Small Soldiers (1998)

Small Soldiers  (1998)

Genre(s): Killer Toys, Live Action/Animation Combos, Special FX Extravaganzas, Technology--Rampant, Teen Angst

Cast: Gregory Edward Smith, Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Ann Magnuson, Jay Mohr, Denis Leary, Kevin Dunn, Wendy Schaal, Dick Miller, David Cross, Robert Picardo; VOICE(S) BY: Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, Bruce Dern, George Kennedy, Clint Walker, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Christina Ricci; DIRECTED BY: Joe Dante; WRITTEN BY: Gavin Scott, Adam Rifkin, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio; CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Jamie Anderson; MUSIC BY: Jerry Goldsmith; SPECIAL EFFECTS: Stan Winston. PRODUCER: Michael Finnell, Colin Wilson, Walter F. Parkes, Dreamworks Pictures.

Review: Why do kids today get all the really cool toys? G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu Grip never held any small Ohio towns under siege, and his fingers eventually fell off. But thanks to former defense supplier turned toy maker Globotech and its chairman Gil Mars (Leary), the residents of Winslow Corners receive a shipment of action figures called the Commando Elite. These toys are designed to interact with their owners. And do they ever--they take on a life of their own and wage war, thanks to being mistakenly implanted with military intelligence chips. Led by Chip Hazard (voice of Jones), these commandoes take on the previously quiet town in their quest to eradicate their toy rivals, the peaceful alien Gorgonites. Led by the gentle Archer (voice of Langella), the Gorgonites enlist the help of teens Alan (Smith) and Christy (Dunst) to battle this miniature menace. Combo of computer animation, Stan Winston's animatronic puppets, and live-action bring the toys to life.