Small Soldiers

1998
PG-13
1h 50m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

107K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer0:31

Dark Comedy High-Concept Comedy Urban Adventure Action Adventure Comedy Family Sci-Fi

When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

107K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,721

380

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins & 4 nominations

Trivia
Joe Dante originally wanted the cast of Predator (1987) to voice the Commando Elite. Arnold Schwarzenegger would voice Chip Hazard, Shane Black would voice Kip Killagin, Carl Weathers would voice Butch Meathook, Jesse Ventura would voice Brick Bazooka, Sonny Landham would voice Nick Nitro, and Bill Duke would voice Link Static.

Goofs
When Archer looks at the other Gorgonites on his box, Troglacon is shown after the Gorgonites rebuilt him. He should look the way Erwin designed him.

Quotes
Major Chip Hazard: Are you scared? We're all scared. You'd have to be crazy not to be scared.

Crazy credits
The soldiers are credited as "The Original Dirty Dozen" and the Gorgonites are credited as "Spinal Tap". Many of the character voices actually come from those two movies.

Alternate versions
The DVD features some deleted scenes:
Alan meets the principal of his new school, who tells him he doesn't like troublemakers.
An extended version of the scene where the dish technician tells Phil a lot more about the way the dish works and why the tree has to be moved.
Some added dialogue for Stuart and Irene about their old home Chicago right before Phil starts to saw off the branch.
The Gorgonites search Alans encyclopedia for Gorgon. Instead of their home they find the daughter of the Greek God Phorcys.
A discussion between Alan, Christy and their parents about what happened.
Phil and Stuart discover that Alan and Christy get away through a window.
The Toys discover Christys parents, her brother and Irene in the storeroom and ask for "any last requests".

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Armageddon/Henry Fool/Gone with the Wind/Buffalo '66/Passion in the Desert/Nights in Cabiria (1998)

Soundtracks
War
Written by Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong
Adapted by Layzie Bone (as Steven Howse), Flesh 'N' Bone (as Stanley Howse), Wish Bone (as Charles Scruggs), Tom Morello, Flea & Damon Elliott
Performed by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) with Flesh 'N' Bone (as Flesh-N-Bone), and Henry Rollins, Tom Morello & Flea
Layzie Bone & Wish Bone appear courtesy of Ruthless Records
Flesh-N-Bone appears courtesy of Mo' Thugs Records/Def Jam Records
Henry Rollins appears courtesy of DreamWorks Records
Tom Morello appears courtesy of Epic Records
Flea appears courtesy of Warner Bros Records Inc.
Produced by Damon Elliott
(Contains a sample of "War" as performed by Edwin Starr)
Sample courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.,
Under license from Polymedia, a division of PolyGram Group Distribution, Inc.
Original recording performed by Edwin Starr
Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.,
By arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Music

User reviews179

Review

Featured review

7/10

Needs to Be Re-Evaluated

When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.

On making the film, director Joe Dante recalled "Originally I was told to make an edgy picture for teenagers, but when the sponsor tie-ins came in the new mandate was to soften it up as a kiddie movie. Too late, as it turned out, and there are elements of both approaches in there. Just before release it was purged of a lot of action and explosions." There does seem to be some confusion on what the film was supposed to be or even what it is now. I avoided the film for years, thinking it was just a bunch of talking toys. Then director Jeff Burr (whom I admire) said to give it another chance, so I decided to give it a go and found it to be much more than just toys and actually a rather interesting and intelligent film.

And, to be fair, even if it was just the toys... the effects are pretty darn good. I don't know if it's animation or what, but it looks really good, far better than most other things of the time period (late 1990s).