With ‘50s/‘60s B-pic stalwarts and Dennis Quaid’s impeccable ass showing up in blissed out cameos, plus Meg Ryan before she started acting adorable (at the time she simply was adorable), this silly action-comedy from Joe Dante (and Papa Bear Steven Spielberg) makes a darn good case for ‘80s Pop entertainment. (Now looking spectacularly good in Hi-Def formats.) Heck, even Martin Short keeps his end up. Something he rarely managed in his leading-man days other than THREE AMIGOS/’86. Quaid’s a gonzo test pilot/astronaut type, prepped for ultra-miniaturization and a trip via syringe inside a bunny rabbit. But a failed techno kidnapping plants him in Short’s tush and the chase is on. The opening promises little in the way of comic invention, and Dante lets the running time get away from him, but vet character actor Kevin McCarthy shows up halfway in to hilarious effect just as the twists, gags & reversals of fortune really start coming together. Legitimately exciting, more than the sum of its parts, even getting away with a touch of sentiment at the end. You could teach a class in Hollywood film structure off Jeffrey Boam/Chip Proser’s script. Soft grosses no doubt kept the suggested sequel from happening, but who knows? Each of the leads still active.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: All the creatives must have had an adolescent weak spot for the downsized spaceship & tiny team of doctors in FANTASTIC VOYAGE/’66. They certainly improved on the model! https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2009/07/fantastic-voyage-1966.html
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