The movie begins in a toy factory where the boss, played by Denis Leary, wants the company’s new action figures to be more exciting and more violent, and he wants to see the results fast. In response to this order, designer Larry Benson (Jay Mohr) somehow finds his way into a stash of computer chips originally meant for the military. Flash forward to the small town of Winslow Corners, Ohio, where the new souped-up versions of the Commando Elite and the Commandos’ enemies, the Gorgonites, have been shipped in preparation for their debut in two days’ time. One complete set of the dolls has been finagled off the delivery truck by Alan Abernathy (Gregory Smith), who hopes to sell them at his father’s small toy store while he’s away on business.

The members of the Commando Elite and the Gorgonites have other ideas, however. Led by Chip Hazard (voiced by Tommy Lee Jones), the Commando forces rip through their boxes in search of the Gorgonites who’ve been programmed to hide from them. Meanwhile, head Gorgonite Archer has befriended Alan, which makes him, his family, and his cute neighbor Christy (Kirsten Dunst) targets for the Commandos.

While the computer-generated antics of the dolls bring to mind the hugely successful Toy Story, Small Soldiers is hardly as sweet. In fact, the Commandos are ruthless and vicious, conjuring up the scampering, spear-toting guy from Trilogy of Terror more than Woody or Buzz Lightyear. The Commandos fashion guns that shoot nails and create a laboratory to transform Barbie-like dolls into a team of well-molded fighters.