Innerspace (1987)

“We’re gonna drink this one to Ozzie. A good man who tried to save my ass by injecting me into yours. ” – Lt. Tuck Pendleton 

Number of Times Seen – at least 5 times (Theater in ’87, cable, video, 24 Mar 2011 and 8 Apr 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A washed up Air Force pilot joins an experiment where he will be miniaturized and injected into a rabbit, but something goes wrong and he finds himself in the body of a man

My Take on it – This is a film that I recall seeing in the theater when it came out 32 years ago and it still remains a childhood favorite of mine that I can revisit and still enjoy it.

This film is quite fun and it works on numerous levels as it moves along at a great pace.

The cast of this film is superb and the trio of stars each bring something different to the story which helps make things so enjoyable.

Dennis Quaid brings the maverick aspect of a character, Meg Ryan brings the inquisitive aspect of things and Martin Short brings the paranoid aspect of a character.

All together, they help give the story a great feeling since the synergy of these three aspects of life give this story so much life along the way.

The chemistry between the three actors also works extremely well in making the “light” story feel even more realistic.

The science is presented in a very simplistic fashion which helps make things easily understandable so that it doesn’t hold down the story at all.

They expertly use the special effects of the story to create a world where science fiction doesn’t feel like fiction, but rather reality.

After 32 years, this film’s premise actually feels even closer to being plausible which also helps things.

The effects of this film actually won an Oscar because of the way that they present things dealing with the miniaturization of things.

They do a great job leaving small references to other films, TV shows and books dealing with similar plots which helps make things feel even more genuine as well as innovative and fresh the whole time.

Bottom Line – Such a fun film that works on numerous levels. The cast is superb and the trio of stars have great chemistry together. each of them plays off a different set of qualities which also helps things work so well. The plot is played out in a really interesting yet “light” fashion.  The science of the film is done quite simply and they expertly use special effects to make things seem quite realistic.  The fact that they won an Oscar for Effects says so much about the way they present things.  Love the references to previous films with similar kinds of plots while still keeping things fresh and innovative throughout.  Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After Scrimshaw and Canker are shrunk 50%, there are a few scenes where they are seen with full-size actors. These shots were filmed using forced perspective. For the car scene, the rear of the car is actually twice as large as a normal car rear, and was about 20 feet away. During the scene half size hands and double-size heads were used. Using this method, the film-makers didn’t have to worry about compositing two separate shots in post production, so the shots could be completed quicker. Even in the final scene with the suitcase, the case was twice as large, but the hand that closes it was real, closer to the camera in sync with the closing. (It took about 20 takes before it was perfect.) (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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