| Short Circuit 2 | | Cast : | Fisher Stevens, Michael McKean | | Director : | Kenneth Johnson | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 06, 1988 | | DVD Released Date : | September 02, 2003 | | Language : | Unknown (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Thai (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | March 29, 2005 | | Summary | Thats what I said. Derf. | Content
 | Even wihtout the Jheri curled stylings of the hit El Debarge song "Who's Johnny?", this movie is still worth a look on cable if you have nothing else to do but sip on schnapps.
Apparently Steven Gutenberg and Ally Sheedy agreed that it was not in the best interest of their careers to appear in this sequel, though its notable that Gutenberg rode the Police Academy Gravy train for 4 out of 6 stops. We are left with an Ally Sheedy voice over in the beginning explaining why we won't be seeing them in this picture, and then we are given the new stars of the sequel: Ben Javiri (an amazingly blatant Hindi/Indian cab driver stereotype played with surprising depth by Fisher Stevens) and the dude from Spinal Tap.
Ben has lost his choice gig creating weapons of mass destruction for Uncle Sam due to the 'liberation' of Johnny 5 in the first flick. Defeated, he has come to NYC to take a step down in salary, working as a toy designer who temps selling little Johnny 5 toys from a table on the street. With the help of Johnny 5 and Spinal Taps charismatic frontman, he not only gets his business going, but he finds true love and what it means to be a man...
This one has some more production value going for it and a Radio Shack plug too! It seems as if the films creators went for a slightly darker tone in this one than there was in the first. Lots of characters in this movie trying to find themselves and love. Possibly the most emotionally powerful film in the 'Short Circuit' franchise.
Disturbing spoiler: Johnny takes a terrific thrashing in this one that is WAY over top and really shocks you out of the whole campy tone of the series. I know it's a robot and all but...what a killer beating.
Sadly, the soundrack lacks the ultra sheen soundtrack of the last film, and instead has a weak version of the song "I need a hero"...still, nothing makes a boat chase better than pulsing, relentless 80's-90's synth soul/rock. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 10, 2005 | | Summary | it depends | Content
| If you're from New York City, you'll find this sequel better than the first movie, because of course this sequel is set in the sacred City.
All others will find this sequel not as good as the first movie. But it is still entertaining. Fans can revisit their favorite stunts from the first, and there are many new ones. Cynthia Gibb lends a touch of beauty and charm to this movie, but all too seldom and all too briefly. There is no female lead, as there was in the first movie--a serious shortcoming.
Again, the star of the show is #5. Compared to #5, the actors are inexpressive, simple, repetitive--in short, robot-like. It's too bad those who designed the gestures and expressions for the robot didn't give a few lessons to the actors.
If you haven't seen the first, it is recommended that you see it before this one. And if you liked the first, you'll like this one too. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 14, 2004 | | Summary | Triumph of the robot spirit | Content
| This movie is great in a horrendously cheesy, yet beautiful way - it is a triumph of the human (robot) spirit. Poor ol' Johnny 5 comes to the big city, open eyed and pure and is beaten down and taken advantage of. Tis something many of us combat - our hope and idealism vs. the often dreary and dissapointing realities. But yes, one glorious spirit is capable of awakening the lost hope in others and emerging victorious. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 26, 2004 | | Summary | What a great sequel | Content
| If you love campy 80s fun, you can't go wrong with the two Short Circuit movies. And in my opinion, this sequel is even better than the first! Some people complain that Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg are not in this sequel, but they're missing the point-- the true star of both movies is the robot Johnny 5. Sure, losing Sheedy and Guttenberg takes away from some of its camp value, but in their place you get a SNL alum in Michael McKean, who also starred in some other 80s camp classics (like Clue).
For this sequel, the film's creators sidestepped the "more of the same" pitfall that most sequels fall into. This time, Johnny 5 is in the big city, living with his former nemesis, Ben Jahrvi, who has since taken to small-time toy electronics after losing his job in the first film. Initially he is there to help Ben build his toy robots, but a more sinister plot emerges concerning some jewel thieves who want to take advantage of Johnny's naivety.
All the best parts of the original are here, but are even more fun. Johnny explores the city and learns how humans behave, and along the way he must learn that people do not easily accept what he is (a living robot). There is actually a metaphor here for acceptance, and what it's like to live as a second-class citizen in a society that rejects you. Because of this, it's a deeper and more emotional film than the first, but it never forgets that it's a campy 80s movie that is just fun to watch.
Hats off to the writers who decided to go the unpredictable route with this sequel, and managed to make it fresh and entertaining. I loved this movie as a child, and now I can say it still holds up to the test of time. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 19, 2004 | | Summary | Great For Fans of Charming Robots | Content
| Short Circuit 2 is one of those movies in a class all it's own. The character of Johnny Five has an irresistible charisma that I just love. Sure, other movies feature an out-of-it's element protagonist possessing unusual abilities that both benefit and alienate it, but Short Circuit 2 also has believable characters, good dialogue and delivers an emotional impact. Witnessing Johnny Five's trials and tribulations proves to be an interesting experience.
The biggest complaint I have is the fact you can't take the movie too seriously. There are some impossible actions taken by the robot that will leave you with a "yeah right" feeling. Also, some harsh language is used which I found to be unnecessary. It would've been better to leave it out in order to make the film suitable for all ages.
This is one sequel that's superior to the original. |
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