First and foremost, the screenplay has weathered the years rather well, strengthened by a series of solid (albeit fairly one-note) performances that wholly sustain the awe and wonder of Number-5’s wide-eyed journey. More than twenty years after its inception, ’Short Circuit’ at least manages to work on a few fundamental levels. On the run from the military, Number-5 takes on the name Johnny-5 and discovers the thrill of life, the fear of death, and the allure of freedom. Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg), a humanitarian who isn’t happy that his creation is being developed as a weapon. The pair eventually find an ally in the robots’ designer, Dr. Unable to communicate or grasp its budding sentience, Number-5 meets a young woman named Stephanie (Ally Sheedy) who helps the robot learn about the world, develop its personality, and appreciate its existence. When a lightning storm disrupts an advanced weapons presentation for the US military, an errant power surge alters the programming of a prototype war machine (designated Number-5) and causes the confused robot to wander off the premises.
Alas, like many fond childhood memories, ‘Short Circuit’ didn’t turn out to be the timeless classic I remembered. Since my son has been unable to contain his mounting enthusiasm for Pixar’s upcoming robotic opus, ‘Wall-E,’ I thought it was a perfect time to introduce him to a cherished flick from my childhood, ‘Short Circuit.’ Of course, I tried to explain that it had been at least fifteen years since I last watched the original adventures of the film’s endearingly sentient hero Number-5, but talk of rolling robots and searing lasers had my son bounding around the room in a frenzy.
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