Small Soldiers

When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.

• Director:Joe Dante
• Genre:Action / Adventure / Comedy / Family / Sci-Fi
• Runtime:110 minutes

Cast

David Cross : Irwin Wayfair
Jay Mohr : Larry Benson
Alexandra Wilson: Ms. Kegel
Denis Leary : Gil Mars
Gregory Smith : Alan Abernathy

The Heartland Toy Company is acquired (and renamed Heartland Playsystems) by the multinational conglomerate GloboTech Industries, which is expanding from manufacturing high-quality military hardware. GloboTech CEO, Gil Mars, pays a visit to Heartland to meet with Larry Benson and Irwin Wayfair concerning their newest projects, which involve the creation of intelligent, interactive toys. Irwin introduces the Gorgonites, creatures built for educational purposes, while Larry introduces the Commando Elite, a group of gung-ho super-soldiers. Gil supports Larry’s concept more, but complains when he observes a promotional advert for the toys, complaining that the toys cannot actually do what they can do in the advert (e.g. punch a hole through a box), so he tasks Irwin and Larry to develop actual live-action toys capable of ‘playing back’. Although originally not interested in the Gorgonites, he allows them to be incorporated into the line of toys as the Commando Elite’s enemies/victims. In order to get the money rolling, Mars also orders drastic shortcuts in the production time, which eliminates testing periods for product safety. That night, Larry searches through GloboTech’s hardware online database and decides to use an intelligent AI munitions computer chip to power the toys, the X-1000, which are put on production. Unfortunately, as it later turns out, these chips tend to enhance their basic programming, making them capable of evolving but also prone to over-dedication in their basic pusuits.

A collection of the toys are distributed to an old toy store owned by the Abernathy family, their son Alan signing off for the toys. He and a delivery truck driver Joe investigate the toys, introducing the Gorgonites’ leader Archer, and the Commando Elite’s leader Chip Hazard. Alan’s next door neighbour’s daughter, Christie Fimple, visits the store with her younger brother, shopping for a birthday present for him. Alan expresses interest in her, but she reveals that she is dating another boy. That night, Alan discovers Archer has somehow snuck into his rucksack and quickly realises he is more than an interactive toy but a sentient individual, who is following his toy programming and trying to learn. The Commando Elite awaken, and seek to destroy the Gorgonites, seemingly destroying the ones present in the toy store. Discovering Archer is still alive, Chip and his squad manage to pursue Alan to his home and attempt to kill him and Archer. Alan is attacked by the Commando Elite member Nick Nitro, who he mortally wounds using a garbage disposal. The Commando Elite retreat to the Fimples’ garage, where Nick dies in Hazard’s arms.

Alan and Archer search the toy store for the Gorgonites, eventually finding them in the dumpster outside. Taking them back to his house, Alan learns the group seek their homeland called Gorgon, and mistake Yosemite National Park for their land. The Commando Elite, aware of Alan’s interest in Christie, invade the Fimples’ house. They drug Christie’s parents with sleeping pills, place her brother Timmy captive in a closet, turn Christie’s collection of Gwendy dolls into mercenaries, and finally capture Christie herself. They send a video message to Alan, telling him to surrender the Gorgonites or Christie will die. Alan and Archer sneak into the Fimples’ house to save Christie, and are then pursued down the street by the Commando Elite who use veavily armed improvised vehicles, but they are all destroyed during the chase – except Hazard, who locates a truck full of Commando toys (which have been recalled) driven by Joe. Read more

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