Was the Zeta Project inspired by the movie "Short Circut"?

[Kit-Kat]

Uh..hi. Long time lurker first time poster. I'm hoping this isn't a stupid question, but was The Zeta Project inspired by the movie Short Circut? I had just caught the movie on DVD and couldn't help but notice the similarities between it and The Zeta Project.

1. Robot is created by the government to be a weapon of mass destruction, but somehow developes a conscience(in Short Circut Number 5, the robot, is struck by lightning, in the Zeta Project, Zeta seemed to develop one on his own*) rebels against their programing, and escapes.

2. Both robots develop close friendships with very fiesty young women who believe that the robot is telling the truth and tries to help them convince others of this fact.

3. The robots are being hunted down by the government who believes that they are extremely dangerous and don't realise that the robots are now, in fact, alive.


Here's link to the imdb page for Short Circut:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091949/



*It's been awhile since I've seen the show, so I could be wrong about that.


I guess the similarities aren't all that glaring, but I still find it interesting all the same.

[Alph]

Well, if it wasn't, then it should have been. Zeta should have quoted more gangsta movies.

[Peter Paltridge]

There needed to be a "Would-you-like-to-be-a-Pepper-too" scene in Zeta Project....

[Reverend]

I think the main inspiration of the show was actually The Fugitive (the old TV show, not the Harrison Ford movie.)

The fact that he's a robot is sort of besides the point, in terms of characterisation Zeta could just as easily be an ex-cop framed for a crime he didn't commit, the sci-fi element is just a hook.

However if you want to look as inspirations in the way of robots gaining independance from their creators, there's plently of examples that pre-date Short Circuit. Issac Asimov springs to mind.

[Harvey Two Face]

That seems like a really logical explanantion so I'm going to make it one of my priorities now, to see Short Circuit.

[Undrave]

Heh I always prefered Short Circuit 2 to the first one...it felt more engaging.

Plus revenge-mad Johnny was AWESOME!!!!

[Kit-Kat]

I always liked the second one better too, Undrave. But I have to say


that the scene where the bad guys smashed up Johnny freaked me out as a kid. Since the movie's been a light hearted comedy up until this point, seeing Johnny get smashed up like that, when we know he's alive, makes the scene extra vicious and brutal.


youtube has clips of The Zeta Project, I was able to watch Ro's Reunion and Hologram Man. Which solved the mystery of how Zeta developed his conscience.

[Undrave]

Yeah it kinda freaked me out too...

But it's also why I said it's more engaging, you really FEEL for what is going on compared to the first. The first was just some quirky rebelious gold hearted robot movie... the second just felt more emotional.

[Kit-Kat]

That's very true, but man, did they really need to be that brutal? Since J5's a robot I guess the MPAA felt that it was okay. :crying:


Getting back to the first movie in comparison with The Zeta Project, they could've had Zeta or Ro mock the IU7 with the line,

"Hey, laser lips! Your momma was a snowblower!" :D

So sue me, that was my favorite line from the first film...:sweat: