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Small Soldiers
1998
A toy company believes it is onto something when it employs the latest government military technology in a series of action figures, enabling them to talk. They underestimate the power of the special micro chips they've employed, however, as the two opposing sides of the toy line start thinking for themselves and engaging in .. Read more
| Starring | Kirsten Dunst, Jay Mohr, Phil Hartman, Kevin Dunn |
|---|---|
| Director | Joe Dante |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller |
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Small Soldiers
A toy company believes it is onto something when it employs the latest government military technology in a series of action figures, enabling them to talk. They underestimate the power of the special micro chips they've employed, however, as the two opposing sides of the toy line start thinking for themselves and engaging in real combat. The Commando Elite (belligerent war toys) vow to wipe out the Gorgonites (kindhearted misfit fantasy creature figures) in a suburban neighborhood. A young boy, with the help of the kind Gorgonites, must protect his home and family from the Commandos. Listen for the voices of Spinal Tap (Mike McKean, Chris Guest, and Harry Shearer) as Gorgonite Voices as well as Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christina Ricci (as the voices of evil, mutated Barbie dolls).
| Starring | Kirsten Dunst, Jay Mohr, Phil Hartman, Kevin Dunn, Denis Leary, Frank Langella, Tommy Lee Jones |
|---|---|
| Director | Joe Dante |
| Studio | 4 FRONT VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Big Adventures |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller |
| Language | English |
| Dubbed | French, German, Italian, Spanish |
| Subtitles | Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish |
| Released | DVD: 21 Jul 2002 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Action Man-type figures fitted with deadly microprocessors go on menacing manoeuvres in this Gremlins-meets-Toy Story war fantasy from director Joe Dante, which takes a long time setting up its simple premise but is worth the wait. The movie's slick professionalism and technical brilliance keep the awkward mixture of mirth and mayhem from becoming too uncomfortable an experience. Crafty nods to classic war films such as Patton, the creepy Gwendy doll sequence and the GI Joes being voiced by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones, Ernest Borgnine and Bruce Dern also help maintain the interest for adults as well as youngsters. Yet this mix of technology-run-amok and children's nightmare sometimes takes belief a bridge too far.
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A quirky satire on militarism and big business, overwhelmed by its own technological prowess in creating lifelike toys that caricature a liking for violence.
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Most helpful member's review
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Surprisingly violent
Not violent in a blood-spattered way, but if you're expecting something like Toy Story, be warned. The plot's fairly straightforward - over-engineered toys go on the rampage after getting military chips put into them.
I was expecting something a bit watered down and kid-friendly, but was pleasantly surprised - this is rated 12 but must have skated relatively close to a 15, especially towards the end when the 'good' toys and some people are trapped in a house by the war-mongering toys, being attacked by a variety of fairly lethal weaponry.
Acting and effects are up to scratch - nice to see the late great Phil Hartman in person, rather than just hearing his voice (he was a regular in the Simpsons until his untimely death in 1998). The traditional 'no-one believes the kid' plot is kept to a minimum too, which is always good.
Overall, definitely worth a watch, but it does get relatively intense towards the end (note 'relatively' - won't give adults nightmares, but some children might not be happy). -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
small soldiers
quite entertaining for a movie about dolls. Enjoyed
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News and features
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Hollywood heroes in a half shell
- 21 Dec 2006
The animated movie version of children's television show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set to feature the vocal talents of certain Hollywood A-listers. Although the turtles themselves are to be voiced by lesser or unknown actors, USA Today reports that stars such as Patrick Stewart, Kevin Smith, Chris Evans, Zhang Ziyi and Sarah Michelle Gellar have signed on to the movie. Gellar - arguably best known as the star of long-running cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer - has turned her Read more
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Small Soldiers
A toy company believes it is onto something when it employs the latest government military technology in a series of action figures, enabling them to talk. They underestimate the power of the special micro chips they've employed, however, as the two opposing sides of the toy line start thinking for ...
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