They're cute, but do they compute?
Source: Toronto Star (Original Article)
R2-D2
Appeared in: The Star Wars films and cartoons.
The nuts ‘n’ bolts: R2-D2, alternately known as Artoo, is often partnered with his bipedal droid buddy C-3PO. We first met R2-D2 in the original Star Wars movie back in 1977, as he bore a message from the captured Princess Leia to hermit-like Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi to help the rebels fight the evil Darth Vader and his powerful Death Star battle station. You know, this once all sounded so much cooler.
Communicates in … A series of bleeps and bloops, to which prolonged exposure will eventually give you a raging headache. No wonder Chewbacca always seemed so pissed off.
Malfunction: Thanks to Star Wars creator George Lucas, it turns out R2-D2 was around since the beginning of the saga, serving as sidekick to the future Darth Vader himself, Anakin Skywalker, in the recent Star Wars prequels. So … why doesn’t Vader register any recognition for his beloved robot buddy in the original trilogy, then? Somebody skipped a few classes at scriptwriting college.
Cuteness verdict: Artoo is the original cute robot. It’s hard to believe even treacly Wall*E can knock the king off his throne.
Appeared in: The "comedies" Short Circuit (1985) and Short Circuit 2 (1988).
The nuts ‘n’ bolts: Originally called "No. 5," Johnny 5 was a military robot who gained self-awareness after a power surge. He then did what anyone gaining sentience would do: He hung out with Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg. By the time the sequel rolled around, Johnny 5 was shipped off to New York to help horrific Indian stereotype Ben Jahrvi (Fisher Stevens) start up a toy business. Johnny then became involved in some kind of diamond scam that, really, nobody cares about.
Communicates in … an annoying, Wall*E-esque whine, provided by Tim Blaney.
Malfunction: Did Pixar really rip off Johnny 5 for Wall*E? Sure, both robots DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES dvd look similar, but we’re guessing they’re …continue reading