It's 1987. You’ve got Steven Spielberg producing, Joe Dante directing, and a concept that sounds like a sci-fi fever dream. You take a cocky pilot, shrink him down to the size of a molecule, and accidentally inject him into the butt of a hypochondriac grocery clerk.
That clerk was Martin Short.
Honestly, Innerspace shouldn't have worked as well as it did. On paper, it’s a high-concept mess of shrinking technology and Cold War-era industrial espionage. But in execution? It became a masterclass in physical comedy that basically defined the transition from Short’s SCTV days to full-blown movie stardom. While most people point to Father of the Bride or Three Amigos! as his definitive work, Innerspace is where the magic really happened.
The Chaos of Jack Putter
Martin Short plays Jack Putter. Jack is a man who is literally vibrating with anxiety. He’s the guy who thinks he has a heart attack every time his pager goes off. When Lt. Tuck Pendleton (played with peak 80s swagger by Dennis Quaid) ends up inside Jack’s bloodstream, the movie shifts from a standard sci-fi flick into a buddy comedy where one half of the duo is invisible to everyone else.
Short didn't just play a nervous guy. He turned Jack Putter into a human rubber band.
Think about the technical difficulty here. Short is acting against a voice in his ear—this was years before digital earpieces were subtle. He’s reacting to a "pilot" inside his own body while being chased by guys like Kevin McCarthy and the terrifyingly silent Vernon Wells. The scene where Tuck takes control of Jack’s facial muscles to "remodel" his face is a legendary bit of practical effects and performance. It’s the kind of stuff you just don't see anymore in an era of seamless CGI.
Why the Tech in Innerspace Still Holds Up
We need to talk about the Oscar.
Innerspace won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1988. It beat out Predator. Think about that for a second. Dennis Muren and the team at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) created a world inside the human body that felt tactile. They used fats, oils, and physical models to simulate the cardiovascular system.
When you watch the pod navigate through the "heart" or dodge white blood cells, it feels heavy. It feels wet. It feels real.
Today’s Marvel movies often feel like actors floating in a digital void. In Innerspace, the environment feels like a character. It forces Martin Short to be more than just a comedian; he has to be the audience’s anchor in a world that is fundamentally absurd. If he doesn't sell the idea that there's a tiny man in his ear, the whole movie collapses. He sells it. Every twitch, every panicked sprint down a grocery aisle—it all lands.
The Joe Dante Touch
Joe Dante is a weird director. I mean that as a compliment.
Between Gremlins and The Burbs, Dante developed this specific style that mixes Looney Tunes energy with genuine stakes. Innerspace is the peak of that style. It’s a remake—or at least a spiritual successor—to the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, but it ditches the self-serious tone of the original for something much more kinetic.
Dante knew that Short was a live wire. He gave him the space to ad-lib and use that Saturday Night Live energy.
- The "Twist and Shout" Scene: This is the moment Jack Putter finally lets go. He’s possessed by the music and the adrenaline of having a jet pilot in his veins. It’s pure, unadulterated Martin Short.
- The Cowboy Transformation: When Jack has to go undercover as "The Cowboy," Short flips the script. He goes from a shivering wreck to a bizarre, overconfident caricature. It’s a meta-joke about acting itself.
The Chemistry Nobody Expected
Usually, a buddy cop dynamic requires the two leads to be on screen together. In Innerspace, Quaid and Short are separated for 90% of the runtime.
Meg Ryan plays Lydia Maxwell, the link between them. This was right before When Harry Met Sally... made her the queen of rom-coms. She brings a grounded, investigative energy that keeps the movie from spinning off into total slapstick. The romance between Quaid and Ryan feels earned, even though they spend the movie talking through a man’s nervous system.
But the real "romance" is the bond between Tuck and Jack. By the end of the film, Jack isn't the same man. He’s found his spine. Short plays that character arc beautifully. It’s not just about the jokes; it’s about a man overcoming his own internal (and literal) demons.
What People Get Wrong About Martin Short’s Career
A lot of younger fans know Martin Short from Only Murders in the Building. They see him as the witty, theatrical Oliver Putnam. And yeah, that’s great. But Innerspace shows a different side of his talent. It’s more physical. It’s messier.
There's a misconception that Short is always "on." People think he’s just a collection of characters like Jiminy Glick or Ed Grimley. But in Innerspace, he’s surprisingly vulnerable. Jack Putter is a loser. He’s a guy we should probably find annoying, but Short makes us root for him.
He’s the everyman in an extraordinary situation.
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Why It Didn't Become a Massive Franchise
Innerspace was a hit, but it wasn't a Ghostbusters-level phenomenon. Why?
Marketing was part of it. The posters focused on the ship and the sci-fi aspect, but the movie is actually a comedy first. Also, 1987 was a crowded year. You had Lethal Weapon, Predator, and RoboCop. Innerspace was a bit too "cute" for the hardcore action crowd and a bit too "weird" for the mainstream family audience.
But that’s exactly why it has such a massive cult following today. It’s a movie that defies easy categorization. It’s a techno-thriller, a romantic comedy, and a slapstick masterpiece all rolled into one.
The Legacy of the Shrinking Sub-Genre
Since Innerspace, we’ve had Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Ant-Man.
Ant-Man owes a massive debt to Jack Putter. The humor in the Marvel movies—the juxtaposition of tiny stakes and huge consequences—is ripped straight from the Joe Dante playbook. But Ant-Man relies on CGI to make the shrinking look cool. Innerspace used it to make the shrinking look gross and dangerous.
There’s a scene where the villain, Mr. Igoe, gets shrunk and ends up in a fight inside Jack’s body. It’s claustrophobic. It’s scary. It treats the human body like a hostile alien planet.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re revisiting Innerspace or watching it for the first time, look for these specific things:
- The Practical Effects: Watch the scene where the pod enters the tear duct. That’s all physical models and clever lighting. No computers were used for that.
- The Sound Design: Listen to how the voice of Tuck changes depending on where he is in Jack’s body. The audio engineering was ahead of its time.
- Short’s Eyes: Pay attention to Martin Short’s eyes when he’s "hearing" Tuck. He’s always looking slightly off-center, perfectly mimicking the sensation of an internal monologue that isn't his own.
Final Perspective on a 1980s Classic
Innerspace is more than just a nostalgic trip. It’s a reminder that Martin Short is one of the most versatile performers of his generation. He can lead a massive, big-budget studio film just as easily as he can do a five-minute sketch on SNL.
The movie reminds us that science fiction doesn't always have to be about space battles or bleak futures. Sometimes, it can just be about the weird, liquid world inside ourselves.
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If you want to understand why Martin Short is a legend, stop watching clips of his talk show appearances for a second. Go back to 1987. Watch a man have a full-blown conversation with his own hip. That is the genius of Innerspace.
How to Experience Innerspace Today
To truly appreciate the Oscar-winning effects, seek out the Blu-ray or 4K restoration rather than a standard streaming version. The grain and texture of the ILM practical effects are much more visible in high definition. If you're a fan of behind-the-scenes history, look for the commentary tracks featuring Joe Dante and the effects team; they detail how they used common household liquids to create the look of "inner space."
Finally, pair your viewing with other 80s "body horror" comedies like The Man with Two Brains or All of Me to see how that era mastered the art of high-concept physical humor.