Johnny 5 from the movie Short Circuit - Number 5 is alive!

Do you remember Johnny 5, famous robot from the movies Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2? His story is an unusual one.

It doesn't happen often in SF movies that a machine designed as a military killer robot becomes aware of itself, as well as the value of a life, and consequently refuses to kill and destroy.

Johnny 5 starts out as a robot Number 5, one of the prototype military robots created by the NOVA laboratories. Number 5 and four other robot colleagues are called SAINTs.

Rather strange name for advanced weaponry. It is short for: "Strategic Artificially Intelligent Nuclear Transport". They do what is to be expected from every obedient soldier: follow orders. They can destroy a tank with a powerful laser weapon or mix a perfect gin and tonic. No questions asked.

On DVD... Short Circuit

Short Circuit 2

In Number 5's case, his military career ends abruptly when a lightning strikes the generator he is standing next to. The power surge fries some of his circuitry, deleting the original program. However, it also sparks self-awareness in him.

Eager to learn, he wonders around until he runs into Stephanie Speck. She immediately befriends him thinking he is an alien robot.

Johnny Five catches on fast, reading all the books he can find in Stephanie's house and watching television. He soon learns, with Stephanie's help, what it means to be alive.

"Johnny" is the name he picks later on in the movie Short Circuit, after hearing the song "Who's Johnny?" (performed by El DeBarge) on the radio.

In the sequel Short Circuit 2, Johnny 5 finds himself in a big city where he encounters new challenges. He learns how hard it is to make people see what's behind his metallic facade.

As he struggles for acceptance, he has to deal with loneliness and rejection. He also learns lots about lying and deceit, and that there are some people out there who are not to be trusted.

Number 5 was voiced by Tim Blaney.

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