Joe Dante’s career has more than cemented him as a Master of Horror. But his mastery extends outside titles that exclusively exist in the horror space. He has tried his hand at numerous film genres with far more hits than misses. Dante dazzled viewers with the horror-tinged comedy, The Burbs, sent unsupervised minors to outer space in the family film, Explorers, and served up a star-studded comedic foray into science fiction with Innerspace.
Seeing as Innerspace just so happens to be observing a release date anniversary on July 1, we thought now the perfect time to speak to the many merits of this underrated and outlandish effort.
Innerspace follows Air Force Lieutenant Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid), who is equal parts fearless and shameless. That distinction makes him the perfect guinea pig for an experimental procedure that will see Tuck miniaturized to the size of a flea and taking up temporary residence inside the body of a laboratory rabbit. But when sinister forces interfere, Tuck is injected into Jack Putter, a paranoid, hypochondriac grocery store employee. After coming to realize what has happened to him, Tuck must scramble to find a way to communicate with Jack, return to his normal size, and keep the experimental technology from falling into the hands of ill-intentioned ruffians.
It’s shocking to me that Innerspace remains somewhat under-seen by contemporary audiences. Though it wasn’t a box office smash, It’s an Oscar-winning picture (for best visual effects) and it features a dynamite cast of A-listers that remain household names after more than 35 years. Yet, somehow, the film seems to have been almost lost to time. My hope is that I can persuade anyone not familiar with Innerspace to take note because it’s ready to be rediscovered.
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One of the film’s greatest strengths is a dynamite cast. Dennis Quaid is undeniably charming as Tuck, the smug, reckless playboy that isn’t quite ready to embrace his adult responsibilities. He is certainly an archetype but Quaid’s boyish charm, good looks, and comedic timing make Tuck relatable. Moreover, he has a strong arc that sees a fair amount of maturation taking place throughout the precarious ordeal in which he finds himself.
Martin Short’s Jack is the perfect counterweight to Tuck. Jack offsets Tuck’s brashness with his more delicate manner. Jack is afraid of everything and experiences crippling anxiety that leads him to abandon logic and move directly to panic mode. But his quirks make him kind of adorable because Short imbues the character with his signature slapstick style. I really cannot imagine anyone else in the role. Even though he is over-the-top in every way, there’s something relatable about him. There’s something very human about his inability to accept that there’s actually nothing wrong with him. In my youth, I managed to convince myself I must be dying of cancer when I had persistent stomach cramps. So, I can almost see a small amount of myself in him.
Meg Ryan is perfectly cast as Tuck’s plucky, journalist ex-girlfriend. She brings a level-headed balance to the dynamic that both Jack and Tuck sorely lack. Plus, she’s just kind of irresistible simply by virtue of being Meg Ryan.
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In addition to a killer cast, Innerspace also features state-of-the-art special effects work that earned the film an Oscar. Some of the visuals might be a bit dated by contemporary standards. But considering their age, I think the collective whole is really quite impressive. The sequences that take place inside the inner workings of Jack’s body are nothing less than remarkable.
Aside from a dynamite cast and next-level effects, the flick also features a great sense of humor and just the right amount of camp. Screenwriters Jeffrey Boam and Chip Proser have dreamt up some truly memorable characters that give the flick a whimsical charm. Case in point: One of the henchmen in Innerspace is missing a hand. As a function of that, he possesses a series of interchangeable attachments that he swaps out, one of which features a finger gun. The zanier aspects (of which there are many) are presented with tongue in cheek like Dante and co are laughing along with us.
Additionally, there are some memorable punchlines and slapstick gags throughout Innerspace that keep things moving along and provide some well-timed laughs to break up the more intense situations. One particularly memorable exchange sees Jack communicating with Tuck in a men’s room. When another gentleman (who is standing nearby) overhears Jack, he thinks Jack is speaking to his anatomy while standing at the urinal.
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In short, Innerspace is a laugh-out-loud mixture of science fiction, slapstick comedy, and camp that delivers some seriously killer effects. Add to that a killer cast of characters and the directorial oversight of the great Joe Dante and you’ve got yourself a rollicking good time.
If you’re curious to check out Innerspace, I’m sorry to say that the flick isn’t currently streaming for free anywhere at the moment. However, it is available to rent or purchase on digital, as well as on physical media.
If you count yourself a fan of Joe Dante and haven’t had the occasion to check this one out, I highly recommend giving it a look. And if you’d like to chat more about Innerspace or Joe Dante’s impressive body of work, you can find me on Twitter @FunWithHorror.
Categorized: Editorials
