Finally an impressive special effects picture. Small Soldiers does suffer from the same problem as many special effects films--it doesn't offer a lot of interesting human interaction--but boy does it deliver technically. Joe Dante, who directed the equally entertaining Gremlins and Innerspace, has made a very entertaining and technically advanced film.

Small Soldiers is about a line of highly advanced toys that wage a war against each other in a small town. The movie definitely echoes Gremlins, only technology has advanced quite a bit since 1984 when it was released. The visuals in Small Soldiers are so impressive, that I was glued to the screen.

Dante also keeps the pace moving briskly, as he so often does. The fun thing about Dante is his passion for film. He loves to pay homage to the stuff that inspired him growing up--which makes his films all the more entertaining to watch.

Although Small Soldiers doesn't have a completely solid story, it does has a fair share of humor and inventiveness that sets it apart from the rest of the summer's big commercial movies. On a final note, Small Soldiers is being marketed as a film for the whole family, but it has a fair share of violence--granted it is cartoon violence. Still, it's a fun time.