Small Soldiers (1998)
Average Rating: 6.1/10
Reviews Counted: 42
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 23
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Critic Reviews: 13
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 7
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 107,886
My Rating
Movie Info
Joe Dante directed this satirical action-comedy about talking tech toys accidentally juiced-up with military microchips. After the defense industry firm Globotech takes over a small toy company, Heartland Play Systems' CEO Gil Mars (Denis Leary) gives the green light to develop a new line of action figures, requesting an upgrade to more realistic figures from Heartland toy designers Larry Benson (Jay Mohr) and fumbling Irwin Wayfair (David Cross). Mars wants toys that act like the ones in TV
Jul 10, 1998 Wide
Dec 1, 1998
Dreamworks
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Cast
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Kirsten Dunst
Christy Fimple -
Gregory Smith
Alan Abernathy -
Jay Mohr
Larry Benson -
Phil Hartman
Phil Fimple -
Kevin Dunn
Stuart Abernathy -
Denis Leary
Gil Mars -
David Cross
Irwin Wayfair -
Ann Magnuson
Irene Abernathy -
Wendy Schaal
Marion Fimble -
Alexandra Wilson
Ms. Kegel -
Dick Miller
Joe -
Robert Picardo
Ralph -
Tommy Lee Jones
Maj. Chip Hazard -
Frank Langella
Archer -
Ernest Borgnine
Kip Killagin -
Jim Brown
Butch Meathook -
Bruce Dern
Link Static -
George Kennedy
Brick Bazooka -
Clint Walker
Nick Nitro -
Christopher Guest
Scratch-It, Slamfist -
Michael McKean
Insaniac / Freakenstein -
Harry Shearer
Punch-It -
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Gwendys Doll -
Christina Ricci
Gwendys Doll
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All Critics (50) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (24) | DVD (13)
...this smells like a script slapped together around a toy-product launch.
Top CriticThough it starts promisingly, the picture ends as a standoff between the affection Dante and company bring to the project and its increasingly frenetic and tiresome emphasis on what special effects can make its little people do.
As with many films in which special effects are the real stars, the technology here commands more respect and interest than the material otherwise warrants.
I can't think of a Hollywood entertainment I've enjoyed as much all year, and both audiences I saw the movie with seemed delighted as well.
...deliciously perverse...
...wildly entertaining...
Smart satirical action-comedy about talking action toys.
An infomercial with the schmaltz that passes for emotion in family-aimed films.
Typical of Dante's films, Small Soldiers is an unbroken string of pop culture in-jokes.
It looks like the movie was edited down from a much meaner version, to our loss.
...an entertaining romp...
The animation is excellent, and the voice cast alone is worth the price of admission...
Audience Reviews for Small Soldiers
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Maj. Chip Hazard: It's a small world after all.
-
- Insaniac / Freakenstein: Hey Alan what do you think? Boxers or briefs? Hahaha!
- Alan Abernathy: Get those off your head...
- Insaniac / Freakenstein: Haha but seriously!.....Actually I'm allergic to plaid.
Discussion Forum
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"The few, the proud, and the small."
I hadn't watched Small Soldiers since I was 8 years old, but I found a great deal of enjoyment from this fun and satirical Joe Dante film. The movie obviously doesn't come flaw free. In fact if you wanted to keep count of just how many elements of this movie are flawed; it would be a tough job. The fact is though, that I just don't really care about the flaws. There's too much good stuff going on here, that it overshadows everything that is wrong with it.
So, a toy company comes up with a new idea that let's the toys interact. Then they market it around the American heroes killing the enemy aliens. There's a lot of satire going on here especially in that the soldiers are the bad guys. After a neighborhood kid gets his hands on the toys a little early, the battle between the Soldiers and the aliens begins. Dante isn't exactly subtle, but his style works perfectly here. The movie has the same kind of feel that The Burbs had, and both are good films from Dante. The movie is so chaotic and messy, but in the best possible way.
The cast brings out the best in the movie as well. We have Kirsten Dunst, Tommy Lee Jones in a voice role, Dennis Leary, Phil Hartman, David Cross, and a variety of other decent to good character actors. Also, I really enjoyed the jokes that were being thrown at us, either direct or subliminal. Dante had a good eye for what he could exploit with this type of plot and I believe he made good use of what he had.
You can call the movie stupid, you can call the movie ridiculous, and you can call the movie flat out awful; but I'm going to call it one hell of a fun time. It may not be a masterpiece, but it does exactly what it set out to do. It's entertaining, occasionally funny, and never boring. It's quick moving and appeals to more than just children. It's truly an underrated movie in my opinion.