Innerspace 4K Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Test pilot Tuck Pendleton volunteers to test a special vessel for a miniaturization experiment. Accidentally injected into a neurotic hypochondriac, Jack Putter, Tuck must convince Jack to find his ex-girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell, to help him extract Tuck and his ship and re-enlarge them before his oxygen runs out.
For more about Innerspace 4K and the Innerspace 4K Blu-ray release, see Innerspace 4K Blu-ray Review published by Jeffrey Kauffman on April 12, 2026 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.5 out of 5.
Baby Boomers or those with an interest in vintage comedy may recall the April 1967 issue of Mad which contained one of their iconic film
parodies, in this case the typically insouciantly (re)titled Fantastecch Voyage. Larry Siegel's wonderfully snarky writing and Mort Drucker's
inimitable skill at capturing caricatures of famous actors helped to make this an especially funny "version" of a then hit film, but more or less exactly
two decades later, Innerspace "revisited" Fantastic
Voyage, offering one of the most wonderfully inventive and laugh out loud comedy films of its general era. Arrow is now offering the film in
standalone 1080 and 4K UHD editions, with their usual assortment of appealing extras and handsome packaging.
Innerspace had a 1080 Blu-ray release over a decade ago by Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, and Michael Reuben's
Innerspace Blu-ray review of that edition provides plot
information, a list of supplements and Michael's reaction to the technical presentation.
Note: While this is a standalone 4K release without a 1080 disc, I am offering screenshots from Arrow's standalone 1080 release of
Innerspace as I think it actually provides a better
representation of the look of the palette in particular, rather than offering screenshots from the 4K disc which are by necessity downscaled to 1080
and in SDR. Because this release does not include a 1080 disc, the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.
Innerspace is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet offers
the
following
information about the transfer:
Innerspace has been restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with newly restored original lossless 2.0
stereo, original 70mm 6-track mix in DTS-HD Master Audio 4.1 surround, and newly remixed Dolby Atmos audio options. The film is presented in 4K
resolution in HDR and Dolby Vision.
The original 35mm camera negative was scanned at 4K / 16 bit resolution at Warner Brothers Motion Picture Imaging. The film was restored in 4K
resolution and color graded at Duplitech.
The Dolby Atmos mix was completed by Deluxe Audio Services, London. Audio restoration on the stereo mix was completed by Bad Princess
Productions.
All material sourced for this new mater were made available by Warner Brothers. QC review was completed by Pixelogic.
The new restoration and Dolby Atmos mix were approved by Director Joe Dante.
Michael was pretty enthusiastic about the now fairly old Warner Brothers 1080 release, but a cursory comparison of screenshots here and in my
review of Arrow's 1080 edition (I've tried to come
close to duplicating some of Michael's screenshots) show clear improvements in this new Arrow edition. This is another generally great looking 4K
presentation from Arrow, one which at least in the palette department is probably even more impressive here courtesy of the HDR / Dolby Vision
grades than in Arrow's 1080 release, but which may also offer a less subliminal accounting of an intermittently pretty thick grain field. The palette is
observably more suffused and
to my eyes a touch warmer looking, and while perhaps not as consistently noticeable due to the surplus of old school composited effects, fine detail
can also see improvements, albeit typically in non VFX sequences where things like textures on sets or fabrics on costumes can have better precision
than on the old Warner effort. A lot of the "interior" (i.e., pod in the body) material is rather dark and compositing probably doesn't help things, but
I'd still argue that details are a bit better than on the old Warner disc, including some of the compositing that actually (briefly) can show Tuck behind
the pod's windshield in wider framings. The HDR grades can also add at least a bit more shadow detail in some of the darkest moments, and some of
the evocative lighting / grading choices "inside the body" are very impressive in this 4K version, especially with regard to blues and reds. The
opening credits sequence looks a bit brown and mottled, but things improve dramatically once the party
scene has ended. Grain can still admittedly be fairly variable, again due in part to the VFX, and can arguably look a bit chunkier at times at this
resolution than in Arrow's 1080 version.
Innerspace features Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 4.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options (see the above verbiage from Arrow's
insert booklet for a few more details). The two surround tracks show clear widening of the soundstage from the get go, with the "high tech" sound
effects which open the film, but really, much like Warner's old 1080 disc (which had only a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as its lossless surround
offering), the best surround activity typically takes place in the pod sequences, where everything from "bodily function" noises to the clamor of the pod
itself can ricochet around the sound field quite impressively. Even "normally" situated scenes like the opening chaos or some later equally frenetic
outdoor material once the chase starts offers really good and consistent engagement of the surround channels. Jerry Goldsmith's score is also
energetic and nicely spacious. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Shrinkage: The Making of Innerspace (HD; 58:53) is a newly produced retrospective documentary with some great
interviews with various crew members including Joe Dante.
Joe Dante's Behind the Scenes Video Compilation (HD; 23:32) is a really fun assortment of candid footage.
ILM Behind the Scenes (HD; 20:16) features some more candid footage, this shot by visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren at
Industrial Light & Magic, who went on to win an Academy Award for their efforts on this film.
Storyboard Gallery (HD; 8:27)
Polaroids: Continuity & Behind the Scenes Gallery (HD; 10:23) is offered courtesy of Joe Dante.
Production Stills (HD; 14:34)
Poster Gallery (HD; 1:37)
Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:31)
Per my comments above, Arrow sent a check disc for purposes of this 1080 review, but I'm assuming the packaging of the 1080 release matches
Arrow's 4K edition. This is another really nicely packaged effort from Arrow. with an O ring slipcover enclosing a slipbox which itself holds the
keepcase, a double sided foldout poster and another really nicely appointed perfect bound collectors' booklet with a ton of great writing and archival
information. The keepcase features a reversible sleeve.
Martin Short has some annoying performance traits and tendencies toward tic filled characterizations, but he's pitch perfect in this film and is
surrounded by an absolutely stellar array of both marquee co-stars and a whole host of familiar faces from both movies and television, but it's the often
hilarious writing and great physical comedy that really elevates Innerspace. Technical merits are solid and as usual Arrow has aggregated
appealing supplements and some nice swag. Highly recommended.
Arrow Video has announced its April batch of releases. They are: Soldier (1998), The Eye (2002), Innerspace (1987), The Day of the Locust (1975), The Killer (1989), and Wandering Ginza Butterfly Collection (1972).
For the week of August 4th, Warner is bringing Joe Dante's great action-comedy Innerspace to Blu-ray. Other titles include Thomas Vinterberg's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd, Lionsgate's release of Insurgent, and Criterion's new upgrade ...
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is bringing Joe Dante's Innerspace (1987), Simon Wincer's Free Willy (1993) and Hugh Wilson's Blast from the Past (1999) to Blu-ray this summer. All three films make their North American Blu-ray debuts on August 4th.