Small Soldiers (1998) (Limited Edition Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Joe Dante

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Gregory Smith, Jay Mohr

Release Date: July 22, 2025

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Release Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

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

‘Small Soldiers’ joins teenager Alan who after some trouble at his previous schools has been forced to move yet again and now spends much of his time working at his father’s unique toy store. Troubled by the suffering numbers of the business as well as his dad’s determination to not sell violent toys, Alan manages to get his hands on some hot new fully interactive action figures with the intention of selling them before his dad returns from a trip. But when the toys break free from their packaging and start wreaking havoc throughout the store and soon the city, it will be up to Alan and the girl next door to try and find a way to stop them before things get even worse, especially when it’s discovered that they were built using missile technology.

Directed by notable filmmaker Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) from a screenplay written by Gavin Scott and Adam Rifkin and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, Dante does a nice job at the helm of ‘Small Soldiers’ guiding along the excitement and fun with heart, humor and style. The film’s cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Gregory Smith, Jay Mohr, Phil Hartman, Kevin Dunn, David Cross, Denis Leary, and the voices of Frank Langella and Tommy Lee Jones, with nearly all offering capable or at the very least fitting performances in their respective roles that help to keep the fun coming throughout.

‘Small Soldiers’ first debuted theatrically in the summer of 1998 and never managed to make a great deal of noise at the box office, gaining some degree of a following on its home video releases over the subsequent years. I can still recall catching it in theaters during its run and while it may not be a remarkable or phenomenal film (or even up there with some of Joe Dante’s other iconic offerings over the years) I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed it and it stands out for the unique approach of including so many popular comedians at the time as well as utilizing a somewhat darker take on similar films which are typically far more family friendly.

It never gets overly graphic or disturbingly violent by any means (it is still rated PG-13 after all) and the language is far from concerning, yet it takes a few chances and ends up finding a middle ground that works quite well (though perhaps more a result of mixed studio requests leading up to its release than intention). Delivering some fairly expansive and good looking action sequences, especially for a film that features so many living toys, while keeping the silly fun and humor coming quite consistently along the way in addition and the end result isn’t a flawless or perfect film, but it sure is an awfully enjoyable ride that’s worth taking if you’ve never had the pleasure.

‘Small Soldiers’ brings the fight home in 4K Ultra HD for the first time courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment in a Limited Edition Steelbook release. The film’s 4K debut features a generally very nice new Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 that may not be a groundbreaking transfer but is still surely the best this fun little film has ever looked at home. The solid new UHD presentation is paired with a 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack (which seems to be ported over from the 2021 Blu-ray release) and also includes a few previously released extras in addition; all of which is packed along with a Blu-ray copy and a Digital Code into collectible Steelbook packaging that features some related art on the front, rear and interior. If you’re a fan of the film or of either the cast or director Joe Dante that would love to own this one in 4K then this new 4K UHD Steelbook is recommended and worth picking up, especially if you can find it at the right price for your budget.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Small Soldiers’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition video presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR10, presented in a 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks very nice as a whole and provides a clean, sharp and filmic presentation that may not look quite as marvelous as some 4K restorations but is easily a notch above every other format it’s been released on over the years to say the least. Detail is solid throughout on characters (both human and plastic) as well as backgrounds, action sequences and more, while the Dolby Vision HDR offers some minor upticks in a few areas although seemingly less than many other films with so much color throughout curiously. Black levels are also capably deep and clean for the most part. Overall, this is a pretty great Ultra High Definition presentation that brings the film home looking better than ever and it should please fans as well as newcomers.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This multichannel soundtrack appears to be the same track offered on the somewhat recent Blu-ray release and while it certainly doesn’t offer the immersion or scope of an Atmos presentation it still sounds pretty good as a whole and provides a clean, crisp and consistently immersive presentation throughout. It takes advantage of all five available channels in order to send music, action and nature effects, plus a fair bit more throughout the various speakers whenever fitting, while never clashing with any other dialogue or simultaneously occurring audio elements along the way. Overall, this is a solid 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack that adds some additional fun to the experience and shouldn’t disappoint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Small Soldiers’ includes a few brief previously released extras in addition to the Steelbook packaging (you can check out a Beauty Shot of the packaging below for a better idea of what’s inside) which can all be found on the included Blu-ray disc. Included is ‘A Behind the Scenes Look at the Making of Small Soldiers’ (running approximately 11 minutes in length), along with ‘From the Cutting Room Floor: Bloopers’ (running approximately 5 minutes) and the film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (approximately 2 minutes).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray disc included in the 4K UHD Combo Pack and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 7/10

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‘Small Soldiers’ is Now Available to Own on Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from DreamWorks & Paramount Home Entertainment

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You can purchase ‘Small Soldiers’ on 4K UHD Steelbook at Amazon HERE!

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