Innerspace

Innerspace is an Academy Award-winning 1987 science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film was based around a spoof of the 1966 sci-fi classic Fantastic Voyage. It stars Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Martin Short, and Kevin McCarthy with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

Plot synopsis

Jack Putter (Martin Short) is a hypochondriac who begins to hear voices in his head. He later discovers the reason: A top-secret miniaturization experiment has gone wrong. Hotshot pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) has been placed into a submarine and miniaturized to microscopic size; he has been accidentally injected into Jack's "inner space."

The movie has won praise for its impressive special effects because of improvements in effects technology, which were more sophisticated than those in Fantastic Voyage which the film spoofs.

Kraken II Submersible Pod

The main vessel used in the miniaturization experiment. Piloted by Tuck Pendelton. The pod has a number of features designed around the mission objectives (never specifically mentioned onscreen, it is assumed exploration and research), these include:

• A laser scalpel, primarily used for cutting through soft tissue. It was also later employed as a weapon.
• A claw, which can be fitted with an optical sensor or an audio sensor. Both were used by Tuck to see Jack's point of view and provide two-way communication.
• A Harpoon Gun with attached cable.
• An onboard computer system built for exploration and is able to adjust to the surrounding environment. The computer is also able to issue status reports, proximity warnings and vital signs of the host.

It is not, however, designed for combat and was heavily damaged after Mr Igoe's attempt to disable and extract it.

During the long fight with Scrimshaw and his associates, Jack Putter had to work with Tuck's estranged girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell (Ryan). Prior to the injection of Igoe's pod into Jack, Lydia ended up kissing Jack, and Tuck, who was in Jack's mouth, ended up for a time in Lydia's body. He figured it out only after he discovered a fetus, finding out Lydia was pregnant. When he alerted them that he was in the wrong body by playing music in Lydia's inner ear, they kissed again, and he returned to Jack's body to fight Mr. Igoe.

Other Vessels

The craft used by Victor Scrimshaw and piloted by Mr Igoe was also miniaturized and injected into Jack to locate, disable, and extract the Pod. Never named onscreen, not much is known about its systems except that it has two articulated arms with a claw on one and a gun-like device on the other. (Assumed to be a Laser Scalpel)

It eventually found the pod, but was disabled after Tuck jammed one of the pod's arms into a thrust port. Mr Igoe abandoned it using an ejection system, and attempted to crack the pod windows using a drill on his exosuit.

Awards

1988:

• Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects, Won
• Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Best Director, Best Science Fiction Film, Best Special Effects, nominated

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