Mjeteconer Just perfect...

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Eric Stevenson I consider this movie to be just okay and it's mostly because it's really hard for me to find anything good or bad about it. It's not like other mediocre movies where there's a lot of good and a lot of bad stuff in it. It just is what it is. This movie features toys being created that come to life and fight each other. The movie is mostly just boring. The thing is, it's pretty clichéd and it's basically nothing but "Toy Story" meets "Gremlins". This was an early film by DreamWorks and around the same time they were accused of ripping off Disney films.I guess this was meant to be an adult version of "Toy Story" but it really didn't seem adult at all and feels like it could have been rated PG. I remember when the film first came out and for some reason I thought it was about toys trying to take over the world. The main character and the romantic subplot are pretty clichéd and predictable. It actually does get kind of interesting at the end with the final battle. If you really wanted to see "Gremlins" with toys, then you should just watch "Krampus". Now that earns its PG-13 rating. This is by no means awful, it's just forgettable. **1/2

Kirpianuscus archetypes. and clichés. and the love story. result - a predictable teenager film, not impressive , but simple enough for entertainment. and this detail is the most important thing in this parody of many films, ironic view about technology and military stereotypes and new perspective about the toys. a film who remains seductive first for the young Kirsten Dunst and Gregory Smith, for Dick Miller and for lovely special effects. and, sure, for the memories about Gremlins . so, a nice film.

gavin6942 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).

Python Hyena Small Soldiers (1998): Dir: Joe Dante / Cast: Gregory Smith, Kirsten Dunst, Jay Mohr, Denis Leary, Dick Miller: Plays like an evil counterpart to Toy Story and no more acceptable to children than The Terminator. We witness a boy climbing hydro lines. We see flames and sharp objects hurled at a home. Kirsten Dunst is attacked and tied up by an army of naked dolls. Visually stunning film regarding smaller factors triumphant over big challenges. Plot regards action figures that learn through battery efficiency. There is the ugly yet peaceful Gorgonites who search for their home land while avoiding the vicious Commandos. They are discovered by a boy left in charge of his father's store but eventually they escape. Setup displays how violence is marketed but it is ugly. Directed by Joe Dante who also made Gremlins for which this film is quite similar. The difference is that Gremlins contained engaging characters and a lesson of responsibility while Small Soldiers is just plain violent with characters at the mercy of bad writing. Gregory Smith nearly electrocuted in power lines. Dunst slices Commandos via lawn tractor. Jay Mohr and Denis Leary appear as manufacturers who play off the marketing theme. Dick Miller is a Dante regular but not given a role as interesting as Mr. Futterman in Gremlins. The special effects are on target but for children, it is recommend the superior Toy Story. Score: 3 / 10