A navy test pilot is miniaturised for a scientific experiment.
I loved this movie as a child on its original release. Looking at it 33 years later I still appreciate its spectacle and a number of memorable scenes, but can see its flaws.
The premise is excellent and the plot starts off unfolding in pretty entertaining way with an effective mix of sci-fi, adventure and comedy. Unfortunately it veers off in a number random, silly directions and after a while I personally start to feel the length and want it to conclude. Towards the end it tries to pull back towards the initial excitement, but by that point it's almost lost me.
I love pretty much everything up until Putter has to obtain the microchip and this for me is where things start to go wrong. The movie tries to increase the comedy level and it hurts the flow of the plot with the result for me being a bit uneven. I accept that comedy is in the eye of the beholder so if you enjoy the humour it probably won't bother you much.
All the sci-fi, tech and effects are excellent and still holds up to today's standard. I am a fan of 'The Fantastic Voyage' so loved the 80s take on the same concept. In fact I enjoyed Joe Dante's numerous homages to the classic Hollywood sci-fi era with his casting choices and some of the filming locations.
All actors do a great job in their roles. Dennis Quaid feels like Pete 'Maverick' with a tiny bit of Han Solo thrown in, whilst Martin Short is as funny as ever. Meg Ryan is sweet and charming as the reporter love interest, but it's not her most challenging role.
Aside from the deliberate casting of Kevin McCarthy, I found most of the antagonists to be quite uninspired. As much as I love Robert Picardo I thought the character of The Cowboy was unnecessary.
The supporting players contain many of the usual suspects from the Joe Dante filmography and they all make solid contributions as ever.
Being a big Sam Cooke fan I definitely appreciate the soundtrack with some songs being quite well placed.
I loved this movie as a child on its original release. Looking at it 33 years later I still appreciate its spectacle and a number of memorable scenes, but can see its flaws.
The premise is excellent and the plot starts off unfolding in pretty entertaining way with an effective mix of sci-fi, adventure and comedy. Unfortunately it veers off in a number random, silly directions and after a while I personally start to feel the length and want it to conclude. Towards the end it tries to pull back towards the initial excitement, but by that point it's almost lost me.
I love pretty much everything up until Putter has to obtain the microchip and this for me is where things start to go wrong. The movie tries to increase the comedy level and it hurts the flow of the plot with the result for me being a bit uneven. I accept that comedy is in the eye of the beholder so if you enjoy the humour it probably won't bother you much.
All the sci-fi, tech and effects are excellent and still holds up to today's standard. I am a fan of 'The Fantastic Voyage' so loved the 80s take on the same concept. In fact I enjoyed Joe Dante's numerous homages to the classic Hollywood sci-fi era with his casting choices and some of the filming locations.
All actors do a great job in their roles. Dennis Quaid feels like Pete 'Maverick' with a tiny bit of Han Solo thrown in, whilst Martin Short is as funny as ever. Meg Ryan is sweet and charming as the reporter love interest, but it's not her most challenging role.
Aside from the deliberate casting of Kevin McCarthy, I found most of the antagonists to be quite uninspired. As much as I love Robert Picardo I thought the character of The Cowboy was unnecessary.
The supporting players contain many of the usual suspects from the Joe Dante filmography and they all make solid contributions as ever.
Being a big Sam Cooke fan I definitely appreciate the soundtrack with some songs being quite well placed.