Review of Innerspace (1987) by Ben L — 22 Jan 2015

It's been a long time since I saw this film, but when I stuck my new DVD into the player it was just like coming back to an old friend. I used to watch Innerspace frequently because it was just that right mix of science-fiction and comedy to keep teenage Ben totally entertained. Looking at it now I did notice that, while the visual effects are remarkable for their time, there's a lot more fiction to this and not much science. That doesn't really bother me because now I'm just watching it for the laughs. If you haven't seen Innerspace, it is about an experiment where Dennis Quaid is shrunk down and injected into Martin Short's body. That's all you need to know. Dennis Quaid is charming and yet kind of a jerk as Tuck Pendleton and that works as a complete contrast to Martin Short's turn as Jack Putter. I know some people don't connect with Martin Short's variety of physical comedy, but I find it perfectly fits for his role in this film, no one plays hyperactive and overly neurotic better than him. Meg Ryan shows up in one of her early film roles and is that perfect mix of tough and innocent. Most of the supporting cast is great as well, particularly Robert Picardo who kind of gets to play 2 roles.

Innerspace is a very silly film. I know some people will take issue with the illogical nature of certain events in the movie, but you have to be willing to shut off your brain for a little while and just take the ride with these characters. The way they structured Innerspace is almost akin to a buddy-cop movie (where both of the "cops" are inside the same body.) I love that they added so much action (and a few impressive stunts) into something that could have relied solely on the jokes. One of the neat things they talk about in the commentary is that while filming, despite the fact that the 2 main actors were not really shooting together, they would show up for one-another's scenes. This allowed for a very natural banter and some improv, and you can sense it in their performances. There are lots of people who won't get the level of enjoyment out of Innerspace that I do, and I'm perfectly willing to admit there is some nostalgia playing into my opinion. However if you like a good laugh, and can lose yourself in a film despite some silly "science" I'd recommend you give this movie a try.