User reviews

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!).

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

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

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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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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)

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

"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."

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.

Innerspace had been in heavy rotation during my younger years, but I hadn't watched it in well over a decade when I dusted off my DVD copy on a muggy, overcast Thursday in July 2023. My expectations were fairly low. I figured that any enjoyment would likely come from nostalgia greasing the gears of a movie that wasn't as good as I remembered it to be. To my very pleasant surprise, it was even better.

I've described director Joe Dante as Steven Spielberg in a fun house mirror, and that's certainly true here (Spielberg serves as a producer by the way). Innerspace is a fun popcorn adventure-comedy, but man is it quirky. Everything is *just* a bit askew, and the movie is all the better for it.

The cast is great. Quaid, Short and Ryan are the leads, and they do more than the standard "hero" stuff. Their energy is infectious and they share a great chemistry. But the supporting characters! Oh, man are they a blast. Even with only a few scenes they leave such an impression that you'd swear they were in more of the film than they are.

And a quick note about the special f/x. Of all the aspects of the movie I expected to age the worst, I figured it would be the f/x. And given that it's an f/x heavy film, that could be a problem. Come to find that worry was unfounded. Innerspace won the Oscar for best special effects in 1987, and it's well deserved. They are absolutely outstanding, and hold up and then some.

Innerspace is something too few modern movies are. Fun. If you've never seen it. Do. And if you have seen it. See it again.

Joe Dante can't get a rhythm going in his slapstick revisiting of `Fantastic Voyage' because the script by Chip Proser and Jeffrey Boam is talky from the onset. Ostensibly a showcase for the gifted physical comedian Martin Short, Proser and Boam seem to want to segregate Short's antics to certain sections to allow them to concentrate on exposition (which itself is quite uninteresting) and hence Short's excesses come in fits and starts. They're good while they last (his elastic facial expressions are priceless) but they're over too quickly. He's aided by Dennis Quaid as a washed-up Navy lieutenant who is miniaturized in an experiment but accidentally ends up in Short's body. The possibilities are inviting and usually up Dante's alley but the script doesn't want to take advantage of them (Short and Quaid can converse but a funnier concept--Quaid having the ability to manipulate Short a la Steve Martin by Lily Tomlin in `All Of Me'--never seems to occur to the writers) and instead we're forced to focus on the dull, blurry visuals that have none of the wit and inventiveness of the film that inspired it. With Meg Ryan (lackluster as usual), and, as the bad guys, Kevin McCarthy and Fiona Lewis, both of whom have very little talent for the kind of hamming that is usually one of the primary pleasures of a Joe Dante picture.