Not Quite Human II (1989) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place in a suburban American town centered around a high school where Chip attends. The Carson family home serves as the emotional core of the story, while the narrative also spans the school environment and a darker industrial junkyard. This mix of a family residence, public school, and gritty junkyard creates a varied backdrop that reflects Chip's integration into human life.

• setting
• suburban town
• high school
• carson home
• junkyard

The movie is set in the late 1980s, reflecting the era's optimism about technology and suburban life. The contemporary pace of a typical 1980s suburb anchors the story in that period, with the practical lab environment and family dynamics feeling very much of their time.

• time period
• 1980s
• era
• suburban life
• technology

The film centers on Chip's struggle to be seen as more than a machine, questioning what it means to be human. His developing emotions, loyalty, and sense of self challenge the boundary between artificial constructs and real life. The narrative culminates in a moment of self-definition that emphasizes relational love and belonging over biological origin.

• humanity
• emotions
• belonging
• identity
• artificial life

Chip's identity is tested by attempts to reprogram him, forcing him to choose between conformity and autonomy. The human characters also wrestle with how they define him, friend, family member, or something else entirely. The story uses teen dynamics and Chip's arc to explore how identity is formed through experiences and relationships.

• identity
• reprogramming
• autonomy
• conformity
• relationships

Vogel's pursuit of Chip exposes the dangers of corporate and military control over advanced technology. The plot questions who gets to own life-like machines and for what purpose. The tension between scientific wonder and the potential for exploitation underscores the ethical limits of technological advancement.

• ethics
• corporate control
• technology
• military
• exploitation

Chip is a realistic android created by scientist Jonas Carson, designed to behave with a teenager's innocence and literal-mindedness. He serves as the central character navigating high school life among humans while embodying the question of what it means to be real and to belong. His loyalty to the Carson family drives his resistance to reprogramming.

• chip
• android
• scientist son
• innocence
• loyalty

Jonas Carson is the brilliant scientist who created Chip and acts as his father figure. He balances professional ambitions with deep family commitment, often risking corporate pressure to protect Chip. His relationship with Chip and his daughter Becky anchors the story's emotional core and drives many of the moral decisions.

• jonas
• carson
• father
• scientist
• creator
• protection

Becky is Jonas Carson's daughter who befriends Chip and helps him navigate high school life. She advocates for Chip's inclusion and supports his attempts to understand human social norms. Her loyalty to family and willingness to stand up for her friend highlight the film's emphasis on chosen family and mutual protection.

• becky
• carson
• daughter
• friend
• advocate
• support

Not Quite Human II is a Family, TV Movie, Science Fiction, and Comedy. It balances light-hearted comedy with sci-fi themes about artificial intelligence, while maintaining a family-friendly tone centered on relationships and acceptance.

• family
• sci-fi
• comedy
• tv movie
• genre

The movie maintains a hopeful tone throughout, with even tense moments involving reprogramming threats and danger balanced by the story's optimistic core about family and acceptance. While there is a clear threat from the antagonist, the narrative stays gentle and accessible, resolving in an unequivocally affirming ending.

• tone
• hopeful
• family
• acceptance
• lighthearted
• affirming