A freak lightning storm causes a war automaton to spontaneously go sentient during a military demonstration. If you were sentient yourself in '86, no doubt you remember this one. It's the epitome of an eighties movie in all the wrong ways: bad comedy, forced plot developments, a big dose of cold war overtones, a valley girl accent, Steve Guttenberg... the list is awfully lengthy. We've even got a white man in brown face, though he does nothing terribly egregious or offensive beyond the (surprisingly convincing) makeup.

Short Circuit manages to get by on the power of spirit and enthusiasm alone, which is itself another '80s stereotype. It's got energy to spare, plus absolutely no shame over its shortcomings, which makes it awkwardly endearing. Having said that, and appreciated it, the flick is often eye-roll bad, much worse than I'd remembered. Subtle like a bull on the warpath and cheesier than a Kraft dinner, I felt a little embarrassed for being such a fan back when I could still count my age on two hands. My sons, though, only a few years removed from that age themselves, adored it, so maybe there's something innocent and beautiful about that. I guess some films are best viewed in the memory banks.