Review of Innerspace

Innerspace (1987)
7/10
Lively comedy/fantasy loads of fun
19 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
If you enjoy suspending disbelief and you appreciated "Gremlins", then this new offering form executive producer Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante is guaranteed to keep you thoroughly entertained for over two hours (though you won't believe you've been sitting down that long). This extremely lively comedy concerns the misadventures of inept supermarket assistant manager Jack Putter (Martin Short), who is accidentally injected with a microscopic pod which contains a crack pilot who was supposed to be exploring a rabbit. So while Jack is beside himself with fears of demonic possession (he's hearing the voice of pilot Tuck Pendleton - Dennis Quaid), he is being pursued by government agencies and ruthless criminals. It all might sound rather fantastic, and it is, in the best possible way! Comic genius Martin Short really makes this movie his own with some outrageous antics (not unlike Jerry Lewis) that carry scene after scene, hilariously. Second billing really should go to Kevin McCarthy (though his is a small role) for his eccentric portrayal of Scrimshaw, the megalomaniac criminal who is 'just in it for the money'. Also great is Wendy Schaal, a checkout chick who is a little unsure about whether she should be dating the erratic Jack. Dennis Quaid makes a rugged, handsome hero while his real life wife Meg Ryan is a pretty heroine, in one of her better roles. Other strong support comes from Fiona Lewis and Henry Gibson.

Director Dante and screenwriters Chip Proser and Jeffrey Boam (Proser wrote the original story) have a ball with the wild premise (based loosely on "Fantastic Voyage" - 1966) and milk the comedy aspect dry, whilst the Academy Award winning visual effects team recreate the inside of the human body spectacularly, and Jerry Goldsmith provides a very effective and at times rousing score.

"Innerspace" is one of those movies that's loads of fun no matter how many times you see it! Several scenes are still riotously funny even for the fifth time. If only for Martin Short's manic performance and the brilliant special f/x, this picture is a must.

NB What looked like an opening for a definite sequel never did eventuate, or at least no yet!

Saturday, July 15, 1995 - Video
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