Sort of a family-friendly, lighthearted Promethean story, John Badham's Short Circuit pleases audiences by blending together two popular movie types of the era, the sci-fi adventure comedy (Back to the Future, Explorers, etc.) and charming fish-out-of-water films like E.T. Assuming one has the ability to suspend a little disbelief, the results are quite fun. But there is more to the film if one chooses to look for it. The Number 5 character is affable and funny enough that a half hour into the film the audience regards "him" as being as human as any of his fleshy co-stars, in effect making the film a parable for racial and/or religious oppression, though it's doubtful many would go so far as to give the filmmakers credit for such a deep and meaningful metaphor when they have essentially adapted a basic storyline that is anything but novel. On the whole, the movie has a generous amount of genuine laughs and, even though it's sometimes laid on a little thick, enough heart to make it likeable for just about anyone.