Small Soldiers

On the surface, Joe Dante’s Small Soldiers is a small-scale (literally) rock ’em sock ’em action sci-fi flick about sentient toys at war and the teens who are caught on the crossfire. Dig a bit deeper, and you’ll find Dante’s attempts to make political points about colonialism and the military-industrial complex. Plus, it’s national treasure Phil Hartman’s last live-action film.