesting, in the blue text.
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~ Producers wanted Steve Guttenberg (Newton Crosby in Short Circuit (1986)) to commit to the sequel without a script, but he declined. Twenty years later, Guttenberg expressed in an interview that he regretted turning down the chance to star in this film.

Note from me: Guttenberg is not my idea of a good actor, but he's likable enough in this movie and Cocoon. Having both him and Ally Sheedy in the sequel would have helped this somewhat weak movie.

~ In 2013, a remake of the original film was announced as being in development. Fisher Stevens stated his interest in returning. The proposed remake was said to be darker in tone than the original movies.

Note from me: This is just my opinion, but I think a 2013 remake was a bad idea. Short Circuit 1 and 2 were distinctly "1980s" movies, a product of the culture during that decade's lighthearted cinematic sci-fi movies.

The year 2013 gave us movies like Oblivion, Pacific Rim, Star Trek Into Darkness, and World War Z! :shock;

Do those movies seem to fit well with a frothy comedy about funny robot that yearns to be loved and accepted as a citizen of America? (It's a trick question, guys. The answer is obviously, "Hell no!" )

~ Jack Weston's final film. He worked on this project after production was completed on his previous films, Dirty Dancing (1987) and Ishtar (1987). After completing production on this film, Weston retired from acting. He passed away on May 3, 1996 at the age of seventy-one.

Note from me: My all-time favorite Jack Weston role is his hysterical drunken sailor in in the 1961 comedy starring Steve McQueen (in his only comedy roles).

I own the DVD of that wonderful movie.

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~ After the events of the first movie, Nova Robotics was shut down and the remaining robots were destroyed.

Note from me: Yeah, right!

A company which developed autonomous, self-aware robots would actually shut down after its own product went out into the world and proved its sentience by defeating a quasi-military unit which tried to destroy it!

Good God . . . that is ridiculous!

~ David Hemblen previously starred in the short lived science fiction series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987) as the main antagonist — Lord Dread, a quasi-cyborg.

Note from me: I love that great series, and Mr. Hemblen was magnificent in the role of the villain!

~ A 3rd Short Circuit movie never happened due to poor Box Office results. Short Circuit 3 would have centered around Captain Skroeder, who learns Johnny 5 was not destroyed at the end of the first movie, and that he has become a celebrity.

Captain Skroeder sets out to get his revenge on Johnny 5, because he blames Johnny 5 for his firing from Nova Robotics.

Note from me: Frankly, Captain Skroeder was not all that great in the first movie, and a sequel that featured his character in a major role is a bad idea.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Captain Starlight]

I liked the first movie, but this sequel was weak. Even so, it was still enjoyable. I missed Ally Sheedy. I even missed Steve Guttenberg a little.