1998 film by Joe Dante
Small Soldiers is a 1998 American science fiction film directed by Joe Dante from a screenplay by Ted Elliott. It stars Kirsten Dunst and Gregory Smith, along with the voices of Frank Langella and Tommy Lee Jones. The film depicts two conflicting factions of action figures who turn sentient after being programmed with a military microprocessor, putting lives in danger when one faction turns violent in their efforts to eliminate their enemy toys and anyone assisting them.
Released on July 10, 1998 in the United States by DreamWorks Pictures, with Universal Pictures releasing in other territories, the film received mixed reviews from critics and was a moderate commercial success, grossing $87.5 million on a $40 million budget. Small Soldiers marks the last on-screen film role of Phil Hartman, who died two months before the film's American premiere, and is dedicated in his memory. Additionally, it marked the final film role of Clint Walker before his retirement.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.