Small Soldiers 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Paramount’s fresh 2160p scan arrives on a BD-66 with an HEVC/H.265 encode and Dolby Vision HDR in a scope presentation (commonly listed as 2.35:1/2.39:1). The image is healthily filmic: a thin, natural grain structure breathes without signs of scrubbing or smoothing, and the encode remains clean. Sharpness and fine detail excel—dense interiors like bedrooms and toy shops resolve confidently, while early close-ups of the Commando Elite and Gorgonites reveal crisp plastic textures and armor etching. Motion is stable with clean pans and zooms, delivering convincing depth and dimensionality beyond the prior Blu-ray.

CGI/live-action integration holds up better than expected, though the late-90s CG is now more plainly “of its time,” with occasional lower-res shots. The opening title card exhibits noticeable banding, but otherwise artifacts are minimal; the print looks blemish-free and macroblocking is absent. Contrast is tighter than before, bringing improved clarity and facial definition, and overall sharpness lends the image a sturdy, tactile quality that materially advances over the 1080p presentation.

Dolby Vision is applied with a restrained hand. Highlights gain a soft lift—glowing belt logos pop—without aggressive peak brightness. Color grading skews natural and organic: autumnal hues, wardrobe, fatigues, and natural greens read convincingly, with intermittent bursts of vivid punch (notably the toys’ packaging and promotional reds). Some viewers may find overall saturation a bit conservative; skin tones are generally precise yet can drift pale on occasion. Black levels are usually strong and layered, though they can flatten slightly or exhibit mild crush in some CG-heavy moments. Despite these inflections, this UHD offers a clear, tangible upgrade in clarity, texture, and depth over the previous Blu-ray.

Paramount ports over a minimal, DVD-era slate for Small Soldiers. All supplements reside on the bundled 2021 Blu-ray; the UHD carries none. The materials are dated, EPK-style but serviceable. A digital copy code is included. The SteelBook shifts to fresh artwork with a red-vs-blue motif: Chip Hazard and Archer facing off on the front, the X-1000 microprocessor featured on the rear. Inside, the UHD and Blu-ray sit in a staggered stack on the right; the two-panel inner spread echoes the red/blue scheme with Archer and Chip silhouettes over motherboard-like linework. At the time of writing, this SteelBook is the sole UHD Blu-ray edition available.

Extras included in this disc:

• A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of Small Soldiers: Standard making-of with cast/crew interviews and BTS; 480i, 4:3, 11:20.
• From the Cutting Room Floor: Bloopers: On-set antics; 480i, windowboxed, 4:56.
• Theatrical Trailer: 480i, windowboxed, 2:13.

Joe Dante’s 1998 Small Soldiers threads a sharp, mischievous premise through a suburban siege. After Globotech acquires Heartland Play-Systems, executive pressure steers designer Irwin (Jay Mohr) toward the Commando Elite while his colleague champions the peaceful Gorgonites. Mohr illicitly uses his partner’s password to procure military‑grade microchips that allow the toys to learn and act beyond normal limits. The first shipment lands at a struggling family toy store run by Alan Abernathy’s father; a driver fronts Alan one of each figure with the promise of repayment after sale. By night, the Commandos turn predatory, hunting the Gorgonites. Archer (voiced by Frank Langella) escapes with Alan, while Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones) pursues with single‑minded ferocity. Live‑action performances anchor the chaos—Kirsten Dunst brings welcome spark, Gregory Smith is serviceable, and Phil Hartman (in his final film) and Kevin Dunn add wry support. Denis Leary cuts a cold corporate figure.

Tonally, the film plays like Gremlins with a Verhoeven-adjacent satirical edge: an in‑universe ad boasts “Battlefield tech for the whole family,” and Hartman’s oblivious “favorite war” gag underlines the critique. Its PG‑13 push-pull—too edgy for younger kids, too toy-centric for older teens—muddled 1998 reception, but the intent is clear now: a jab at militarism, consumerism, and reckless tech. The tactile craft sells it—animatronics, puppetry, and restrained digital effects give the figures weight and menace, lending the suburban battleground a practical grit. The Gorgonites’ misfit humanity provides the emotional core, balancing pitch-black gags with earnest empathy. Mis-marketed then, Small Soldiers reads today as a pointed, entertaining time capsule—smarter, darker, and more thematically coherent than its packaging ever suggested.

Joe Dante’s Small Soldiers hasn’t gained the groundbreaker sheen it flirted with in 1998, but its satire of toys, consumer culture, and late-90s marketing still has bite. The film straddles PG-13 humor and violence in a way that delighted kids and irked some parents, contributing to moderate returns before settling into cult status. It sits adjacent to the late-90s boom in computer-animated features without truly being one, and while it can feel quaint today, there’s enough charm, action, and sly humor to make a revisit under the new UHD parameters worthwhile. Dante’s Gremlins echoes are unmistakable, if sharper there than here.

On disc, the 2160p presentation is a clear upgrade. Detail and grain management yield a pleasantly filmic image, with the Dolby Vision grade proving solid—restrained rather than showy, but consistently balanced and accurate. The improved picture alone is a meaningful step up from prior editions, offering what feels like the most definitive “looks-wise” home release to date. There are no new audio tracks or extras included. Packaging gets a notable bump via a SteelBook that’s a cut above earlier efforts.

Conclusion: Small Soldiers remains a fun diversion, more time capsule than trailblazer, but still spirited. Fans will appreciate the visual refinement and premium packaging, even in the absence of new supplements or audio options. Newcomers may want to sample first—this won’t convert every skeptic—but for those already on its wavelength, the UHD’s filmic 2160p image and solid Dolby Vision grading make it an easy upgrade.