Parents' Guide to

Short Circuit 2

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Fewer explosions and more charm than the first.

Movie PG 1988 110 minutes
Short Circuit 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Ugzilla
Ugzilla Adult
March 27, 2020
age 13+

Better than the first! Still some language, dancing girl, but great show overall.

This movie is best for 11 years old and up, at least. Much better than the first installment, this movie has a better plot, better acting, positive messages, less foul language, and more fun. There still is plenty of foul language, so I cannot recommend for younger children. There is a bar scene at about 11 minutes into the film where there is a dancing girl in the background. She removes a blouse and is wearing a thong bikini throughout the scene. It's a bummer they included that in the scene, I didn't even notice it the first time I watched the film as an adult, but saw the review here and confirmed. The dancing is not too suggestive, but it definitely objectifies women in a degrading way. Her presence in the scene lasts about 30 seconds or so, not long. Most kids probably won't even notice, the focus is not on her and she's fairly far in the background, but be aware. Overall great show, looking forward to forcing my teens to watch more 80's movies while we're in quarantine!

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
Too much swearing
johnny_boy
johnny_boy Parent of 5-year-old
May 5, 2019
age 12+

Beware the brutal beating scene!

I just watched this with my son who was cried over the graphic scene where two men with an ax and crowbar suddenly brutally beat the living hell out of Johnny 5 nearly to death while he pleads with them to spare his life since he's "alive". They even went so far as to make blood (RED "battery acid") squirt of him when they chop him up with the ax, removing one of his arms and brutally disfiguring his face! It might be watchable for kids under 12 if you skip this beating scene.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This sequel to Short Circuit finds Ben Jahrvi (Fisher Stevens), one of the inventors of Robot Number 5 (now called Johnny 5), out of work and selling toy replicas of the robot on the streets of a big city. Johnny 5 is sent to help Ben and his fast-talking partner, Fred (Michael McKean), fill a huge order of the little robots. At the same time a band of thieves is trying to steal valuable jewels from a bank vault. Johnny, Ben, and Fred are in their way. The race is on as our heroes try to build the toys while the villains try to stop them and rob the bank. As the story unfolds, Johnny 5 has his first experience with city life and Ben falls in love.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (2):

SHORT CIRCUIT 2 takes the most charming elements of the original movie and capitalizes upon them. Johnny 5 with his mimicry of all things hip, his thirst for knowledge, and his simple goodness, is the focus. The plot, while complex enough to hold the viewer's interest, takes a back seat to the characters, their feelings, their development, and the measure of their relationships with one another. Only the overzealous assault on Johnny 5 mars the otherwise good intentions.

The filmmakers have also toned down the first film's stereotypical East Indian character and his malapropisms. It's an inventive, funny movie with fine performances.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it means to be an outsider in the world. How do people try to use the innocence and special talents of Johnny 5 and Ben for their own gain? Why does Fred change his attitude? What has he learned?

Movie Details

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