Small Soldiers (1998)

NEUTRAL

Various

57%

PG-13

1998, Comedy/Action, 1h 50m

RT Critics’ Score: 48% (UNBIASED)
RT Audience Score: 45%
Awards & Nominations: NA

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Critics Consensus

Small Soldiers has plenty of visual razzle-dazzle, but the rote story proves disappointingly deficient in director Joe Dante’s trademark anarchic spirit

Audience Consensus

Small Soldiers is a movie that’s perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered what would happen if their toys came to life. The special effects are amazing and the script is hilarious. It’s like Toy Story, but with more explosions and less heartwarming moments. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see a bunch of action figures fighting each other? It’s like a childhood dream come true. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Just don’t be surprised if you start looking at your own toys a little differently after watching this movie.

Storyline

Fifteen-year-old Alan Abernathy, the son of a toy store owner, tries out some new action figures: The Commando Elite versus The Gorgonites. But three months ago, 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 vow to wipe out the Gorgonites in a suburban neighborhood. Alan, his neighbor Christy Fimple, (on whom he has a massive crush) with the help of the kind Gorgonites, must protect his home and family from the Commandos.

Production Company(ies)
Preferred Content Sundial Pictures,

Distributor
DreamWorks SKG, 20th Century Fox

Release Type
Theatrical

Filming Location(s)
Orange, California, USA

MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some menacing action/violence and brief drug references

Year of Release
1998

Technical Specs

Color:

Color
Sound mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
Aspect ratio:

2.39 : 1
Runtime:

1h 50m
Language(s):

English
Country of origin:

United States
Release date:

Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1998 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2012

Genre(s)
Comedy/Action

Keyword(s)
Small Soldiers, PG-13, Comedy, Action, Fantasy, directed by Joe Dante, starring Kirsten Dunst, Gregory Smith, Jay Mohr, Phil Hartman, Kevin Dunn, Denis Leary, Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, written by Gavin Scott, Adam Rifkin, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, produced by Michael Finnell, Colin Wilson, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Liam Lacey, Kenneth Turan, Roger Ebert, James Berardinelli, Susan Stark, Jeffrey M Anderson, Felix Vasquez Jr., Dennis Schwartz, Michael Dequina, Jeffrey Westhoff, Susan Tavernetti, box office gross $55.1M, budget unknown, rated PG-13, DreamWorks SKG, 20th Century Fox, SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, 35mm, Scope (2.35:1), toys, action figures, military technology, Chip, Gorgonites, Archer, Christy, Alan Abernathy, Larry Benson, Phil Fimple, Stuart Abernathy, Gil Mars, visual effects, CGI, animatronics, satire, toy industry

Box Office Details

Worldwide gross: $54,682,547
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $100,350,184
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,019
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 10,943,313

US/Canada gross: $54,682,547
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $100,350,184
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 749
US/Canada opening weekend: $14,047,592
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $25,779,312
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 531

Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $40,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $73,405,640
Production budget ranking: 578
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $39,528,937
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$12,584,393
ROI to date (est.): -11%
ROI ranking: 1,455

Cast & Crew

Kirsten Dunst

Gregory Smith

Jay Mohr

Phil Hartman

Kevin Dunn

Christy Fimple

Alan Abernathy

Larry Benson

Phil Fimple

Stuart Abernathy

Kirsten Dunst – Christy Fimple
Gregory Smith – Alan Abernathy
Jay Mohr – Larry Benson
Phil Hartman – Phil Fimple
Kevin Dunn – Stuart Abernathy
Denis Leary – Gil Mars
Tommy Lee Jones – Chip Hazard (voice)
Frank Langella – Archer (voice)
Bruce Dern – Link Static (voice)
Ernest Borgnine – Kip Killigan (voice)
Jim Brown – Butch Meathook (voice)
Clint Walker – Nick Nitro (voice)
Christopher Guest – Slamfist / Scratch-It (voice)
Michael McKean – Insaniac / Freakenstein (voice)
Harry Shearer – Punch-It / Scratch-It (voice)
Sarah Michelle Gellar – Gwendy Doll (voice)
Christina Ricci – Gwendy Doll (voice)
Dick Miller – Joe (Toy Store Owner)
Joe Dante – Voice of the Lab Tech #1
Roger Corman – Voice of the Lab Tech #2

Joe Dante

Gavin Scott

Michael Finnell

Colin Wilson

Director

Writer

Producer

Director(s)
Joe Dante

Writer(s)
Gavin Scott, Adam Rifkin, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio

Producer(s)
Michael Finnell, Colin Wilson

Film Festivals

Awards & Nominations
NA

Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Owen Gleiberman

Liam Lacey

Kenneth Turan

Roger Ebert

James Berardinelli

Entertainment Weekly

Globe and Mail

Los Angeles Times

Chicago Sun-Times

ReelViews

SMALL SOLDIERS
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (21) | Rotten (23)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+

Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
…this smells like a script slapped together around a toy-product launch.

April 12, 2002 | Rating: 2/4

Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Though 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.

February 14, 2001 | Rating: 3/5

Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
What bothered me most about Small Soldiers is that it didn’t tell me where to stand–what attitude to adopt.

January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2.5/4

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
As absurd as the premise might seem, Small Soldiers works for two primary reasons: the visual effects … are entirely convincing and the script … never takes its tongue out of its cheek.

January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4

James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
…wildly entertaining…

January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4

Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Small Soldiers deserves to be re-evaluated, which fortunately also means that it can finally be enjoyed, too.

October 8, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Works as an adventure film and another fine Joe Dante creature feature…

October 7, 2013

Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Smart satirical action-comedy about talking action toys.

April 7, 2007 | Rating: A-

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
An infomercial with the schmaltz that passes for emotion in family-aimed films.

October 20, 2005 | Rating: 2.5/4

Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
Typical of Dante’s films, Small Soldiers is an unbroken string of pop culture in-jokes.

June 12, 2003 | Rating: 3/4

Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 2/4

Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly…

Plot
Fifteen-year-old Alan Abernathy, the son of a toy store owner, tries out some new action figures: The Commando Elite versus The Gorgonites. But three months ago, 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 vow to wipe out the Gorgonites in a suburban neighborhood. Alan, his neighbor Christy Fimple, (on whom he has a massive crush) with the help of the kind Gorgonites, must protect his home and family from the Commandos.

Trivia