Film

*batteries not included

A 1987 family film where tiny benevolent robot aliens help elderly tenants fight off a developer trying to demolish their apartment building. It's a sweet-natured underdog story that blends sci-fi whimsy with genuine warmth, mixing slapstick comedy with surprising emotional depth. Perfect for viewers who want heart without cynicism.

TMDb rating3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like old-fashioned, warm-hearted fantasy where a cheerful community stands up to a bully, and you don't mind sentiment played with genuine craft.

Skip it if you find sentimentality hard to forgive, or you want a sharp, cynical edge; this one leans soft and earnest, and its villains are more cartoon than menacing.

What it asks of you: Roughly an hour and three-quarters of gentle pacing, with wonder arriving in stages, and a tone that moves easily between slapstick and tenderness.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Short Circuit1986

A charming robot learns to feel and becomes part of a ragtag group protecting themselves from corporate greed. Similar tone of mechanical beings as unlikely heroes, with the same blend of comedy, action, and genuine affection for its outsider characters.

But Cheaper special effects and some dated sitcom-style humour may feel thin in places, and the romance subplot is a bit saccharine even for the era.

Short Circuit poster

Innerspace1987

Joe Dante's wild buddy comedy about a miniaturized pilot trapped inside an ordinary man's body. Same director energy—anarchic fun, heart underneath the zaniness, and characters you actually care about despite the absurdity.

But Relentlessly busy and occasionally incoherent; if you need plot clarity, this film will frustrate you considerably.

Innerspace poster

Gremlins1984

Small creatures wreak havoc on a small town with genuine menace lurking under comedy. Shares the DNA of whimsical sci-fi creatures with real stakes, plus Joe Dante's gift for making audiences feel actual jeopardy and emotion amid the silliness.

But The tonal shifts between horror and comedy don't always land, and some of the gremlin kills feel gratuitously mean-spirited for what's ostensibly family fare.

Gremlins poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from *batteries not included

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Labyrinth1986

Both films trust physical craft (puppets, practical effects, real sets) to convey wonder. Both believe that the most magical moments come from things you can almost touch, not pixels. Both pit ingenuity against greed—one external, one internal.

Jim Henson's baroque fantasy about a girl navigating a magical maze to rescue her brother. Practical puppetry, asymmetrical beauty, and characters made of genuine craft. The whimsy is earned through design and invention, not CGI shortcuts; it feels tactile and real.

But Episodic structure with long stretches of dialogue, and David Bowie's presence can overshadow the narrative. Some find it visually busy to the point of distraction.

Labyrinth poster
More like this (7)

Cocoon1985

Elderly residents discover alien rejuvenation and must choose between earthly life and cosmic adventure. Treats older characters as protagonists with genuine desires and agency; combines sci-fi wonder with the quiet dignity of ageing that *batteries not included* also respects.

But Slower paced and more sentimental than you might expect; some viewers find the mysticism heavy-handed rather than magical.

Cocoon poster

Explorers1985

Young dreamers build a spaceship from found materials and encounter benevolent aliens. Joe Dante again—same gentle spirit about outsiders and underdogs, the same faith in imagination and improvisation saving the day.

But Episodic structure and some acting that aims for earnest but lands awkward; the third act feels rushed and loses momentum.

Explorers poster

Big1988

A boy trapped in an adult's body navigates commerce and corporate greed with childlike wisdom. Spielbergian warmth and the same underlying message: innocence and kindness matter more than ruthlessness and profit.

But The romantic subplot is distracting and the satire of corporate culture is blunt rather than clever.

Big poster

The Iron Giant1999

An isolated boy befriends a massive robot and must protect it from government destruction. Animated but features genuine stakes and sorrow beneath its wonder; celebrates gentleness as a kind of courage, matching the film's philosophy exactly.

But Animation looks dated now and the climactic choice is telegraphed well in advance; some find it too earnest.

The Iron Giant poster

Flight of the Navigator1986

A boy and a sentient alien spacecraft form an unlikely bond while evading sinister forces. Captures the same mixture of sci-fi spectacle, genuine friendship across species, and the idea that connection matters more than explanation.

But Loses focus in the second half; the plot becomes secondary to set pieces and the resolution feels hurried.

Flight of the Navigator poster

Splash1984

A mysterious mermaid disrupts a cynic's worldview and teaches him about wonder and faith. Romantic comedy with a fantastical element that asks what matters more—proof or belief—a question *batteries not included* understands deeply.

But Relies heavily on chemistry that not everyone finds convincing; the misunderstanding-based plot mechanics feel contrived even for the '80s.

Splash poster

Dragonslayer1981

Both films pit ordinary, underestimated people against powerful institutions (developers, kingdoms). Both trust that wonder and darkness can coexist. Both feature practical effects that age better than spectacle, and both ask: what's the cost of fighting for what matters?

A medieval fantasy about a wizard confronting a kingdom's complacency in the face of evil. Practical creature effects that feel brutally real, moral complexity that respects the audience, and a refusal to make heroism simple or glamorous.

But Darker and slower than its premise suggests, with an ending many find unsatisfying. The dragon sequences are brief and the tone shifts abruptly from adventure to something much grimmer.

Dragonslayer poster

People

Cast

Directing

Writing

Production

Recommended by

Big Hero 6, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Explorers, Flight of the Navigator, Cocoon, Short Circuit, D.A.R.Y.L., Cocoon: The Return