1. Plot

2. Cast

3. Production

4. Reception
    Critical response  Box office  Accolades 

5. Home media

6. Sequel
    Hot Cars, Cold Facts 

7. References

8. External links

• Fisher Stevens
• Michael McKean
• Cynthia Gibb
• Jack Weston
• Tim Blaney

Short Circuit 2 is a 1988 US comic science fiction film, the sequel to the 1986 film Short Circuit. It was directed by Kenneth Johnson, and starred Fisher Stevens as Ben Jahveri,^[3] Michael McKean as Fred Ritter, Cynthia Gibb as Sandy Banatoni, and Tim Blaney as the voice of Johnny 5 (the main character – a friendly, naive, self-aware robot).

Plot

After Nova Robotics goes bankrupt after the "destruction" of one of their robot prototypes by Captain Shroeder, one of their programmers, Benjamin Jahveri (Fisher Stevens), starts up his own business, "Titanic Toy Corporation", that specializes in making sophisticated toy robots that he makes by hand from the back of his truck. For two days, Ben has been in a big city implied to be New York City peddling his toy robots on the street corners. One robot wanders away from his stand and makes its way into the office of Sandy Banatoni (Cynthia Gibb), an assistant buyer for Simpsons' toy department. Sandy tracks Ben down and orders 1,000 of his toys. Overhearing this offer is con artist Fred Ritter (Michael McKean), who smooth-talks his way into brokering the transaction between Ben & Sandy, becoming Ben's business partner in the deal, and later acquiring the funding Ben needs from a loan shark.

Ben and Fred move into a derelict warehouse which is the base of operations for thieves who are tunneling into a bank vault across the street to steal a set of jewels known as the Vanderveer Collection. The thieves (Saunders and Jones) attack Ben and Fred and destroy their equipment, preventing them from completing Sandy's order. However, Ben's friends Stephanie and Newton have sent Johnny 5, a human-sized sentient robot whom Ben helped to create. When Saunders and Jones return, Johnny fends them off, then sets up self-defense mechanisms should they try to break in. Johnny sets to work mass-producing the toys to meet Sandy's deadline but later leaves to explore the city. He runs afoul of many New Yorkers, who are rude and unfriendly. However, he befriends one man, Oscar Baldwin (Jack Weston), who works at the bank across the street from Ben and Fred's warehouse.

Fred, having learned that Johnny is worth $11 million, tries to sell the robot. Discovering this, Johnny escapes into the city, is taken into custody by the police, and is placed in the stolen goods warehouse, where he is claimed by Ben. Johnny uses his robotic abilities to help Ben court Sandy.

With time running out before the Vanderveer Collection is moved from the bank, Saunders and Jones lock Ben and Fred in the freezer of a Chinese restaurant. It is revealed that Oscar is the mastermind of the heist, and he tricks Johnny into finishing the tunnel leading to the vault. Ben and Fred get Sandy to save them, using polyphonic renditions of songs that Ben learned on his date with her as clues to their location. Having discovered the Vanderveer Collection, Johnny deduces Oscar's true intentions but is attacked by Saunders and Jones and is severely damaged. Fred attempts to repair him by breaking into a Radio Shack and following Johnny's guidance. Johnny then locates Oscar and traps his accomplices. However, Oscar flees and steals a boat. Johnny uses a dockside crane to capture Oscar, who is later apprehended by the police. After Johnny's main power supply runs dry, Ben keeps him alive with a defibrillator.

Later scenes show Johnny as a celebrity and Sandy, Ben, and Fred establishing a large business called Input Incorporated, with Johnny 5 as the mascot. The film concludes with Ben and Johnny taking the Oath of Allegiance to become U.S. citizens. Asked about how he feels by reporters, a gold-plated Johnny jumps into the air, shouting that he feels, "Alive!"

Cast

• Tim Blaney as the voice of Johnny 5
• Fisher Stevens as Benjamin Jahveri
• Michael McKean as Fred Ritter
• Cynthia Gibb as Sandy Banatoni
• Jack Weston as Oscar Baldwin
• David Hemblen as Jones
• Dee McCafferty as Saunders
• Don Lake as Manic Mike
• Ally Sheedy, who played Stephanie Speck in Short Circuit, lends her voice to one scene (uncredited).
• Gerry Parkes as the Priest

Production

Reception

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews at the time of release. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 38% based on reviews from 13 critics, with an average rating of 4.1/10.^[9] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave it a grade A-.^[10]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times gave it a negative review. He wrote "For anyone over the age of 6, the film is as much fun as wearing wet sneakers."^[11] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post gave a mixed review (6/10) with qualifiers saying "Short Circuit 2" is unabashedly mawkish and sophomoric, and the actors support the technology. But if you're a kid, or an adult with an Erector Set, you might just enjoy this summer-weight caper.^[12] Most of the positive reviews in fact were nice but accepting of the film's obvious flaws. Variety added "Mild and meek, Short Circuit 2 has an uncomplicated sweetness as a successful followup to the original robot kiddie comedy."^[13]

Box office

At the box office, Short Circuit 2 disappointed, landing in 7th place on its first weekend making only $3,843,067. It finished with $21,630,088, down almost half from what the first Short Circuit film made. It ranked 45th at the U.S. box office for 1988.^[16]

Accolades

• Honored with the Winsor McCay Award [for career achievement]{{clarify|date=January 2019}}

The film was nominated at Saturn Awards in the categories Best Science Fiction Film and Best Special Effects

(Eric Allard, Jeff Jarvis).

Home media

Short Circuit 2 was re-released on DVD on April 24, 2007,^[14] which included a "making-of featurette" on actor Fisher Stevens. In 2010, the film was released once again with alternative cover-art. A Blu-ray disc of the film was also released in April 2011, though no extras were included.

Sequel

Hot Cars, Cold Facts

Hot Cars, Cold Facts, made in 1990, is a short educational film featuring the Johnny 5 character, voiced by Russell Turner. It also starred Gina Revarra as Lisa, John Hugh as Officer Dave and Donald Bishop as Howard. The film takes place after Short Circuit 2.

References

External links

• {{IMDb title|0096101}}
• {{tcmdb title|90006}}
• {{amg title|44476}}
• {{AFI film|id=59114|title=Short Circuit 2}}
• {{mojo title|shortcircuit2|Short Circuit 2}}
• {{rotten-tomatoes|short_circuit_2}}

• TI-55
• TI-55-II
• TI-55 II
• TI-55-III
• TI-56
• TI-59
• Ti 6-4
• TI 68
• Ti6al4v
• Ti-6Al-4V
• TI-74S
• TI82
• TI-82 STATS
• TI-84+ CSE
• TI-84 Plus C
• TI-84 Plus CE
• TI-84 Plus CE-T
• TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
• TI-84 series
• Ti-99
• TI-9900
• TI 99/2
• TI-99/4a
• TIA-102
• Tia1 cytotoxic granule-associated rna binding protein