Innerspace (1987)

A test pilot is miniaturized in a secret experiment, and accidentally injected into a hapless store clerk.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writers:

Chip Proser (story), Jeffrey Boam (screenplay)

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Lt. Tuck Pendleton
Martin Short	...	Jack Putter
Meg Ryan	...	Lydia Maxwell
Kevin McCarthy	...	Victor Eugene Scrimshaw
Fiona Lewis	...	Dr. Margaret Canker
Vernon Wells	...	Mr. Igoe
Robert Picardo	...	The Cowboy
Wendy Schaal	...	Wendy
Harold Sylvester	...	Pete Blanchard
William Schallert	...	Dr. Greenbush
Henry Gibson	...	Mr. Wormwood
John Hora	...	Ozzie Wexler
Mark L. Taylor	...	Dr. Niles
Orson Bean	...	Lydia's Editor
Kevin Hooks	...	Duane

Storyline

Tuck Pendleton is a cocky pilot, who is taking part in a miniaturization experiment. When some bad guys break into the lab to steal the technology, one of the scientists takes a syringe which contains the miniaturized Tuck and vessel. Now in the vessel is part of the material needed to restore him. But the other part which is the lab is stolen. The scientist's shot but before dying he injects Tuck into Jack Putter, a hypochondriac, who feels that something is wrong with him all the time. When Tuck links himself to Jack's systems, he discovers that something happened. So they go back to the lab, and discover what happened. Now they are told that unless they retrieve the material that was stolen they won't be able to restore Tuck before his oxygen is depleted. Now the government rep decides that the only thing that matters that as long as they have the other half of the material, it is useless to the thieves. So Tuck eggs Jack to go out and find the thieves. They enlist the aid of ...

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Plot Keywords:

miniaturization | hypochondriac | trapped in a human body | heroine | male objectification | 

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Taglines:

Take a trip you'll never forget.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the Cowboy/Putter changeover, Robert Picardo had to do quite a bit of work. After Putter has been changed, we see Lydia asking how he got into the room, etc. The first time Robert goes off screen he's actually rushing behind camera, tearing off his breakaway clothes and getting into the bath. Meanwhile, a stand-in moves into frame from the left, who is seen from the back. A make-up assistant is behind a fake wall at the head of the bath, having just changed the Putter wig to the Cowboy wig. Before the Scrimshaw meeting, Picardo's voice was overdubbed with Short's. During the meeting, Picardo used his own voice (with a Short-esque lilt), as the filmmakers didn't think Short "trying" the Cowboy's voice would be convincing enough to make the scene work.

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Goofs

When the two Pods battle in Jack's throat, the 'bad guy' pulls the power cables out of the 'hero pod's thrusters, disabling the pod. Then when the pod falls into Jack's throat, you see it impact the sphincter which leads into the stomach. If you look closely, you can see that the power cables are still connected to the engine, and they stay there until the pod is re-enlarged, when the cables are mysteriously detached again (obviously a continuity problem between the model and the full-scale mock-up).

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Quotes

Lt. Tuck Pendleton: Hey, Jack, Jack! Go to the mirror in the bedroom, will ya?
Jack Putter: Why?
Lt. Tuck Pendleton: I just realized I don't know what the hell you look like.
Jack Putter: Sure.
[He gets up tipsily and hiccups]
Lt. Tuck Pendleton: Are you drunk?
Jack Putter: No, no, I just got up a little too fast, that's all.
Lt. Tuck Pendleton: Sure.
[Jack face-plants into the mirror]
Jack Putter: How's this?
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The Special Effects credit at the end of the movie states "Mr Short's Interiors by Industrial Light and Magic".

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Alternate Versions

The Blu-ray and Digital HD version of the film plasters Warner Bros. Pictures with the 2003 variant of the fanfare.

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Connections

Referenced in ALF: Take a Look at Me Now (1987)

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Soundtracks

Is It Really Love?
Written, Produced and Performed by Narada Michael Walden
Courtesy of WARNER BROS. RECORDS

User Reviews

Funny Sci/Fi Adventure

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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Innerspace

Filming Locations:

377 Filbert St., San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,739,913, 5 July 1987

Gross USA:

$25,893,810

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,893,810

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., The Guber-Peters Company, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1