Small Soldiers [DVD] [1998]

You'll understand the title from watching the movie (I hope)!

At first I wasn't really geared up to watch this movie, my 10 year old daughter wanted to see it and, well, as dad's do, I didn't want to disappoint her, so we hired it.

...and I loved it!

It's a very clever movie with a strong cast (check out the end credits for the whole list), all of whom put in believable performances for their roles (even Denis Leary was top notch as the tough, morally bankrupt boss, which surprised me as I'd only seen him do stand-up previously).

The story revolves around 2 sets of action toys which become 'alive', with one set (the Commando Elite) being the ruthless, sworn enemy of the other (the Gorganites) the kind-hearted peacable ones. Both of whom were manufactured by the same company that inadvertantly implanted them with the same advanced but unpredictable miltary-grade A.I. chips.

The script is fast-paced and well written, plenty of humour throughout, the plot is well conceived and delivered, there aren't really any holes in it you could point to, even for such a far-fetched story as this where all the Gorgonites want to do is go home! (Remind you of another movie?). The Gorgonites for their part, who've never seen their home believe, 'just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there'.

I've seen this movie compared to Toy Story, but don't do it. They are 2 very different films; Toy Story is a feature length (very well animated) cartoon for kids/family, Small Soldiers is a feature length film with very good special effects that older kids to adults will get the most from watching. This is because there are many jokes requiring a broader knowledge base to fully appreciate. Younger children will enjoy this film too, but more for the action/animation.

Add this to your collection, you'll be glad to dust it off and re-watch it from time to time. It's prefect for rainy day escapism!

This is a good fun family film, the animations are clever and most importantly, the kids enjoy it. It keeps them watching and there are some genuine funnies which make them laugh out loud. Blasting your enemies with Spice Girls songs is a great idea. Excellent.

When I first saw this film I thought it was good, though perhaps not brilliant. It was only when the end credits rolled and I was looking at the cast list that I read "The Gorgonites - Spinal Tap"! Yes, the Gorgonites are played by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer! Unfortunately this meant i had to run out and buy the film as I am a massive fan of Christopher Guest's work and have to have all his films. So there actually is a lot to offer older viewers who see this film if you know who is in the cast and can appreciate some of the in-jokes that would probably pass children by. Also, if you are a Phil Hartman fan this is worth having to round off your collection, as he died shortly after filming ended. I would say that this is worth seeing once no matter who you are and well worth buying if you can buy into the top cast and in jokes.