Film

Short Circuit 1986

Directed by John Badham

  • Science Fiction, Comedy, Family
  • 98 min
  • PG

Something wonderful has happened... No. 5 is alive.

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.

Science FictionComedyFamilyartificial intelligence (a.i.)lightningoregon, usarobotmilitarychildlike

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  • Is this John Badham's best work?

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Answered from the reviews and content notes on file, never made up. If nothing on file settles it, it says so.

Character

Classical in form, effortless, resolved and unpretentious.

  • classical in formformally daring
  • effortlessdemanding
  • resolvedopen-ended
  • unpretentiousprestige
  • warmbleak

Who loves it, who doesn't

The Comfort SeekerThe Comfort Seeker: loved by 2The Comfort Seeker: disliked by 12 / 1The Genre DevoteeThe Genre Devotee: loved by 2The Genre Devotee: disliked by 12 / 1The Prestige HunterThe Prestige Hunter: loved by 1The Prestige Hunter: disliked by 11 / 1The EmpathThe Empath: loved by 11The OmnivoreThe Omnivore: loved by 11The SincereThe Sincere: loved by 11The IronistThe Ironist: disliked by 10 / 1The ProvocateurThe Provocateur: disliked by 10 / 1loved (4★+)disliked (2.5★ or less)

20 profiled raters. Loved most by The Comfort Seekers; disliked most by The Genre Devotees.