After a lightning bolt zaps a robot named Number 5, the lovable machine starts to think he's human and escapes the lab. Hot on his trail is his designer, Newton, who hopes to get to Number 5 before the military does. In the meantime, a spunky animal lover mistakes the robot for an alien and takes him in, teaching her new guest about life on Earth.
Practical Effects
Number 5's expressive animatronics remain genuinely impressive
Acting
Fisher Stevens' questionable accent somehow works
Director
John Badham
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Number 5 robot required a team of nine puppeteers and weighed 400 pounds. Tim Blaney provided the voice and operated the head remotely.
Fisher Stevens later apologized for his Indian character's accent, acknowledging it wouldn't fly today. The film also sparked real robotics interest—several engineers cite Number 5 as inspiration.
US
