This “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow Video is available on April 28th, 2026.
If you grew up in the 1980s, you likely saw a great many science-fiction pictures at the theater or on VHS. Of course, the Star Wars series was part of the reason, along with Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, The Last Starfighter, Labyrinth, Spaceballs, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and too many others to list here (and those are just the family-friendly efforts). One of the movies that didn’t make as big of an impact… at least, initially… was the criminally underrated Innerspace.
The director, Joe Dante, had helmed the box office smash Gremlins, but was just coming off of another excellent title that had underperformed at the box office, Explorers (1985). Innerspace was seen by all involved as a likely critical and commercial success. It ultimately did okay at the box office, but didn’t end up being as nearly as popular as expected. But at least the film won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and became a hit on VHS, building its audience over the following years.
Now, Arrow Video is presenting a “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD release of the movie (a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray is also available) with a fantastic restored picture that really impresses, along with plenty of extras that go through the production and try to determine why it wasn’t an instant smash for Warner Bros.
The story takes place in San Francisco, with troublemaker test pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) accepting a role in a top-secret miniaturization experiment. He’s on the outs with other aviators and his journalist girlfriend Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan), perhaps making the dangerous job easier to stomach. The pilot will be placed in a submersible, shrunken and injected into a rabbit in order to study the inner workings of the animal. Just as experiment supervisor Ozzy Wexler (John Hora) successfully shrinks Pendleton and gets him into a syringe, the facility is raided by the crew of villainous billionaire Victor Scrimshaw (Kevin McCarthy). The antagonist wants to take and sell the innovation on the black market to The Cowboy (Robert Picardo). Wexler escapes but is chased by henchman Mr. Igoe (Vernon Wells), and injects Pendleton into unsuspecting grocery store clerk, Jack Putter (Martin Short).
Jack is a hypochondriac who is taken advantage of by all of those in his life. Pendleton manages to make contact with Jack and tries to calm the panicked figure down, before informing the unlikely hero of what they need to do… find the microchips required to bring Pendleton back to his normal size, escape Scrimshaw’s clutches, and finally get the pilot to the lab and out of Jack’s body before air supplies runs out. Pendleton suggests Putter enlist Maxwell to help him accomplish this dangerous, multi-faceted task.
The film moves at a rapid pace and is incredibly funny. This is in part thanks to the constant conflict. Naturally, there are the eccentric villains, who want the technology and will do anything to get it. Pendleton has made plenty of enemies in his work, meaning that most of those who might be able to help are less-than-thrilled when they are told by a stranger that “Tuck” needs their assistance. This includes Maxwell, who has recently separated from the pilot. Putter’s life is difficult in a different manner, filled with many phobias and personal issues, which makes Putter’s and Pendleton’s job harder. There’s plenty going on that makes the film consistently exciting and fun to watch.
All the interplay between characters highlights humor and Short is hysterical as a man reacting to having another human inside his body. The character is out of his comfort zone and he tries and fails to maintain control, though he finally does attempt to stand up for himself against intimidating foes in some outrageous situations. Everyone in the cast is fantastic and there are bit parts from William Schallert, Henry Gibson, Dick Miller, Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin that are sure to bring a smile to any viewer’s face.
And the special effects are phenomenal too. Even today, shots of Pendleton’s capsule moving through Putter’s body and hurtling through his host’s bloodstream (and even doing battle with an intruder late in the picture) look fantastic. It’s easy to see why it won an Oscar and to this day may still be the best-looking picture that has major sequences set inside a human body.
There’s really nothing that doesn’t work in Innerspace, and the new 4K restoration should blow viewers away. The original 35mm negative has been restored in 4K and is presented in Dolby Vision. I owned an older Blu-ray of the title, and this version is vastly superior, boasting sharp images and colors throughout. There is a natural amount of grain that appears here and there, but nothing that will distract from the generally gorgeous appearance. Again, I was particularly impressed with the visual effects work within the body, and even outdoor scenes in Safeway have greater detail and clarity.
The disc’s extras are also phenomenal. There is a film historian commentary from Drew McWeeny, who goes over how he discovered the movie and what he appreciates about it, while providing plenty of background information about the production.
But, of course, the best tracks are always those that include the moviemakers, and there is an archival commentary featuring Dante with the cast and crew that delivers specifics about the shoot. Everyone involved sounds like they’re having a good time and it’s a fun and informative track.
Another big plus is the hour-long, new documentary on the movie featuring Joe Dante, producer Michael Finnell, the visual effects team, actor Robert Picardo and many others. It’s very revealing and charts everything about how this picture came to be. Dante and his producer knew of the project when it was in development as a science-fiction feature. The director suggested that taking an approach similar to Fantastic Voyage wouldn’t work, as the material was inherently silly. When the concept was rewritten as a comedy, it played much better.
Dante also notes that one of the stipulations from Warner Bros. was that Andrew Laszlo serve as director of photography, instead of the director’s usual choice, John Hora. He notes that Laszlo was a fine D.P., but was still a little disappointed by the order. When the filmmaker was casting, he felt that the Ozzy Wexler character had the same personality as Hora, and asked him to take on the role. Thus, the main scientist was not played by an actor, but rather a cinematographer (The Howling, Gremlins, Explorers, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Matinee). Indeed, Hora is perfectly suited to the role and is very likable and completely convincing in the role.
Robert Picardo shares some interesting tales of working on the picture and how The Cowboy character was developed. There is a long take in a hotel room in which Short’s Putter has taken on the appearance of The Cowboy and Meg Ryan’s character runs out of the main area into the bathroom, only to see the real Cowboy undressed and tied up in the bathtub. Indeed, Picardo had to perform the first part of the scene, race off-camera, run around the set and change, then throw himself in the tub before the camera got there… all in a single shot.
Several interviewees talk about the film underperforming upon its release. The producer notes that the title itself was confusing to audiences, while Dante states the poster and marketing push for the picture was terrible. Promo materials completely changed just after the film’s initial release, and it was resold to the public a few weeks later, but it all seemed too late by then. Dante also laments that Explorers had been deemed too strange by the studio and that this film was an attempt to deliver something more commercial. He admits this movie ended up being just as quirky, which may have initially put the studio and even average moviegoers off.
There is also behind-the-scenes video from Dante’s personal collection showing the cast like Short and McCarthy, as well as Dante and crew members joking around on-set between takes.
Additionally, an ILM behind-the-scenes compilation of footage the crew shot is shown creating the interior environments of Jack Putter. The way the bloodstream footage was created, with large, clear tubing and real material being pumped around in a circle is fascinating to witness.
A storyboard gallery is also included, as well as Polaroids from the set and a behind-the-scenes provided by Dante himself. Regular promo materials like production stills, a poster gallery and a trailer is also included. New and original artwork for the film is provided on the reversible sleeve, and there is a double-sided fold-out poster featuring the two pieces. A booklet is also featured with more writing on the movie and its continuing importance in film history.
Innerspace is a great 80s film that (despite having won an Oscar) that is easily as good as the titles mentioned at the beginning of this piece. The movie simply never got the attention it deserved from the public. Thankfully, Arrow Video is helping to change all of that with this “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD release. The picture is phenomenal, highlighting the exemplary effects work, and the performances are equally exceptional, making for a highly entertaining science-fiction comedy with a unique spin. Anyone who enjoys titles from this era should pick this disc up!
