Innerspace

Year: 1987
Directed By: Joe Dante
Written By: Chip Proser and Jeffery Boam

RYAN’S REVIEW

This is one of the first movies I remember falling in love with. I must have watched it a hundred times as a child. It brings back fond memories of summer vacations at my grandparent’s house.  They owned the movie and never cared how many times I watched it. I can’t pinpoint how old I was when I first saw it but there was a lot to it that I wouldn’t understand for a long time.  This movie does have a PG rating though and offers very little on the inappropriate side. I still think it is an awesome movie today and always enjoy watching it again.

This movie is great because it is both exciting and funny. The story is so imaginative and I haven’t seen any other quite like it.  I like the idea of miniaturization technology, I think the two main characters were well developed and well played, and I think the bad guys were all perfect.  Tuck and Jack couldn’t be more different as characters and they are both thrust together in this unlikely situation that will test both of them.  One is completely isolated and unaware of what’s going on so he just goes about doing his job.  The other is a hypochondriac that nobody wants to pay any attention to when someone starts tinkering around inside of him. They have to struggle with one another before figuring out how to work together and overcome the real dangers at hand.  The villains in this movie are so good too. Mr. Igoe may be a bit too much of a terminator rip-off but I didn’t know that when I watched this movie as a child and I’ll excuse it today.  All I knew then was that he was scary and could shoot bullets from his fingers, but isn’t that enough? Totally awesome. I like the fiery redheaded villainess Dr. Margaret Canker with her ruthless attitude and powerful sexuality.  All villains need a strong and dangerous boss to lead them and Scrimshaw filled that role nicely in his debonair white suits. The Cowboy can’t go unmentioned here, another great villain that came with his own theme music.

The funny thing about Dennis Quaid and Martin Short in the lead roles here is that they have such terrific chemistry despite not having any on screen time together until the end of the movie. Quaid plays his more masculine role with charisma and wit.  While Short is the polar opposite and quite funny in the part. Meg Ryan was young and beautiful as the female lead.  She plays a strong character that is quick to action when things get heavy. As great as Quaid and Short are in this movie they still managed to be showed up by Meg Ryan, she is an ultimate badass in this movie as Lydia. Robert Picardo has his moment playing a really cool part as the Cowboy.

The movie gets a bit cheesy when Tuck is transported back and forth between Lydia and Jack by kissing but that’s the 80’s baby. That kind of thing can be excused today as simply a campy element of the era.  I think this movie has Spielberg’s fingerprints all over it, to its great advantage. Spielberg is one of the greatest directors of all time but as good as he is in that role he has never been short of great as a producer.  He has had his hand in so many great films over the years; there is no end to what he has given us as fans.

This movie was set up for a sequel and to this day I am still disappointed that it was never made.  I for one would have loved to see a continuation to this story. It never happened though and I am not sure why. I think this movie is worth your time because it is funny and entertaining.  I do have a special place in my heart for it though because of the nostalgic feeling it gives me.  If you know this movie let me know what you think about it because I am interested to hear other opinions about it.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I guess this movie is ok. I don’t really know. I know Ryan loves this movie, but I have only seen it a handful of times and that was recently. Maybe if I could appreciate the pure cheesiness of it all. In any case here is the poster, for which I have few words.

“This poster needs a bright yellow starburst.” -Said no designer ever.

NEXT MOVIE: Inside Man (2006)

Any Given Sunday

Year: 1999
Directed By: Oliver Stone
Written By: John Logan, Oliver Stone

RYAN’S REVIEW

When we started this blog back in March I had hoped that by the time we reached this film on the movie rack that the ridiculous NFL lockout would be over. I am a huge NFL fan, and this lockout has been difficult to endure. I would personally like to stick it to them when they come back and take a stand to not watch any of the games.  That would be pointless though and who the hell would I be kidding anyway? I couldn’t avoid it, I need football and the lack of an offseason has been driving me nuts.  I hope that the situation will be resolved soon, it’s disappointing to see what greed is doing to the sport.  This movie however is one of my all time favorites because I love football so much. I usually don’t like movies about football or other sports, they tend to all be the same, but this one is different.  I watch this movie annually during NFL preseason every year, I hope that I will be able to do that again this year come August.

For a long time Oliver Stone was my favorite director, and he still is to some degree, but this was his last great film.  This was the cherry on top of a great portfolio, it was all downhill after this, but I think this was one of his best. Oliver Stone has an incredible mind and the vision and ability to transition it onto the screen.  This movie is star-studded, fast paced, gritty, and awesome.  It portrays the game well on several different levels, it captures what super stardom can do to someone, and it tells an excellent story. Oliver Stone had a great quality in getting spectacular performances out of his actors.  This movie is no different, Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, Aaron Eckhart, Matthew Modine, and even Charlton Heston are all great.  Stone somehow manages to get them all a lot of screen time as well throughout the movie. Stone brought in several real current and retired NFL stars to play roles in the film too.  Lawrence Taylor, Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, and Terrell Owens just to name a few, LT played his role exceptionally well.  Stone also puts himself in the middle of his epic football movie, as the play by-play commentator, I admire that.  Best place to be for a true football fan, I think it says something about him.

I say that it was all downhill for Oliver Stone after this movie because his next film, Alexander (2004), was apocalyptically bad.  I followed the production of that movie for over two years letting my anticipation build and I have never been so disappointed in a movie.  I haven’t seen anything Stone made since actually, but his magic was gone by then, it didn’t matter anymore.  If you have an opportunity to see this movie I think you should definitely see it. On second thought, if you are a football fan at all then go out of your way to get it and see it.  It’s a great movie.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I am a really big football fans and I usually like Oliver Stone’s movies but this one just doesn’t do it for me.  I know Ryan loves it and I know a lot of other people who love it as well but I’m just not a fan.  Also, just a note.  I have always heard people talk about how big the penis in that one scene was, I didn’t think it was that big.

NEXT MOVIE: Apocalypto (2006)