Why is no one talking about Small Soldiers? Is this a racist newsgroup?
Franknseus
disappointed. I love the concept and the way the story unfolds. I love Tommy
Lee Jones' performance as Chip Hazzard. There were a couple really funny jokes.
I enjoyed seeing Dante combine nice CGI effects with the good old animatronic
puppets he also used to great effect in the Gremlins movies. And most of all, I
got a 10 year old boy kick out of watching scenes like the one where Brick
Bazooka climbs on a moving bicycle (resulting in horrible bodily mutilation),
and the Gorgonites departing on the toy boat (something I would have loved to
set up myself, even as an adult) and the Commando Elite punching out of their
packages.
Unfortunately, I think the movie really loses steam as the last half rolls
around. What starts as entertaining expansion of various gimmicks falls into
predictability. The battle doesn't offer many surprises and ends up feeling
kind of anticlimactic.
I did love the creepy image of the swarming Gwendy dolls, and I liked the
purposeless all-star voice cast. There was no reason why they needed Sarah
Michelle Gellar and Christina Ricci to play the Gwendy dolls, but hey, I didn't
mind. And I loved that the credits actually specified "Cast Members of The
Dirty Dozen" and "Members of Spinal Tap."
One of the film's biggest weaknesses is the Gorgonites. One could argue that
it is part of the concept of the characters, but I didn't like that most of the
Gorgonites were really cheesy looking and had lame gimmicks, like the one that
always thinks he's doing stand up comedy. I thought that dorky looking
characters like "Insaniac" reflected some of the cheesy toys that are popular
today (i.e. Street Sharks), but then I went to Toys R Us and saw about 200
Gorgonites on the shelves, with only 2 remaining Commando Elite.
Not surprisingly, it's not a fantastic final role for Phil Hartman. He's just
a supporting character to the toys and he doesn't get much to do. There is a
brief outtake and dedication to him after the credits which is a little
un-Dante - kind of weird to get teary-eyed at the credits instead of laughing
at Daffy Duck.
A question for Dante fans: is this his first film that doesn't have a theater
or drive-in scene? I can't remember for sure if Piranha or Inner Space had
them, but The Howling, Explorers, Gremlins, Gremlins 2, and obviously
Matinee...
Bryan Frankenseuss Theiss
--
http://www.bucketheadland.com/visitorcenter/
"The clocking is ticking! Let's GO GO GO!" --Jonathan Hensleigh, J.J. Abrams,
Robert Roy Pool, Tony Gilroy and Shane Salerno, ARMAGEDDON
The ScriptPro 2000 System
As a Joe Dante fan, I enjoyed Small Soldiers while also being
mildly disappointed.
Really? This one leapt to the top three of my summer recommendation
list after FEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS and OUT OF SIGHT. It'll slip to
number four after ZORRO opens next weekend, but for now that's pretty
good.
I love the concept and the way the story unfolds. I love Tommy
Lee Jones' performance as Chip Hazzard. There were a couple
of really funny jokes. I enjoyed seeing Dante combine nice CGI
effects with the good old animatronic puppets he also used to
great effect in the Gremlins movies. And most of all, I got a 10
year old boy kick out of watching scenes like the one where
Brick Bazooka climbs on a moving bicycle (resulting in horrible
bodily mutilation), and the Gorgonites departing on the toy boat
(something I would have loved to set up myself, even as an
adult) and the Commando Elite punching out of their packages.
I think the nicest thing about this script was that it was a real
script. There may be a few names on the thing, but for once it appears
that they've actually been used to tell one freaking story. I thought
there was nice etching of Alan's family, and I really felt for the kid,
having picked up a bum rap myself for a prankish but harmless phase I
went through. He's not a problem kid, but he's seen as one, and that's
used for actual story points (his unwillingness to go to adults, their
unwillingness to believe him). It's not overplayed, though. I laughed
really hard at Anne Manguson's interrogation of him about "crank,
crystal meth, tar, smack". The film makes each of its character points
once and then moves on. It's told quickly and efficiently, I thought,
and Dante's trademark eye for oddball casting (including his use of
regulars Picardo and Miller) results in a fairly large cast of
interesting minor characters. I liked David Cross, Jay Mohr, Denis
Leary, Dick Miller, Robert Picardo, Kevin Dunn, Phil Hartman, Wendy
Schaal, Anne Manguson, and the main kids, Gregory Smith and Kirsten
Dunst quite a bit. I thought it was an able ensemble, with no one
taking star position. I thought it unfolded in an appropriate tight
manner. I really thought they'd dropped the ball by shipping the toys
to the big toy store as well until the recall scene and the hijacking of
the reinforcements. Then it paid off and actually *gasp* surprised me.
The FX? What can you say? They're seamless. I'd be hard pressed to
tell you exactly what was ILM and what was Stan Winston. I think the
combination of techniques set Dante free visually in a way he never
quite managed in the first GREMLINS. The second, of course, is just
plain damn loony, and plays by different rules than any other film of
his. I really enjoyed every major Commando Elite sequence. One thing
that surprised me and the people I went with was just how much these
little bastards play for keeps. I think the film deserved its PG-13,
and I think I enjoyed it more because Dante had the freedom to go there.
The film is about toys, but it's not really for kids.
Unfortunately, I think the movie really loses steam as the last
half rolls around. What starts as entertaining expansion of
various gimmicks falls into predictability. The battle doesn't
offer many surprises and ends up feeling kind of anticlimactic.
I liked the final assault on the house. Lots of specific bits of wit in
there. The psychological warfare, Manguson and her tennis returns, the
various gerry-rigged weapons the Commando keeps bringing out, Dunst on
the riding mower, Smith's final use for Chip Hazard. I even laughed
hard during the aftermath (Miller and Hartman's reactions to their
settlement checks were priceless). I would agree that the actual
confrontations between the Gorgonites and the Commandos aren't great,
but see below for more on that.
I did love the creepy image of the swarming Gwendy dolls, and
I liked the purposeless all-star voice cast. There was no reason
why they needed Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christina Ricci to
play the Gwendy dolls, but hey, I didn't mind. And I loved that
the credits actually specified "Cast Members of The Dirty Dozen"
and "Members of Spinal Tap."
Great voice work by everyone, I thought. The Commandos had me laughing
really hard during the scene where they're hiding in the closet, calling
Archer out. "Archer... emissary of the Gorgonites... where are you?"
The swarming Gwendy dolls is a damn nightmare. Their dialogue is just
plain evil... I'm sure you can credit Adam Rifkin with lines like,
"Let's see if her head comes off," and "Are you dumping me?" They're
such vapid little girlytoys, but they're so freakin' psycho to look at.
Gellar and Ricci did a nice job, and I enjoyed it being them in
specific, since their voices are pretty recognizable. I noticed that
Shearer and McKean also did voices for the various radio and TV shows
that play in the background in various parts of the movie. Nice touch.
One of the film's biggest weaknesses is the Gorgonites. One
could argue that it is part of the concept of the characters,
but I didn't like that most of the Gorgonites were really cheesy
looking and had lame gimmicks, like the one that always thinks
he's doing stand up comedy. I thought that dorky looking
characters like "Insaniac" reflected some of the cheesy toys
that are popular today (i.e. Street Sharks), but then I went to
Toys R Us and saw about 200 Gorgonites on the shelves, with only
2 remaining Commando Elite.
I don't know. I liked Archer a lot. I thought Langella did a hell of a
job, and I really liked the puppeteering work on him. Ocula was well
used, and the big dumb guy was used well. I liked Punch-It and
Scratch-It, and the combined nature of them. I agree wholeheartedly
with you about Insaniac, though. He was genuinely annoying. I thought
the end confrontation was too quick, though. I liked the image of
Punch-It revving up to charge the Commandos. I liked Archer and Chip in
hand-to-hand. I wanted the Gorgonites to get fiercer.
Not surprisingly, it's not a fantastic final role for Phil
Hartman. He's just a supporting character to the toys and he
doesn't get much to do. There is a brief outtake and dedication
to him after the credits which is a little un-Dante - kind of
weird to get teary-eyed at the credits instead of laughing at
Daffy Duck.
Phil's got his moments, though. I love his line about WWII. In
general, I like the film's attitude towards war. It knows what it's
doing. It doesn't make the mistake of glamorizing battle. It's like a
kids version of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Kids aren't going to want to get a
toy that might shoot corn holders into their leg. That's just scary.
A question for Dante fans: is this his first film that doesn't
have a theater or drive-in scene? I can't remember for sure if
Piranha or Inner Space had them, but The Howling, Explorers,
Gremlins, Gremlins 2, and obviously Matinee...
I think it is indeed the first.
Bryan Frankenseuss Theiss
http://www.bucketheadland.com/visitorcenter/
"The clocking is ticking! Let's GO GO GO!" --Jonathan Hensleigh,
J.J. Abrams, Robert Roy Pool, Tony Gilroy and Shane Salerno,
ARMAGEDDON
Your sig line is funny as shit this week, Bryan. Special points to you
for listing all the screenwriters it took to craft that gem.
Drew
POISONVILLE, LTD.
http://www.pacificnet.net/~noname/WalterDidit.html
Want to write me? NOSPAM that bitch and flip it!
"The first rule about fight club is that you don't talk about fight
club." -- Edward Norton, FIGHT CLUB (scr. by Jim Uhle)
Mark Penman
really, really, really short people made out of plastic.
Mark Penman
Website (Laissez Firearm): www.ipass.net/~mpenman
E-Mail: mpe...@ipass.net
HumanGoing
And a great time was had by all, I must say
It was a fun film, and after seeing "Innerspace" on Comedy Central several
times, I think that this film EASILY blows that rubbish out of the water. A
lot of it had a kind of demented feel and I enjoyed seeing the Gwendy dolls
with melted faces crawling all over everyone during the attack.
It didn't have the great sick humor like Gremlins or the all-out crazyness of
Gremlins 2, but I still love this movie more than any other film I've seen this
year, and I hope to see it again.
Ron L.
The Name Of This Sig. Is Talking Heads.
"Life Moves Pretty Fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a
while, you could miss it."
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
MONEY TALKS!!!!
"Sex is the biggest nothing of all time" - Andy Warhol
J
Franknseus wrote in message
<199807120825...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
>
>[an enthusiastic, encouraging review of _Small Soldiers_
snipped]
>
> A question for Dante fans: is this his first film that
doesn't have a theater
>or drive-in scene? I can't remember for sure if Piranha or
Inner Space had
>them, but The Howling, Explorers, Gremlins, Gremlins 2, and
obviously
>Matinee...
>
I don't remember a theater or drive-in scene in _Innerspace_
(and don't remember much of anything about _Piranha_).
>Bryan Frankenseuss Theiss
>--
>http://www.bucketheadland.com/visitorcenter/
>"The clocking is ticking! Let's GO GO GO!" --Jonathan
Hensleigh, J.J. Abrams,
>Robert Roy Pool, Tony Gilroy and Shane Salerno, ARMAGEDDON
J
sali...@no-spam.primary.net
"Killer of threads"
J
Mark Penman wrote in message
<35a8ef66...@news.ipass.net>...
>Must be because everyone on this NG is prejudiced against
>really, really, really short people made out of plastic.
>
Naw - if that was the case Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruise,
or Kurt Russell would never be mentioned here.
>Mark Penman
>Website (Laissez Firearm): www.ipass.net/~mpenman
>E-Mail: mpe...@ipass.net
J
sali...@no-spam.primary.net
"Killer of threads"
Franknseus
>really hard at Anne Manguson's interrogation of him about "crank,
>crystal meth, tar, smack".
That was one of my favorite jokes. The idea of a mother specifically
suspecting crank rather than just drugs in general was, I thought, really
funny. This was one that made me think Adam Rifkin.
I agree with you about the characters for the most part. Of the supporting
characters, I especially liked David Cross (which surprised me, since "You put
munitions chips in toys!?" seemed kind of corny out of context in the trailer).
I agree with someone else's criticism of the Led Zeppelin line (and worse, the
one about the X-Files) but other than that, I thought these characters worked.
I didn't like them as much as those in Matinee, but I liked them.
Gregory Smith played Sport in Harriet the Spy. I've seen that movie three or
four times, but I swear I wouldn't have recognized him. I guess his voice is
changing, and his haircut is generic enough to throw me off. I think he had
more personality in Harriet, but he was pretty good here.
>Dunst on
>the riding mower
That really made me laugh. I wish there were more bits like this during the
battle. Hopefully I'll like it better on my second viewing. (I admit that I was
a bit tired after staying up late watching Madeline and There's Something About
Mary the night before.) But on my first viewing, I thought it was an enjoyable
movie, but without as much payoff as Gremlins 2. (I can't comment on Gremlins
because I have a peculiar relationship with it. I adored it as a kid and have
never watched in on video, fearing it might not be as good as I remember it
being. Small Soldiers has me very tempted to go out and buy a copy.) Most of my
favorite bits were in the first half of the film when the characters and
particularly the toys were being introduced. I liked Denis Leary, I liked the
multimedia presentation, I liked the personalities of the Commandos. So I
wanted the mayhem to be more inspired in order to top all that stuff. I wanted
more Gwendy doll attack type stuff.
>I even laughed
>hard during the aftermath (Miller and Hartman's reactions to their
>settlement checks were priceless).
I was kind of confused by the dad accepting the check, though. I thought they
made his whole no war toys, no sell out philosophy seem very believable, and I
wasn't sure why they contradicted it at the end.
>Great voice work by everyone, I thought.
I thought all the Commandos were great, and the Gwendy dolls as well.
Skeletor Langella was perfect as Archer, but I didn't care for the other
Gorgonites. I suppose it was more their dialogue and personalities than their
voices that I didn't like. Oddly, I noticed Harry Shearer on the radio but I
didn't catch which Gorgonite(s) he did.
Bryan Frankenseuss Theiss
--
Philo D.
For example a "baton death march" remark, when 95% of the intended audience
has never heard of Bataan.
--
Philo D. <do...@earthling.net>
Damian Allen
movie,
THE NAMES!!!
Come on,Chip Hazard,Ocula,Nick Nitro,Brick Bazooka and my personal
favourite Link Static,those really helped me enjoy the movie more.The
actual designs were pretty kewl (sorry,it's the 10-yr old in me talking)
also.
As for the movie,I won't go into much detail now,however I will say that
I
wanted the movie to be even darker and more violent,I'm not a gore-hound
by any means but I was squirming with perverse glee everytime I saw the
Commando Elite attack one of the humans,especially the kids.I wanted
them
to just ditch the anti-war message and just go waaay over the top like
the
Gremlins' movies,but that's just me.
Damian
------------------------------
"Indecent Exposure is Fun!"
Virtua Flapper
> I thought all the Commandos were great, and the Gwendy dolls as well.
> Skeletor Langella was perfect as Archer, but I didn't care for the other
> Gorgonites. I suppose it was more their dialogue and personalities than their
> voices that I didn't like. Oddly, I noticed Harry Shearer on the radio but I
> didn't catch which Gorgonite(s) he did.
Harry Shearer is the big Gorgonite with the little orange jumpy dude on
his back. If you listen closely, he kinda sounds like Mr. Burns doing an
egor impression.
==============================================================================
THE FLAPPER!!!!!!!
==============================================================================
"...it's offensive to short deformed || "Cram it with walnuts, ugly!"
people who look like testicles." || -Homer Simpson
-Tom Stern discussing E.T. ||
==============================================================================
Tom Cervo
It's the moment of silence for Phil Hartman.
Not that he died so much as the fact that his last movie was crap.