Short Circuit (1986)

Short Circuit was one of my favorite films during the 1980s. Sure, the acting is low-key but sufficient: Steve Guttenberg is programmer nerd with a modicum of social skills ("It doesn't think, it just runs programs!") Newton Crosby, Ally Sheedy positively glows (esp. when steamed or "changing color") as coffee-truck owner Stephanie, Fisher Stevens is a hoot as the English-eviscerating techie of East Indian extraction ("Let us break wind!") Ben Jabituya, and Tim Blaney is awesome as the voice and spirit of Johnny 5. I even love Austin Pendleton as the put-upon CEO buffoon Howard and G.W. Bailey as the gung-ho militaristic head of security Skroeder. Johnny 5 carries this movie as the infectiously excited, newly sentient robot who chooses to rewire his killbot programming and prevent any person or animal from ever being "disassembled, dead" again. I love his joyous thesaurus-speak and zest for life! Admittedly, Short Circuit has many cartoonish bits (after a stampede through the commodes, the killbots cry "Nobody light a match!" and later are reprogrammed for Three Stooges slapstick), but I'm a sucker for physical comedy. Short Circuit 2 barely got 3 stars but I give Short Circuit a gleeful 4.5 stars.