Short Circuit 2, sequel to Short Circuit is a safe movie for all young children if parents agree with the baseball test for movies. In today's age and times it is refreshing that you can actually buy a movie and not fear the effect it has on young children.

The movie opens with toy robots being sold on the streets of New York. The robots are in the likeness of the robots in Short Circuit movie. The young pair of entrepreneurs take on a major project to mass produce the toy robots wholesale. They find themselves setting up a factory in a old warehouse they obtain for temporary lease. They are faced with a time frame that they find difficult to keep.

As it turns out the warehouse is needed by criminals in order to fulfill their master to plan to commit a robbery. The criminals attempt to discourage the entrepreneurs from remaining in the warehouse. When things are looking bad for their endeavor, a package arrives. It pops open to reveal Johnny Five. Johnny Five is the robot that thrives on "Input". Throughout the movie the robot insists that he is "ALIVE!" and is not a mere machine. He has an uncanny ability to manufacture the little robots toys made in his image without the assist of humans. It looks like the contract is in the bag as he is able to mass produce unsupervised.

The criminal decide to eliminate the robot in order to rid the factory and have the warehouse vacated as they needed. When Johnny Five's curiosity is fueled by the slip of one of the partner's tongue and Johnny Five is off to explore the city for the first time. He gets input as he strolls the streets of New York taking in the sites. During his journey to find input he crosses a three card monte street artist and a gang that is ripping off cars for stereo radios. The gang sits back as he does the work. Dozens of cars are hit by the robot and the dress him with their gang garments and send him on his way. Johnny Five continues his trek through the city as the little robot partners begin to panic his absence and the probability of their business going down.

In the film Johnny Five is arrested and booked as 64-73-28., and then placed in the stolen goods department. The entrepreneurs claim their property from the police and return him to their factory.

He returns, but is accompanied by another man named Oscar. Although Oscar appears to on the up and up, he takes advantage of Johnny Five's false sense of trust. Johnny Five is forced to defend the warehouse as the first pair of vandals return to put a halt to the factory's work. Oscar recognizes the value of the multi-million dollar robot (worth $11,000,000.00). Although Oscar is aware of Johnny Five's worth he engages him in a project to break into a bank vault from the adjacent building.

Johnny Five is scammed into thinking he is helping Oscar do a good deed, but when he realizes that Oscar is a crook Johnny Five wakes up to reality. After the crooks have the billions from within the vault, Johnny Five is no longer an asset to their cause and they attempt to destroy him. In the end Johnny Five gets the crooks who go to jail and prove crime does not pay. The toys go to the store on time saving the entrepreneurs and Johnny Five who has insisted that he is alive is made the first robotic citizen of the United States.

This film is good clean fun and not smeared with the use of foul language. I did hear the words a$$, D@%m, , h&!!, and the usage of G*) D@%m (read between the lines) used , but most of the movie is pure in it's verbal content. It is a shame they had to include these short spurts of slang considering that the film is primarily marketed for the younger minds. I am sorry to say that this movie does not pass the baseball method that my sister uses with her kids. What is the baseball method? Three strikes and the movie is out. She walks out of the theater if there is more than two foul words. If there were any more than four I didn't notice them.

Over all I feel that I would approve of this movie for my young kids as it is 97% delightful and uplifting in it's nature. The movie ends with the storybook ending that I was used to as a child. Although there were some close calls for Johnny Five he always came out on top.

Hope this helps parents to decide if the movie right for their children's viewing. By the way, the baseball method will restrict your kids from seeing 90% or more of the films produced today, however her kids are grown and they are all outstanding citizens.

For my money I would and did puchase the movie with Robin Wlliams Julia Roberts, and Dustin Hoffman starring in "Hook". My review soon to be added on Hook on epinions.com , look for it too!


Thanks to all for taking the time to read my epinion.
Greenspan

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8