Innerspace (1987) User Reviews

Watch it before it gets remade

[bowmanblue · 8/10 · 30 April 2018]

Everyone remembers that eighties sci-fi classic 'Back to the Future,' because - let's face it - it's awesome. It deserves it's spot in pop culture. Yet many people don't seem to hold that other eighties sci-fi popcorn flick 'Innerspace' in such quite high regards. And that's a shame... in my humble opinion, because it really is quite good fun.

In these days of 'shared universes' (thanks, Marvel!) I find myself seeing films that look like they could belong in the same 'universe' as others (like 'Universal Soldier' and 'Terminator 2' - again, just my opinion). And, after my most recent re-watch of 'Innerspace' I couldn't help but thinking how much it would fit alongside that time-travelling DeLorean and uber-cool hoverboard.

It's about a test piolt (Dennis Quaid) who gets miniaturised inside a pod during a lab experiment and then (inadvertantly) injected into some random guy's backside (Martin Short). The two of them form an unlikely bond as they try to reverse the effects before Quaid runs out of oxygen (or the baddies get hold of them!).

Now, it's fair to say that 'Innerspace' didn't set the Box Office as on fire as its producers would have liked. I don't think it bombed, but the film-makers were hoping for something akin to 'Back to the Future' in terms of success-levels. However, there's just something so fun about it that it deserves to be remembered, especially during this period of eighties nostalgia.

It's first strength is that it never slows down. It's perfectly edited so that you get almost straight into the action and learn to love the characters without any need for lengthy exposition or backstory. And the action flows thick and fast. There's one chase scene that reminded me of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.' In 'Indy 4' they had to rely on awful computer graphics whereas 'Innerspace' managed it with stunts.

Another thing that's worth mentioning is how when there's no action, there's humour. And this is down to the rapport between the actors. Everyone plays their part well. And, possibly the most important thing about 'Innerspace' is that it's a film that the whole family can enjoy. There's no need for violence or bad language. It acomplishes everything it needs to without any over-the-topness.

If you saw this back in the day, give it another go. Or if you're just looking for something to entertain the kids on a wet weekend, this should be enjoyed by all (even if you're not part of this current eighties revival!).

Simply very good entertainment.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 5 February 2005]

This movie offers perfect entertainment.

The main characters and the performances by the actors are very good and comical. The movie is filled with some crazy 'not-so-everyday' characters and the villains are deliciously stereotyped and highly entertaining and there are some simply hilarious moments throughout the movie.

The movie can be described as an adventure science-fiction comedy. Surely the movie will not be remembered as one of the best of all time but I will always remember this movie as a very entertaining one and of which I have some very fond childhood memories.

The nice 'unknown' musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is very good, I actually watched this movie in honor of his death the day he had died, on 21 July 2004.

As long as you don't expect a masterpiece and merely want to be entertained, this movie is perfectly recommendable. Also very watchable for the entire family.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Funny Sci/Fi Adventure

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 14 January 2007]

Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is a hotshot Navy pilot on an unusual and top secret mission; he is to be shrunk down and injected into the body of a rabbit, but when things go wrong he ends up inside Jack Putter (Martin Short) instead. Jack must now work with Tuck in order to stay alive; and it's a great ride.

All the cast are good in this film, but Martin Short is brilliant; it's wall to wall action, adventure and laughs, and with a little romance thrown in, it's a winner. The special effects are outstanding for the time and Joe Dante's direction is excellent.

Innerspace is fun for the whole family 7/10

a nice little comedy

[MichaelM24 · 11 March 2002]

Why INNERSPACE was not the hit it should have been will remain a mystery for years to come. And old concept (FANTASTIC VOYAGE) is given an update with spectacular (for the time, but still good) special effects and an excellent cast. Martin Short is a real delight as a neurotic supermarket clerk who at first thinks he's possessed, only to discover that the only thing in his body is a miniaturized Navy test pilot, Dennis Quaid, who was accidently injected into him instead of a lab rabbit. Meg Ryan is cute as ever, and Robert Picardo co-stars in one of his best roles, The Cowboy. The late screenwriter Jeffrey Boam keeps the story simple but allows for some good suspense and laughs, and director Joe Dante keeps the pacing just right. The battle between Quaid and an enemy inside Short's stomach is the highlight of the film. I remember how much I wanted to be Quaid's Tuck Pendleton (and have his little pod) when I first saw the movie. The ending seems obvious for a sequel, but due to the film's surprising box office failure, it was not to be. Still, this is a really fun movie for the whole family, and I hope a Special Edition DVD is not far away.

An enjoyable sci-fi caper

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 18 May 2017]

Former US Navy pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton is taking part in a ground breaking experiment. If all went according to plan he would get onto a pod that will be miniaturised to an almost microscopic size then injected into a rabbit… it does not go according to plan. A rival firm wants the technology and breaks into the lab just after the pod has been miniaturised and placed in a hypodermic syringe; they steal one of the chips required to return the pod to its correct size while a technician flees with the needle. He is chased down but before he is caught he injects it into hapless Jack Putter; a hypochondriac. Tuck pilots the pod through Jack and after connecting sensors to his optic nerve and ear can see what Jack sees and communicate with him. Once it becomes apparent to him what happened he must find a way to retrieve the chip before his air runs out. There is also the problem that the villains want to find him as the re-enlarging process needs the chip they stole and one in the pod; without this the technology would be of limited value.

This film provides a fun blend of science fiction, comedy and action. The concept is fairly silly but that doesn't matter because it never takes itself too seriously. There are plenty of laughs from start to finish, and a decent amount of family friendly action. Dennis Quaid does a fine job as Lt Pendleton even though he spends most of the time just sat in his pod talking to Jack. Martin Short is a lot of fun as Jack; a character that develops nicely through the film from a rather wimpy hypochondriac to a far more self-assured man. Meg Ryan is likable as Tuck's girlfriend, who gets drawn into the adventure; the rest of the cast are pretty good too. The special effects for Tuck's journey through Jack's body are impressive and there are also some good stunts. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting so good family friendly action; there are one or two mildly crude jokes but I suspect they would go over the heads of younger viewers.

Silly, But Not A Kids' Film

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 9 October 2006]

This is an updated "Fantastic Voyage" and interestingly done, I thought. Joe Dante directed a number of fun movies to watch.

It's not the innocent Steven Spielberg "E.T."-like movie I expected because of the language and several sex jokes. In other words, this is not a kids' movie.

Dennis Quaid stars and plays his usual cocky self. (He's mellowed in recent years.) Meg Ryan is her usual cute-but-of-little-substance self and Martin Short is just plain funny - the best guy in the movie.

The film offers a good combination of humor and science-fiction suspense. It's a fun movie I would rate higher if it weren't so silly in spots.

An Adventure of Incredible Proportions

[Lady_Targaryen · 7/10 · 20 September 2006]

'Innerspace ''is a science fiction movie from the 80's, full of comedy and full of stars, like Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan (this one very young and very thin in her 20's), Martin Short, and Kevin McCarthy. I personally find this movie adorable, since the scenes showing Tuck Pendleton inside of the human body, amazes me until today, seeing all those organs, embryo and even the cells in the veins.

I am not surprised to see that this movie is produced by Steven Spielberg, since the guy has a natural talent to make most of the movies a great success, with incredible stories.

The plot: Pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton is a member of a top-secret miniaturization experiment, that sadly goes wrong when a rival team of scientists, try to stole their plans and ideas to make miniaturization a success for them. Instead of being inside of a rabbit, Tuck ends in the body of Jack Putter, a hypochondriac who thinks that now is listening to strange voices inside his head. When Jack discovers about Tuck, an awesome adventure begins, with Jack, Tuck and even Tuck's girlfriend, trying to help Tuck to be back in his natural size.

A very funny and exciting adventure!

[dalben · 9/10 · 1 January 1999]

What a funny thrill ride this movie is! A man (Dennis Quaid) volunteers to be shrunk down to the size of a cell and injected into a rabbit. But terrorists are after this scientific breakthrough and by various hijinks he winds up being injected into the butt of a nervous grocery clerk, played by Martin Short. And that's just the beginning.

Innerspace shows Dennis Quaid at his most winning, and Short at his funniest. And of course, there's a very young Meg Ryan as their love interest. The jokes resonate with both kids and adults, and unlike most action-adventure films, the plot here is never short of ideas. And the effects are pretty neat too: as we see Quaid's character wander within the human body, we feel as much amazement and wonder as he does. LOTS of movies attempt to put you in outer space and worlds far away, but I can't think of one that has made the creative attempt of exploring our inner space.

I first saw "Innerspace" when I was 11. I didn't know who any of the lead actors were. I'd never seen Saturday Night Live. And I thought it was a great movie. Twelve years and hundreds of movies later, I still think it's wonderful.

If you can tolerate Dennis Quaid's faults you will enjoy this one

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 29 January 2014]

Joe Dante reworks Fantastic Voyage into a buddy comedy for Dennis Quaid and Martin Short. Quaid plays a cocky fighter pilot who is chosen to take part in an experiment where he will have to test a miniaturized craft. While inside the machine Quaid is shrunk down to microscopic size. But some bad guys try to hijack the experiment and Quaid winds up injected into the body of a hypochondriac grocery store clerk played by Martin Short. From there, hijinks ensue.

Quaid is annoying, as he almost always was and is. His Joker smile and constant mugging grates on the nerves in the early scenes. He's better when things settle down some. Martin Short is the best part of the cast. Very funny and likable. Always love seeing a pretty young Meg Ryan. Although it reminds me of what she's done to herself since, which is tragic. Kind of the same feeling I get when watching young Melanie Griffith. This is a fun movie. Joe Dante gets to play with special effects and comedy, which is right in his wheelhouse. It's not as interesting or innovative as Fantastic Voyage but it's a very enjoyable movie in its own right.

Joe Dante Classic

[michaelkendall2 · 10/10 · 10 July 2005]

This 1987 film is a wonderful combination of sci-fi, comedy, romance and thriller elements. It is briskly paced despite being almost two hours in length, and features superb performances from the leads; Dennis Quaid is excellent as usual, as is Meg Ryan in her best role. Yet the plaudits must go to Martin Short in a truly great performance he has never matched. He just needs the right role. The supporting cast are great as well; the delightful villainy of Vernon Wells who is unrecognisable as usual! Also Robert Picardo camping it up superbly as The Cowboy, one of his most memorable creations, plus the great pairing of Fiona Lewis and Kevin McCarthy, who memorably says to his dog before feeding it: 'Never beg, never beg!' The cinematography and special effects/makeup are all great as well, and Jerry Goldsmith's score is brilliant, perfectly complementing the tone of the film, alternately exciting/sprightly/romantic. Joe Dante binds it all together with magnificent verve, plus Dick Miller makes his trademark appearance! A great, timeless classic. Highly recommended.

What's not to like?

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 16 August 2015]

The idea for "InnerSpace" is a novel one for a movie, and I can't shake the feeling that this is the kind of movie that could only have been pulled off in the '80s. Can you imagine how bland a remake today would be? Anyhoo, the whole package is a good bit of fun.

It's stuffed with both plot and memorable characters (the gunhand robot guy, the cowboy, the charming Meg Ryan, and Martin Short, who shoulders the story's wacky physical comedy like a pro).

This is a movie that you just sort of get lost in, and really feels like a big Hollywood riff on Disney rides. Which could be its own genre, at this point.

7/10

Eat Me - Drink Me

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 26 May 2019]

Innerspace is directed by Joe Dante and written by Jeffrey Boam and Chip Proser. It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan and Kevin McCarthy. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Andrew Laszlo.

A hapless hypochondriac store clerk battles to save the life of the man who, miniaturized in a secret experiment, was accidentally injected into him.

The premise is of course absurd, but everyone involved knows this and proceed to entertain with a mixture of thrills, spills and a good old fashioned good versus bad value. Narrative is based around the race against time thematic as miniaturised Tuck Pendleton (Quaid) fights from within the body of Jack Putter (Short). He has to keep Jack out the hands of crooks who are after the secrets of the miniaturisation process, whilst simultaneously being on a clock before he runs out of air - or fall prey to Jack's anti-bodies system etc.

Dante strings together some terrific set pieces, while the realisation of the inside of the human body is smartly staged. Cast are on hugely engaging form, with the central relationship between Quaid and Short a pure joy and mined for constant laugh and peril tactics. The dual aspect is niftily handled by Dante and his crew, with the battle within Jack's body running concurrently with Jack's battles out in the real world.

What wonderful sci-fi froth this is, as Dante has a blast of a time with the effects tools to hand to take the concept of Fantastic Voyage and make a top line action comedy adventure. Great soundtrack too! 8/10

Entertaining

[AKS-6 · 6/10 · 1 June 2001]

Innerspace is an entertaining sci-fi comedy with good performances from Martin Short, Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. Also, the special effects are great. That is, if you think about the fact that the film was made in 1987. Naturally, the effects would be much better if the film was made today.

There are also many laugh-out-loud scenes in the film, but as all comedies Innerspace goes on for too long and in the end I just wanted the film to be over. Overall though, it's an entertaining movie that would have benefited from being about 15 minutes shorter than it is. (6/10)

a less than fantastic voyage

[mjneu59 · 4/10 · 28 November 2010]

What one critic st the time called "the summer's best summer movie" is, sadly, exactly that: a contrived and familiar cross section of up-to-the-minute trends, with a shelf life just long enough to last beyond the initial video rentals in six months time. Under the direction of Joe Dante (one of the brighter stars in the Steven Spielberg galaxy) it exhibits quite a bit of slapstick flair, while wasting most of its comic potential on frantic over-plotting and miles of distracting hardware.

The idea is almost clever: during a top-secret miniaturization experiment cocky test pilot Dennis Quaid is accidentally injected with his self-contained capsule into the bloodstream of meek, nervous supermarket clerk Martin Short (never mind how or why). But the tone is often uncertain (is Martin Short's howl of pain when he feels tiny grappling hooks on the back of his eyeball supposed to be funny?) and the extraneous plot details – spies, car chases, a cybernetic villain, a beautiful girlfriend (naturally a reporter) – haven't changed much since the last action/comedy hit. The end result is mindless, unmemorable fun for undemanding viewers who don't expect anything more.

A good way to get on someone's nerves--literally!

[AllisonLVenezio · 18 April 2001]

I just saw this movie today, and I must say, it was rather interesting. The scenery looked like something out of a Walt Disney World attraction, and the special effects were good, making this a very fascinating movie.

"Innerspace" is about a pilot, Tuck (Dennis Quaid) who is accidentally injected in grocery store assistant manager Jack (Martin Short) when the needle was originally intended for a rabbit. Jack had only 1 day to get Tuck out before his air supply ran out, making for an interesting plot.

Martin Short was hysterical in this strange comedy that kind of looks like "All of Me." He physically thrashes around, and the comedy suits him perfectly. Dennis Quaid is good in the role of Tuck, who is arrogant, and begins to appreciate things after this little "incident."

Of course, no movie would be complete without key scenes that add to the movie. And of course, no movie review would be complete without mention of these favorite scenes. The scene where Tuck and Jack get drunk off of Southern Comfort together was a riot, because I was wondering how much JAck actually drank. I like how he hiccupped and stumbled around, while Tuck asked, "Jack, are you drunk?" My other favorite scene was when Jack first hears voices and yells "I"M POSSESSED!" The fact that the first scene that introduces him in the doctor's office sets the stage, so we know he's a hypocondriac.

This movie was very funny and very cute at the end (won't give it away). Although it plays like a Disney attraction,it probably would be cool. I highly recommend this movie to Martin Short, Dennis Quaid, or Meg Ryan fans. Watch out for the vaccinations, and definitely don't ignore that little voice inside you, it could be a space pod. Enjoy!

Energetic, imaginative fantasy/comedy

[scriff998 · 7/10 · 4 November 2014]

This was a fun movie, kept a good balance between sci-fi, action, fantasy and comedy. It had a lot of imagination. It was a little more lightweight than most of the movies I like, I could tell that's the way they wanted it in a scene where the bad guys take over a lab by spraying the doctors with tranquilizer gas instead of shooting them. That may be the reason it didn't do good at the box office, it was PG around the time the PG-13 rating was becoming more lucrative. The only thing I didn't like was the scientists being shrunk at the end, it seemed a little silly. The ending kind of leaves you hanging, the producers were probably hoping the film would do well enough for a sequel. Overall, not great but good if you're looking for interesting 80's film artifacts.

Great sci-fi comedy

[Agent10 · 7/10 · 28 April 2003]

The great thing about Joe Dante in the 1980s was his knack for instilling humor into the sci-fi genre. Innerspace is probably one of the greats in that category, mixing in some great special effects (for its time) and some hillarious performances by Martin Short and Dennis Quaid. But what I especially enjoyed was the concept, turning a film that could have been serious and urgent into a film that was both funloving and interesting to watch. Sure, the whole idea is bupkiss and it was an homage to Fantastic Voyage, but the twist Dante put on it certainly makes it worth watching over and over.

Fairly good comedy and sci-fi spoof

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 6 September 2018]

"Innerspace" is a fun comedy and sci-fi film, with a good cast. The plot isn't the first to deal with miniaturizing people, but this one has the dressing of lots of scientific know-how. It's also clearly a spoof of sci-fi, or this type of film at least. That's evident in the scenes of the lab with all the advanced scientific equipment. The place is a mess, papers are lying and flying all over the place, people spill drinks, etc.

The cast does a good job. Dennis Quaid's Lt. Tuck Pendleton is overly crass. He's a boozer, womanizer, belligerent, and egotist. Martin Short's Jack Putter is very good, mixing his mental instability with comedy, heroics, and intelligence. Meg Ryan's Lydia Maxwell is okay.

Fiona Lewis is a sex-crazed Dr. Margaret Canker. Perhaps there is symbolism in some the names. She could be a canker sore. Tuck and Putter and some other names (Igoe and Wormwood) can tweak the imagination. The film isn't for children.

It's not a laugh a minute, or even a solid plot. But, it has enough humor, some crazy antics, and good chase and action scenes to entertain adults.

Here are a couple favorite lines. For more dialog, see the Quotes section on this IMDb Web page of the film.

Woman in doctor's office, "Are you feeling all right?" Jack Putter, "Would I be in a doctor's office if I was feeling all right?"

Dr. Greenbush, "Good news, Jack. I think we can rule out demonic possession right off the bat." Jack Putter, "But this little voice is talking to me." Dr. Greenbush, "See, that proves it. Demons talk through you, not to you."

Nanotechnology

[view_and_review · 8/10 · 18 September 2019]

Innerspace, which is such a cool play on words, was excellent.

In typical Silicon Valley style a Bay Area tech company developed miniaturization. Truly, it is early nanotechnology in which they shrink normal sized machinery to nanometer size in order to inject into a live host. The uses are innumerous, including being used as a weapon.

Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) was the test pilot for this new technology. He was supposed to be injected into a rabbit in a lab. What really ended up happening was that he was injected into a total stranger in a mall-- Jack Putter (Martin Short). There was one hilarious moment after the other as Jack thought he was going crazy all the while he had to elude some nefarious characters that wanted the technology that was inside of him.

It was a brilliant movie that blended sci-fi with comedy; two genres I love when done right.

Not the classic that it wanted to be. Not the classic that it could have been.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 20 December 2021]

Rather long for a film like this, it could have made its point in 90 minutes and been even more entertaining. It takes at least a half an hour to get the story started after a long exposition sequences over scientific experiments which ends with supermarket assistant manager Martin Short being with a syringe that sends the shrunken Dennis Quaid soaring through his body, sending government agents after him, and creating a bizarre series of events that are more frustrating than amusing. Short must locate Quaid's girlfriend, reporter Meg Ryan, but this just puts everybody in danger.

While this is labeled as a science-fiction comedy, other than Short's presence, I felt nothing comical within it. In fact, this is rather intense and Short is in danger from the moment that the syringe is pricked into him. A lot of the stuff going on with Quaid inside Short's body was actually uncomfortable to hear about, and basically, the star of the film are the special effects, not the mega stars Quaid, Ryan and Short. Kevin McCarthy is a major bad guy, and there are some fun cameos by familiar faces including Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, William Schallert, Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin.

After a while outside of the special effects, it becomes very tedious, and you can see why this has not entered into the canon of classics from the Spielberg production team. They should have focused on the story as much as they did the special effects, so the direction of Joe Dante doesn't really stand up to snuff. Fiona Lewis is a rather severe scientist with Robert Picardo ridiculously over the top as a Mexican cowboy a little too impressed with himself. This may have been a hot summer blockbuster in 1987, but in film history, it's frozen as far as its Legacy is concerned.

Criminally under-rated 80's flick. Deserves to be held in the same esteem as "Back to the Future" and the like.

[Howlin Wolf · 10/10 · 29 March 2001]

Can anybody tell me why almost everybody loves "Back to the Future" yet nobody ever deigns to mention this little beauty in the same breath? It more than deserves it.

Quaid is excellent as the cocky yet likeable "Tuck Pendleton". Here is a character who has personality to spare and a nice line in putdowns. You get the sense that he gets as exasperated with Jack as we the audience do. Quaid can really deliver when given the right material, something that Hollywood provides all too scarcely.

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS HEREON)

Short overacts but is still pretty funny, and anyway, I suppose exaggeration is forgivable given that he's playing a neurotic. Ryan is cute but in all honesty is not given that much to work with. It's credit to her talent that she manages to stand out at all.

Mr Igo is a cool villain, but one of many elements in the plot that aren't exploited to their full potential. The film is so bursting with invention that often things are touched upon and then dropped before they've really been explored. This all goes to show, however, that the film doesn't stand still for a minute, which can only be a good thing, especially when you have Quaid firing off the wisecracks.

It's fair to say that amidst all the general good fun the special effects aren't always something you notice, but they are superb, especially for '87. Never once do they undermine the story.

It really is Quaid's film though, personal favourite lines including "Dip, Dip, Dip all you like. Nothin's gonna fit ya" and "You better, you two-faced sonofab**ch"

An absolute blast from start to finish; this really is unfairly overlooked as being 'just another remake of 'Fantastic Voyage'", when in reality it compares well with acknowledged classics of the comedy adventure genre such as "Back to the Future".

Still an impressive feat of special effects 25 years later.

[BlackJack_B · 7/10 · 31 July 2012]

From Executive Producer Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante of Gremlins fame, Innerspace remains an entertaining, though a little bit overlong, sci-fi comedy.

Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid), fresh off a quarrel with his girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan), agrees to be the guinea pig in an experiment where he will be placed inside a ship, shrunk down to nothing and injected into a rabbit for research. However, a rival gang of scientists led by Dr. Victor Scrimshaw (Kevin McCarthy) and Dr. Margaret Canker (Fiona Lewis) want to steal Tuck for themselves. One scientist is able to escape with the syringe containing Tuck. When he is close to being caught, he injects Tuck into Jack Putter (Martin Short), a neurotic, unhappy grocery store employee.

Putter is able to hear Tuck and together, they work towards getting Tuck back to his normal self and foiling Dr. Scrimshaw and his lackeys. Tuck also tries to help repair Putter's mental state, instilling some confidence from the inside.

The star of the film are the tremendous Oscar-winning Special Effects, which pack a punch even today. My favorite is how Tuck changes Putter's face so he resembles The Cowboy (Robert Picardo), an ally of Scrimshaw's. It's very funny to watch.

The acting is also excellent. Quaid shows the charisma and cockiness that made him a box-office star from 1987-1994 and while he plays an irresponsible lout, you can't help but like him. Future wife Ryan sparkles with her bright and cherry screen presence and Short, the gifted physical comedian, offers surprising chemistry with both actors. A great supporting cast and lots of cameos abound as well.

25 years later, the film is still an impressive piece of work. Certainly worth a viewing today.

A great piece of family entertainment

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 10 November 2011]

One of those quintessential family movies of the 1980s, INNERSPACE turns out not to have dated a bit since it was first release. The story, which is heavily indebted to the '60s movie FANTASTIC VOYAGE, sees Dennis Quaid shrunk down to miniature size and injected into the body of super-nerd Martin Short. What follows plays out as a live action cartoon, which is no surprise with Joe Dante at the helm. Dante is one of those directors who doesn't know how to make an unappealing movie, and INNERSPACE is one of his most entertaining efforts.

I've never been a huge fan of Dennis Quaid, and his performance here is hardly endearing: he plays a rude, arrogant, loud-mouthed drunk for much of the film, and casting Meg Ryan as his insipid girlfriend isn't much help either. Still, I do like Martin Short, and his turn here is rather endearing and genuinely funny, especially when infused with the clumsy slapstick style of humour. Dante has a great eye for a supporting cast, fleshing out roles for the likes of old-timer Kevin McCarthy (a ball as the bad guy), Vernon Wells as the hit-man, Fiona Lewis, Robert Picardo as an unlikely cowboy and, of course, Dick Miller.

The script is light and airy and never lets itself get bogged down in science. The journeys inside the body are excellent and have all the imagination of an outer space classic. Finally, we get Rob Bottin contributing some literally jaw-dropping FX work, which rounds out the package nicely. The 1980s may well have been the decade that taste forgot, but they sure knew how to make a fun movie back then.

A funny, effective and familiar comedy that deserves to be brought back from obscurity.

[filipemanuelneto · 7/10 · 4 September 2023]

This is one of those "no bones" comedies that we can watch with the whole family without any fear of embarrassing or inappropriate scenes for kids or deeply critical grandparents. It's a film from the 80s, quite dated, but that's not a problem for people like me, who actually like old films.

The story is very good and revolves around an experiment that goes wrong and involves the miniaturization of a ship with a human occupant, which should be introduced into a laboratory rabbit: when the laboratory is robbed by bandits who want to steal that technology, one of the scientists escapes and ends up injecting the liquid containing the ship into the body of an inadvertent citizen. What happens next is quite hilarious.

Dennis Quaid does a decent job as the ship's pilot, a daring combat aviator who volunteers for the experiment. I thought that the actor doesn't leave his comfort zone, he doesn't have a complicated task, and he just brags. Better than him, Martin Short shone as the fearful and shy man who, by chance, was dragged into that mess after being injected against his will. The actor managed to give the character an interesting evolutionary arc, where the character gradually gains more confidence and an adventurous spirit. Meg Ryan has the worst material: she just needs to be attractive and look scared.

Joe Dante deserves a shoutout for the work he did on this film. He's not a director I know very well, but I think this film is in line with what he likes to do most. The film may not be the most scientifically rigorous in the world (never, I believe, has the scientific community thought of anything similar to miniaturizing objects or people), but it makes up for it with humor and an unpretentious and good-natured spirit. The effects team did an excellent job, whether in the moments in which the ship is miniaturized or in the filming inside the human organism, where the realism is well achieved.

Uneven comedy/science fiction story...

[dwpollar · 4/10 · 18 May 2011]

1st watched 5/16/2011 -- 4 out of 10(Dir-Joe Dante): Uneven comedy/science fiction story about a wayward pilot, played by Dennis Quaid, who takes on a job of piloting a vehicle that is experimentally miniaturized for the purpose of being injected into living things with the idea of learning things from the inside-out, I guess. This miniaturization device is highly sought after by other evil forces and during an attempt at stealing the device, Quaid's character is injected into a troubled man, played by Martin Short. There are definitely some funny bits involved with the Quaid's character trying to communicate with his new host and Martin Short is perfect for the style of humor that they deploy in this scenario. At this point in the movie, I felt promise for it, but about halfway through the plot becomes rather convoluted after some other characters are introduced that are trying to gain access to this sought-after device. One character named "Cowboy" is not funny at all, and his influence on the movie literally tears it apart to the point where the viewer stops caring and the movie becomes a typical chase-scene filled mess. The initial humor, which should have been built upon, is totally flushed out of the movie and it never returns from this point. What could have been a funny movie because of the talent of the actors instead becomes a pretty un-necessary waste of about 1 hour and a half. So, watch the first half hour then turn it off because the rest if not worth your time.