When it comes to ’90s movies starring talking toys, most millennials who grew up during that era would probably think of Toy Story first. And while that’s totally understandable, Toy Story wasn’t the only memorable movie that brought toys to life. Remember Small Soldiers? The 1998 film from Paramount hasn’t had anywhere close to the lasting impact as Toy Story, but it was a fun movie in its own right. If you have nostalgia for Small Soldiers, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s getting a 4K Blu-ray edition with a steelbook case on July 22. Small Soldiers Limited Edition Steelbook includes 4K Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray discs as well as a voucher to claim the digital version.
At the time of writing, preorders are sold out at Walmart, but we’d recommend checking the site again, as it could be restocked at any moment. Meanwhile, Amazon has yet to open preorders, but a listing is live on the site, and you should be available to order a copy soon.
$25 | Releases July 22
For the cover, you’re getting a classic showdown stare between the action figures of the Gorgonite Archer and the Commando Elite commander Chip Hazard. The interior of the case features silhouettes of the characters and the GloboTech X1000 microprocessors that turned these toys into sentient beings.
The bonus materials haven’t been revealed for this 4K edition, but if it inherits the ones from the previous standard Blu-ray release, you can expect a DVD-era documentary on the making of Small Soldiers, a blooper reel, and a trailer. The 4K release also includes a standard Blu-ray disc, and it’s possible that’s where you’ll find the bonus features.
The 4K remaster will be displayed in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which is very close to the original 2.39:1 ratio from the 1998 release. On the audio side, Small Soldiers supports DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.
In case you aren’t able to secure the 4K edition or want to watch the movie before July, you can pick up the regular Blu-ray edition of Small Soldiers from Amazon, as it’s on sale for $10.53 (was $14).
Upon its release in 1998, Small Soldiers was described as Gremlins meets GI Joe, an apt description considering that it was directed by Joe Dante. The movie wasn’t a box office success, but it has earned a cult following over the years and it features an incredible amount of practical effects. In a nutshell, the film’s plot is about a shipment of action figures embedded with military-grade computer chips, and how they cause chaos in a small town.
The twist here is that the “good guy” action figures–gung-ho toys that are a pastiche of GI Joe–cause chaos and destruction in their efforts to eliminate their rivals, the pacifistic Gorgonites.
Small Soldiers had quite a cast as well, as it starred Gregory Smith, Kirsten Dunst, Dick Miller, and Phil Hartman in his final role, while the toys themselves were voiced by actors like Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, Ernest Borgnine, and George Kennedy. It’s a shame Small Soldiers never received a sequel, especially since it was actually fairly successful at the box office. Against a budget of roughly $40 million, Small Soldiers brought in an impressive $71 million worldwide.
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