Short Circuit 2

"The adventures of America's most electric leading man continue."

1988 1h 50m EN

😐

6.2

MID

🥫

43%

ROTTEN

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★6.2TMDB · 689🥫43%Rotten Tomatoes★5.7IMDB · 28,046

ComedyFamilyScience FictionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Robot Johnny 5 moves to the city to help his friend Ben Jahrvi with his toy manufacturing enterprise, only to be manipulated by criminals who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes.

“The adventures of America's most electric leading man continue.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tim Blaney
Johnny Five (voice)
Fisher Stevens
Ben Jahrvi
Michael McKean
Fred Ritter
Cynthia Gibb
Sandy Banatoni
Jack Weston
Oscar Baldwin
Dee McCafferty
Saunders
David Hemblen
Jones
Don Lake
Manic Mike

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenneth Johnson
Writers: S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Short Circuit Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kenneth Johnson, shot by John McPherson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Charles Fox. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Conrad Buff IV shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tim Blaney and Fisher Stevens and Michael McKean carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The adventures of America's most electric leading man continue.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0096101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenneth Johnson directs. John McPherson behind the camera. Charles Fox scores. Conrad Buff IV cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Short Circuit Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Kenneth Johnson, shot by John McPherson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Charles Fox. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Conrad Buff IV shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Tim Blaney and Fisher Stevens and Michael McKean carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The adventures of America's most electric leading man continue.".
8IMDB entry: tt0096101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 15 themes, including "helicopter", "robbery", "police", "hitman".

The technical file

Cinematography: John McPherson
Original score: Charles Fox
Editing: Conrad Buff IV
Production design: Bill Brodie
Costume design: Larry S. Wells
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $21,630,088
Return: 144% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Short Circuit 2 (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes: 43% 🥫 Rotten
IMDB rating: 5.7/10 · 28,046 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

2 nominations total

Part of

Short Circuit Collection

Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots, undergoes a sudden transformation after being struck by lightning. He develops self-awareness, consciousness, and a fear of the reprogramming that awaits him back at the factory. With the help of a young woman, Number 5 tries to evade capture and convince his creator that he has truly become alive.