Innerspace 4K UHD Review
“Innerspace” is an entertaining Joe Dante vehicle.
Penned by Jeffrey Boam and Chip Proser, 1987’s “Innerspace” is a sci-fi comedy that obviously bears a resemblance to the sci-fi classic “Fantastic Voyage.” The story revolves around a former aviator Lt. Tuck who is known for being a bit of a wild card to put it gently. He volunteers for a high risk Silicon Valley experiment in which he is to be miniaturized inside of a pod and injected inside of a rabbit. The miniaturization process works, but a sinister company led by Victor Scrimshaw breaks into the lab and steals part of the technology. A scientist manages to escape with the syringe containing the mini pod with Tuck and injects it into a highly stressed Safeway clerk named Jack. Jack naturally becomes more stressed out when he learns that Tuck is inside of him and is able to communicate with him within his own body. In order for Tuck to get back into the real world, Jack has to recover the other piece of tech that was stolen. Jack enlists the help of Tuck’s former girlfriend Lydia (a reporter) who just might be able to help.
When it comes to cult film directors, Joe Dante is certainly in the upper echelon having helmed cult classics like “Gremlins,” “Explorers,” “The ‘Burbs,” “Small Soldiers,” and, yes, “Innerspace.” Like much of Dante’s work, the high concept sci-fi comedy feels simultaneously like a throwback and a mixture of modern storytelling at the time of the 80’s. Dante has always excelled at putting his own spin on familiar tales and that’s exactly what he does here. While the film could have used some spruced up comedy and is perhaps a bit too strangely paced (the romantic triangle drags it down a tad), the sci-fi yarn is brimming with creativity, ahead of their time Oscar winning ILM special effects, a winning cast, a notable Jerry Goldsmith score, and intense action. It’s a film that never forgets to entertain the audience and, more importantly, never forgets that storytelling is more important than the special effects that aid it (something a lot of films forget these days).
As mentioned above, the cast is superb here. Despite being a pod by himself most of the film, Dennis Quaid really commits to the role and has a great dynamic with Martin Short. Short definitely steals the movie as the story really plays to his strengths as a physical comedian. Jack’s character arc is in many ways the heart of the film too. Meg Ryan also shines as Lydia. In typical Dante fashion, the supporting cast features a ton of character actors like Kevin McCarthy, Robert Picardo, Dick Miller, Henry Gibson, and more.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p in Dolby Vision. How does it look? Restored from the original 35mm negative, the 4K disc is largely an improvement. Much of the film features sharper image quality, but there are some fuzzy shots that don’t quite reap the benefits of 4K.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA, 4.1 DTS-HD MA and Dolby Atmos. How do they sound? Viewers have a trio of options here with the restored lossless 2.0 track, the original 70mm 6-track mix with the 4.1 track, and newly remixed Atmos. Atmos. All 3 tracks deliver here, but the Atmos track had the most depth.
Extras:
* New commentary by film critic/screenwriter Drew McWeeny and a 2002 commentary with Joe Dante, Kevin McCarthy, Robert Picardo, Michael Finnell, and Dennis Muren.
* Theatrical trailer
* Storyboard gallery, production stills, polaroids: continuity and behind the scenes gallery, and poster gallery
* “Shrinkage: The Making Of Innerspace”- A new hour-long documentary with cast and crew interviews.
* “Joe Dante’s Behind The Scenes Video Compilation”- A compilation of behind the scenes set footage.
* “ILM Behind The Scenes”- 20 minutes of raw set footage shot by Dennis Muren at ILM
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