Small Soldiers

Play trailer

Small Soldiers

PG-13

Released Jul 10, 1998

1h 50m

Comedy

Action

Fantasy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

48%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When teenager Alan (Gregory Smith) buys a set of Commando Elite action figures, he's unaware that they have been programmed with military technology. The toys, including leader Chip (Tommy Lee Jones), spring to life and start taking their directives seriously, beginning by "killing" their enemies, the toy Gorgonites. But Archer (Frank Langella) and the Gorgonites won't go down without a fight. Alan gets caught in the middle of the war, as does his neighbor and crush, Christy (Kirsten Dunst).

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Jennie Punter

Toronto Star

Small Soldiers is no Toy Story, but director Joe Dante delivers a moderately entertaining movie with high production values and low-brow parody.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 19, 2025

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

...this smells like a script slapped together around a toy-product launch.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Justin Harrison

The Spool

Care matters in toymaking. Small Soldiers, all together a solidly good—if uneven—picture, shines in making that argument.

Jul 10, 2023

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

“Small Soldiers” also joins “Godzilla” in another way. They compete now for the worst film of the year with “Godzilla” ahead, but not far enough to out distance the horrid “The Big Hit.”

Rated: 0.5/4

Feb 6, 2023

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Begins cynical and sleek and stays that way — and the subtext here is that militarism disguised as kids’ entertainment can backfire, or open fire on you.

Rated: B

Sep 2, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Jay P

Brilliant. Critics and audience alike didn't have a great childhood like I did.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/04/24

Full Review

Derek L

Even though Small Soldiers had what could had been a rather interesting concept, it is a real shame that despite this, the film fell after its first hurdle that led to an uninteresting result.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/16/24

Full Review

kevin c

Is kinda funny good for the kids

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/24

Full Review

stefan G

Love it . One of my fvourite Movies

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/18/24

Full Review

love survives

its one of the best movies I ever seen. kirsten dunst and tommy lee jones ware brilliant in it. its a fun movie for all ages. sure it have its problems but I still love it. 4/5.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/28/24

Full Review

Pet P

Such a great movie! A childhood classic for pre teens of my generation

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/25/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Joe Dante

Director

Kirsten Dunst

Christy Fimple

Gregory Smith

Alan Abernathy

Jay Mohr

Larry Benson

Phil Hartman

Phil Fimple

Kevin Dunn

Stuart Abernathy

View more videos

Mystery Men

60%

57%

Mystery Men

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mystery Men

The Medallion

17%

27%

The Medallion

Watchlist

Hancock

42%

59%

Hancock

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hancock

Bulletproof Monk

23%

38%

Bulletproof Monk

Watchlist

R.I.P.D.

13%

38%

R.I.P.D.

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Weekly News Ketchup: Adam Sandler’s "Chuck and Larry," "Delta Farce," Anthony Hopkin’s "Slipstream," and More!

Filmmaker to Wear Multiple Hats on Prehistoric "Erectus"

Courteney Cox to "Zoom" into Superhero Flick

View more photos

Synopsis

When teenager Alan (Gregory Smith) buys a set of Commando Elite action figures, he's unaware that they have been programmed with military technology. The toys, including leader Chip (Tommy Lee Jones), spring to life and start taking their directives seriously, beginning by "killing" their enemies, the toy Gorgonites. But Archer (Frank Langella) and the Gorgonites won't go down without a fight. Alan gets caught in the middle of the war, as does his neighbor and crush, Christy (Kirsten Dunst).

Director: Joe Dante
Producer: Michael Finnell, Colin Wilson
Screenwriter: Gavin Scott, Adam Rifkin, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: Universal Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Amblin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.1M
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now