History Trivia / SmallSoldiers

** An animated series was in development at Creator/DreamWorksAnimation in the late 90s with Creator/GregWiseman [[https://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=8617 on board]], but it never got off the ground.

** Before that, an idea was to have the cast of ''{{Film/Predator}}'' voice the Commandos - Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger for Chip Hazard, Wrestling/JesseVentura as Brick Bazooka, Creator/ShaneBlack as Kip Killigan, Creator/CarlWeathers as Butch Meathook, Sonny Landham as Nick Nitro and Bill Duke as Link Static. Interestingly, Jim Brown, the ultimately chosen voice of Butch Meathook, had costarred with ''Predator'' actors Schwarzenegger and Ventura in ''Film/TheRunningman''.

** Before that, an idea was to have the cast of ''{{Film/Predator}}'' voice the Commandos - Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger for Chip Hazard, Wrestling/JesseVentura as Brick Bazooka, Creator/ShaneBlack as Kip Killigan, Creator/CarlWeathers as Butch Meathook, Sonny Landham as Nick Nitro and Bill Duke as Link Static.

* TooSoon:
** The scene of the Commandos attacking Phil Fimple had to be edited down after Creator/PhilHartman's murder.
** The Kip Killigan toy was not distributed in Oregon, as a teen called Kip Kinkel went on a shooting spree there shortly before the film was released.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: In the scene where Archer looks up Alan's computer for Gorgon, he uses Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia which declined in the 2000s due to the rise of Wikipedia as well as other internet encyclopedias. Also the Commandos blare "Wannabe" by the Music/SpiceGirls for psychological warfare, both instances dating the movie to the late 1990s.

** Creator/JoeDante wanted another actual member of the Dirty Dozen to take part, but Creator/CharlesBronson refused ([[CreatorBacklash interestingly, he didn't care for]] ''The Dirty Dozen'').
*** Richard Jaeckel, another Dirty Dozen cast member, was signed on, but passed away as filming started. He was replaced with Creator/BruceDern.

* PosthumousCredit: The movie came out just over a month after Phil Hartman died.

** Before that, an idea was to have the cast of ''{{Film/Predator}}'' voice the Commandos - Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger for Chip Hazard, Wrestling/JesseVentura as Brick Bazooka, Creator/ShaneBlack as Kip Killigan, Carl Weathers as Butch Meathook, Sonny Landham as Nick Nitro and Bill Duke as Link Static.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Originally, Joe Dante was told to make an edgier film that would be aimed at teens and adults. But when executives saw the marketing potential of toys based on the film (hey, they weren't wrong - the ''Small Soldiers'' toyline sold quite well) and the sponser tie-ins came along, he was now told to soften it up into something more kid-friendly. This was so late into production that all he could do was cut "a lot of action and explosions". The movie ultimately got a PG-13 rating, with parents complaining it was too scary, profane and violent for kids and critics feeling that it was an uneven mashup of an edgy, satirical comedy and a family film.

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/TommyLeeJones voices Major Chip Hazard, who at the end of the second act [[Film/BatmanForever gets horrific burns down one side of his face]]. The Commandos all bear some resemblance to their voice actors.
** A scientist played by Robert Picardo who creates AI-based technology that succeeds beyond one's wildest dreams? Yeah, [[Series/StarTrekVoyager THAT'S]] [[SarcasmMode never happened before...]]
** Director allusion - Alan is shown with a Gremlin skull on his desk. Joe Dante directed ''{{Film/Gremlins}}'' and its sequel. There's also a piranha toy next to the fish tank. Joe Dante had also directed ''{{Film/Piranha}}''.
* AllStarCast: The film is led by Creator/KirstenDunst at the height of her 90s popularity, and the toys are voiced by the likes of Creator/TommyLeeJones, Creator/FrankLangella, Ernest Borgnine, Creator/SarahMichelleGellar and Creator/ChristinaRicci. Noted names like Creator/PhilHartman, Jay Mohr, Creator/DavidCross, and Creator/DenisLeary round out the cast.

* CastingGag: The Commandos are voiced by numerous stars from ''Film/TheDirtyDozen''.
** Similarly, the Gorgonites, save for Occula, are [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Spinal Tap]], but in toy form.
* CreatorInJoke: The music from ''Patton'' is heard as Chip Hazard gives his speech. Jerry Goldsmith, who worked on this film, had composed the music for that as well.

* ViewerGenderConfusion: Scratch-It shows no visible signs of her sex.

** Joe Dante wanted another actual member of the Dirty Dozen to take part, but Charles Bronson refused ([[CreatorBacklash interestingly, he didn't care for]] ''The Dirty Dozen'').
*** Richard Jaeckel, another Dirty Dozen cast member, was signed on, but passed away as filming started. He was replaced with Bruce Dern.
** Before that, an idea was to have the cast of ''{{Film/Predator}}'' voice the Commandos - Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger for Chip Hazard, Jesse Ventura as Brick Bazooka, Creator/ShaneBlack as Kip Killigan, Carl Weathers as Butch Meathook, Sonny Landham as Nick Nitro and Bill Duke as Link Static.
** The film was originally supposed to be edgier and aimed at teens but when the studio saw an opportunity to profit from children's toys based on the characters, Dante had to tone down the violence.

* ActingForTwo: Slamfist and Scratch-It are both voiced by Creator/ChristopherGuest, while Insaniac and Freakenstein are voiced by Michael [=McKean=].

* AllStarCast: The film is led by Kirsten Dunst at the height of her 90s popularity, and the toys are voiced by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, Ernest Borgnine, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christina Ricci. Noted names like Phil Hartman, Jay Mohr, David Cross, and Dennis Leary round out the cast.
* BillingDisplacement: Kirsten Dunst is the first billed despite playing the love interest.

* CrossDressingVoices: Christopher Guest as Scratch-It.

* InMemoriam: A dedication to Phil Hartman at the end of the movie.

** The scene of the Commandos attacking Phil Fimple had to be edited down after Phil Hartman's murder.

** Before that, an idea was to have the cast of ''{{Film/Predator}}'' voice the Commandos - Arnold Schwarzenegger for Chip Hazard, Jesse Ventura as Brick Bazooka, Shane Black as Kip Killigan, Carl Weathers as Butch Meathook, Sonny Landham as Nick Nitro and Bill Duke as Link Static.

* AllStarCast: The film is led by Kirsten Dunst at the height of her 90s popularity, and the toys are voiced by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, Ernest Borgnine, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christina Ricci. Noted names like Phil Hartman, Jay Mohr and Dennis Leary round out the cast.

%%* AllStarCast

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Joe Dante wanted another actual member of the Dirty Dozen to take part, but Charles Bronson refused ([[CreatorBacklash interestingly, he didn't care for]] ''The Dirty Dozen'').

* ActingForTwo: Slamfist and Scratch-It are both voiced by Creator/ChristopherGuest, while Insaniac and Freakenstein are voiced by Michael [=McKean=].

* ActingForTwo: Slamfist and Scratch-It are both voiced by Creator/ChristopherGuest, while Insaniac and Freakenstein are voiced by Creator/MichaelMcKean.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Joe Dante wanted another actual member of the Dirty Dozen to take part, but Charles Bronson refused ([[CreatorBacklash interestingly, he didn't care for]] ''The Dirty Dozen'').

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Robert]] [[Series/StargateAtlantis Picardo]] as the mind behind the chips placed in the toys.
** Hey, [[Film/{{Godzilla 1998}} Colonel Hicks]] has a family!
*** And this won't be the [[TransformersFilmSeries last time]] that he gets paid off after a set of toys trashes his house and endanger his son.
** [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment Tobias]] finally got a job.
*** [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Troy Maclure]] looks pretty much the same in real life, doesn't he?
** Uh, hello? Creator/DenisLeary as the CEO?
** [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad Francine]] is Christy's mom.
** [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Mary Jane Watson]] is the GirlNextDoor.
** [[Series/{{Everwood}} Ephram Brown]] is the TheHero.
* HeyItsThatVoice:
** The Gorgonites are Frank Langella and members of [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Spinal Tap]]; the Commando Elite are TommyLeeJones and members of TheDirtyDozen.
** The evil Gwendy dolls are Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}} [[Creator/SarahMichelleGellar Summers]] and [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday]] [[Creator/ChristinaRicci Addams]].
** Jim Brown (Butch Meathook) and Clint Walker (Nick Nitro) were "members" of the Dirty Dozen. Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy were in the film but were not actually among the titular "Dozen." Bruce Dern is just thrown in, as the original voice actor (Richard Jaeckel, who had also appeared in ''The Dirty Dozen'') had died before shooting began.