From the PoV of the Toy Soldiers, it was a Kaiju movie, they were sent to avenge their creator; a monster of great size who could hand wield weaponry as big as naval guns. for the final commando, he was the last man standing, to avenge both his creator and his fallen comrades.
I'm loved how competent Renshaw was. Too many movie hitmen are dumb thugs unaware of lurking danger. Renshaw doesn't dismiss the box falling off as anomaly. He understands these toys are competent, trained humans. Actual killers tasked to kill him for real. He knows they will improvise. He anticipates their moves and takes away potential cover. We see why he has lasted so long in his profession.
@@cdsatcher well if you are sure you have eliminated all threats why would you rush out the house to do what? go grosseries all banged up catching everyone's attention?
I like to think that he counted all of the deaths, so when he took a bath he already knew that they all died, well except for the bonus suprise commando since it wasn't counted as part of the soldier count
@@kaiserdragon33 Because my brother in christ someone *literally* knows where he is. Hitman 101 clearly states if someone in the hood knows where you are you gtfo asap
I love the idea of a hitman, being so good at his job, and quite able to take down numerous high profile, political targets, with little to no resources, and then being mercilessly overwhelmed and taken down by a bunch of tiny little toys
@@basleals7285 I never said he was a soldier. I said he was a hitman, which is pretty much the same as an assassin. Also I was just pointing out the irony of it all.
I liked how the toys had accurate soldier behavior. You see them organizing, tending to the wounded, and even communicating with each other. It's always the small details that amaze you.
@@caelincoolz5814 Same! Mindless killing machines would have been boring, but seeing them help each other, strategize, ask for him to surrender, etc, all of it was awesome!
Can't say their operational planning was worth a shit, but they were pretty convincing in other areas. I was particularly pleased by the artillerymen sleeping while waiting for their next fire mission. Artillerymen and mortar infantry are notoriously lazy between fire missions.
I love how there's a lot more military accuracy to the toy soldiers compared to other action movies and just prove no matter how big the foe is the will and the termination can be the most dangerous weapon
This was one of my favorite Stephen King short stories. The premise is completely absurd and yet is executed so well because of the hitman's competency and realistic reactions to something so fantastic and impossible.
It's also impressive how dumb the guy is. Guy has never heard of a shield and armor...grab some cushions, pots, pans, blankets, maybe a sweater and winter jacket and a hoodie. edit: Or just run...
@@emmakai2243 that wouldn’t help it’d minimize the maximum damage he has been receiving but I wouldn’t want to stand infront of whatever blew down the door
That was pretty awesome to see. They weren't just mindless killing machines. They attacked when it was advantageous, retreated when necessary, and set a trap with the surrender letter. It was hard not to sympathize with them, especially when he violated one of the rules of the Geneva Convention and used a flamethrower, albeit an improvised one!
@@Nyrufa It's also possible that it wasn't a trap, and they were ready to defend themselves if he attacked or attack if he refused. It's possible that they would have accepted his surrender and confession to the murder.
growing up as a toy collector, having toys that could come to life would've been the dream. as a grown up, with a few still in possession, it'd be an treat if they avenged me if anything like this happened.
Steve Austin would jump and punch you in the face. Lol shivers... Or even worst you have neca Jason Freddy Micheal Chucky werewolf and pinhead your totally screw lol
What I want to know is how no one else in that apartment building heard any of what was going on. Seriously though, massive props to the digital and practical effects work.
I just imagine his upstairs neighbors having their stereo turned up to the max and the downstairs neighbors coming home from vacation to find that their place is full of bullet holes
The way the door gunner pulls the charging handle at 8:00 a couple of times to clear a jam shows more attention to detail than most realistic war movies.
I am unitonically surprised by not seeing comments on their bravery as the authors deliberately made them humain by giving them characters as you can see by one soldiers taping the other one on the shoulder, or them being bored around the cannon while watching the door they expevt him to appear from. What I can say is that they all as one fought for their factory stopping the crimminal from bringing destruction in this world, and the SF (commando) guy probably knew for sure that he's not coming back, as most of the SF guys back then. You can make a parallel with GWOT or Chechen wars but that would be too far-fetched even for irony. As to how they see their factory director, probably more like a godlike than a leader of father fogure for he created them all, not only the soldiers, but also their fellow 'people'. And holy shit 192 likes, and as I finished this comment already 200. Glad you share empathy for those little green guys with me, internet bois.
I was hoping the Green Fairy would have been the one to ultimately take him out, in truth. 'Like he is just hanging on by a thread after the explosion, but then the Fairy appears and finishes him. There needs to be more stories where toys come to life.
When I was a kid, I used to leave my toy soldiers scattered in places in our house and ask them to guard our house against criminals. I think it worked! We stopped being a child when we got serious in life.
This is one of my favorite installments in the series. What I liked best about it was that it was done with almost no dialogue. Just like one of my favorite _Twilight Zone_ episodes, "The Invaders."
While it's not really the same premise, Small Soldiers is a a movie about a sets of "Commando Elite" toys gaining sentience and attacking a kids house because he's "Harboring the Enemy". That could scratch the itch of "Fun-Sized Warfare" for ya.
The problem is, the killer was only the "weapon" wielded by the one who hired him. Sending the toy soldiers to the killer's home alone would not resolve the revenge.
Yea there should be a continuation for the one who had ordered the killing that would be dope. And then actually get into dept into the toy soldiers and their characters having to face off with the bodyguards and such.
@@InfamousX1000 When there are female soldiers in a movie, the movie will show them, Especially. because why wouldn't they. Lmao I do in fact making fun of movie's trope
Nah, you underestimate the stopping power of modern weaponry. Cloverfield had the same issue- a strafing run from an A-10 would've punched right through the brain casing and Maverick missiles (which can level buildings) wouldve easily blown off appendages. The scaled power of the weaponry used by the army men is not correct, basically; it's too low. Makes for fun storytelling though.
@@youllknowme2079 there you go. Yep, a few BLU 109's would've done Cloverfield just fine. Only problem is it's a mobile target, bunker busters don't do so hot on those, as they're intended for use on stationary targets. That's why I suggested Mavericks, which work just fine on vehicles.
Theory Given that the address was written in the mom’s handwriting, I believe that the mother did something to the toys in order to protect her son or at least avenge his death
@@gogglesveemon5551 Seeing the age of the toymaker and the picture itself, I would think the mother started the company and is long gone, but she originally did something to the toys or somehow got imprinted into them after departing, definitely some supernatural stuff going on there.
@@aetherfaust5907 It fits, the toys at the office would know how the assassin looks, the ones he encounters in his travel back kept tabs on his route, the one in the showcase confirms location.
The only problem is his slow reflexes and reactions. Plenty of times he could've taken them out by reacting quickly instead of gawking. Then again, the situation was highly unusual and could've warranted a few seconds of wonder at the very least.
Imagine the following horror: the hitmans' victim was not a toy factory owner, but a fanatic tabletop miniature collecter/3d modeller... Even some Warhammer40K factory-make titans are two feet tall, and their guns' size are similar to a real world pistol/SMG. Plus bonus suprises: tyranid invasion pack, Exterminatus, or greater daemon... Or a hardcore amime-fan victim. Macross or Gundam mecha models (plus heroes/heroines with minimum 20cm long sharp magic katanas...) are also fun to watch.
War Hammer 40K Emperor Class Titan are huge. Orcs are a plague that can continue to live even after killing it. I'm amazed you mention Macross. I'm kinda young and next to nobody knows it in my entourage.
I love toys being alive as a idea in movies, need more of them. Small soldiers and toy story influenced me in such a way that as an adult I still wish my lads would come to life.
GO SOLDIERS! THEY LITERALLY GAVE THEIR LIFE FOR THEIR CREATOR!ABSOLUTELY RESPECT.I am routing for soldiers. It's just very Brutal.LOVE THIS FOX RECAPS! (true fact: foxes are my favorite animal)
when I was a kid, my dad told me about an episode of the old black and white twilight zone similar to this. This old woman was in the house and there were little space men running about and she was stomping them and such and they were fighting her. At the end, when she had killed them all, it zoomed in on their little spaceship, and it said USA or NASA on the side. They had landed on a planet of giants.
Yes, the episode was entitled The Invaders, and it starred Agnes Moorehead. Honestly, this script really showcased just how brilliant of an actress she was. It was virtually a one woman show, and she did not have a single speaking line in it.
@@user-db9vy2gh3v The narrator was wrong, he was just knocked out. He was using a tranquilizer gun and it was also different from the gun he used to kill the factory owner.
It’s funny how there are movies with little killers being incredibly deadly like these movie, small soldiers and chucky. But at the same time there are movies of giants where human are almost completely useless against them
I guess the goal of most of these stories is to put humans in danger so that the audience has a threatening situation to identify themselves with. "There's a monster. How monster? So monster it would kill everyone." So you overpower the threat. This way the fight becomes more awesome. But I don't want to sound like I didn't appreciate your comment very much. I never saw that difference before.
man this would’ve been sick if the toy soldier we got as kids came to life and fought against each other instead of us having to pretend and use our hands
Anyone else spot the Zuni fetish doll on top of his trophy case, that little voodoo doll traumatised me so much that I refused to have a gap under my bed!!! The toy soldiers were all awesome, and performed so well in their own roles. The Rambo looking commando was the best though, even with its own made to scale thermonuclear weapon! Super cool!, RIP my little green friends, know that your creator has been avenged! Be warned though, keep an eye on that Zuni doll, that’s dangerous and can scar you for life!!!
For those who are questioning the validity of the Thermal Nuclear Weapon. The toys are modeled after Vietnam soldiers. During Vietnam, there were "commandos" who were trained to carry a backpack sized nuke into enemy territory. The "commandos" who were trained to handle said devices earned the Missileman Badge/Missile Badge, and were part of the US Air Force.
@@Blobby192 can you prove that it's a lie? I found something on Google called "suitcase nuclear device" that's pretty much what this guy just said, but I can't really find how it's related to Vietnam
Don't know where you got your "facts" from but you are totally wrong. No troops in Vietnam or any other conflict were trained to carry a suitcase bomb. The Missileman Badge was worn by airmen that were assigned as missile operations or maintenance crews (i.e. Titan, Atlas and Peacekeeper ICBMs INCONUS and Pershing Missiles in Europe). BTW, the US military does not use the term "commandos" and never has. The nuclear suitcase bomb was developed by both the US and USSR during the cold war for use as a sabotage or pre-emptive strike weapon by CIA assets, not for use by frontline troops. Their continued development and use was discontinued due to being overweight, under-powered (as far nukes go) and the possibility of utilization by terrorist groups. They were never fielded for use. Former SF member Michael Vickers claimed to have trained to deploy such a device but that wasn't until the mid-1980s. Even if true, that was only simulated in training.
In the 90's Twilight Zone did a similar story. Dad was a Vietnam Vet a drunk who suffered from PTSD. Beat his kid for playing with war toys. The toys came to life to protect the boy and killed the dad.
This movie is epic!!! The dream of any boy,leaving toy soldiers!!!The revenge of toy soldiers in one killer!!!Congratulations to all of them who make this movie!!!
A fitting nightmare for General Thaddeus Ross. Now he gets to feel what the Incredible Hulk feels... (within mortal bounds), being on the run from the military.
I like how movie criminals take off their mask after entering a guarded building... I mean, there could be cameras - and most probably are - inside too!
@@ikengaspirit3063 I get that he turned off the corridor and front of the house cameras, true, but the chance of highly guarded buildings having all cameras connected to one output is quite slim. In fact why even bother with the mask, he was filmed outside anyway.
@@milotic7339 I understand Scooberton's knowledge on this stuff, and I will admit it is all true older camera systems might get compressed into one output... And I guess it is possible to switch off a camera server like that for some facial stretching after wearing a mask for 2 minutes. Still, I wouldn't bet on it. And it is done in so many movies! I would guess it's because the actor needs the face to act, but at the same time there's not much happening, so might it be it's a cheap way for the writers to show the criminals are super prepared, clever and untouchable to the point they can theoretically take a dump at the same house and have a coffee?
_Battleground_ has, and will always be, my favorite Stephen King short story. Renshaw's fight for survival always leaves me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the toy soldiers themselves just sound cool as Hell.
The little things King puts in-like Renshaw feeling pain in his foot, looking down and seeing one soldier repeatedly bayoneting his foot. The soldier stops, looks up at Renshaw with a smile and malice shining in his tiny eyes like two pencil leads and returns to stabbing.
For anyone who likes this kind of stuff, may I recommend the book: "Toy Cemetery" by William Johnstone. I read it about 30 years ago and just never forgot the impact it had on me. That story was SO AWESOME in SO MANY ways. This movie reminds me of it, a little. It's about a town where evil is taking over the inhabitants and trapping the souls of people inside toy figures. There are toy soldiers, airmen in flying planes, little clowns, ballerinas, knights and Vikings, cowboys and Indians and so much more. They join up with a down on his luck, Vietnam Vet, who has turned to alcohol to fight his PTSD, and an old WW2 vet, turned preacher, to fight the evil and win back their souls. Now that I've seen this, I gotta read that book again! I always thought it could make a great movie, especially with today's CGI.
@@Poodleinacan TRUST ME. It is! I tried buying it on line, and I guess it's a collector's item, cuz the PAPERBACK is ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN BUCKS! WTF?
@@mikeyarmstrong4136 if you can, try going at a place that destroys books (yes, they exist). I worked at one, a small bit. They would get books from places in large quantities or varying books. Who knows the actual value of some of them, if they were to resale them, instead of simply selling the paper to be recycled regardless of the book. From it, I managed to save (while being at a post where we would remove covers) some nice books. Mainly old books, one of them was a book from one of the people running the place, a school book regarding many sciences from the 1850s (I tried checking for scans online and the exact edition/version isn't on there. Mine is considerably better and also better with printed carvings. Seriously, it talks about things ranging from velocity to Space (and how Mars was considered to have a dense atmosphere, back then) and Colt pistol (including the transcription of the user "manual" .... Which is very short) and the transcontinental telegram cable that was in the works)....... But the nice newer book I saved was "Half-Life: Rasing the bar". Seriously, this book goes for around 350$ or more online (and it's in great condition). I also found an old book about manners and etiquette from the 1910s. This one is interesting, because it was made here in Québec and it doesn't mention automobiles (only carriages). Most old book there we can buy are books about clergymen or something. I was able to find, in their books to sell, an old book about treating kidney diseases from 1912. It has recipes for remedies (which are more likely to only make you pee...) and fake pills for people who have nothing. An old recipe for medical soap (which is an ingredient for some remedies). It also mentions mercurial treatment for syphilis and also mentions the doctor that forefronted this treatment. The guy was truly clueless as to why the survival rate was very low, as excerpted. So yes. Try yourself at a place like that. Though, most of the workers at the place I was working at were mentally deficient.... But if you can ask for a request for a book, they will be sure to find it one day or the other.
Bravery and Honour to all of those Tiny Soilders who fought for a satisfying and True Revenge of the Owner s' Mother who might be the mother of all the toys. Never expected such steer determination and Unity of the Soilders , risking their Own lives. Toys too have hidden emotions of love and Anger like a human as per treatment of their real owner. RIP for those glorious warriors.
Battleground is one of my favorite weird little King short stories. They changed it a little bit to make it more interesting but not unforgivably so, and the animation and effects were actually pretty good. Love that they kept in the ending twist of the scale model nuke, lol.
@@sir.richardarmstrong3rd759 Crouch end as a story is frickin amazing, big fan of that. Thought they actually did pretty good with it, it's hard to get that one just right.
As a kid, I wanted something similar to this. I wanted soldiers, tanks, and aircraft from base-building strategy games to come to life and fight. And I want to be the size of those toys in the video.
@@cucadefrijoles735 Now that u mention it, I can recall of a game where u can make strategies to defend a point and be in the POV of a soldier, it's VR, but I can't remember his name
0:55, Renshaw wasn’t using a suppressed pistol, he was using a dart gun. Darts are subsonic and are normally launched close range using CO2, which is significantly quieter than gunpowder and supersonic rounds and even suppressed pistols.
Thank you - was looking for this - he clearly tranquilised the guards. You can see his real gun ( with suppressor ) at 1:39 after he has actually shot the target.
Honestly, so many details in the video are wrong. The soldiers "threw a cannonball?" You mean they launched an RPG? He even calls an Uzi, a very famous submachine gun, a "rifle".
@@BigRedDraken I think the terminology used determines whether or not the video can be monetized. You can talk about a rifle because hunting. You can't talk about an uzi because that's "a dangerous gun" This is all speculation, but I've seen it happen to a couple channels that use one of youtube's entirely-arbitrary "no-no" words.
VFX in that masterpiece are Oscar worth. Check out the amazing perspective characteristic in the macrophotography. It's all there, they think of everything.
So there are a lot of theories about the supernatural having a part in this, so I might as well as have fun too. Though it is a bit boring. My theory is that the girl renshaw met on the plane was Moris’s daughter/sister/someone of relevence to him. The thing that gets me is her reaction. Its not a look of confusion or awkwardness…its a look of shock. As in she recognizes where that toy is from. And if you pay attention to the timezones, it would line up with the whole movie. Its likely she saw Morris right before he closed and probably kept tabs on what had been sold. Right after, thats when Renshaw showed up and killed him…during closed hours. So, when she saw the toy, she is shocked to see why someone has a toy from Morris’s shop even though she just saw him right before closing. This also explains who was the receptionist that left the package at Renshaws door step. Yes, there are a few questions on how she would be able to find out things like where Renshaw lives, as others point out, the toy fairy is likely a tracker, Notice how it only turns right after he dies. What about having a set of killer toys on the get go? I think the fact that the only time we see her with Renshaw on the plane says a lot. Because he’s not just on a random part of the plane, he’s in first class…and she’s right there alongside with him. Which tells me that she’s a pretty big figure herself. Anyway, thats all I got, thanks for reading : )
Another thing that would support this is if the fairy toy was a part of a new production, and not on the market. Which would make the only way he could get one is to have been at the factory/shop.
I can agree to this, also I think this family of toy makers where dealing with either magic or very anomalous technology (like nano tech) to make said toys and such. We never know who hired the killer, we don't know why we are giving clues but maybe he was freelanced to kill this guy because he was a danger.
Well my army toys are just in their respective mid size canisters waiting for my return as The Commander. I never betrayed them as they didn't betrayed me all of these years. I love my army toys :)
@@yulkwon7526 if you sent a toy army as reinforcement sure but i know my toy armies well and they are absolutely not a threat. We should form an alliance hahaha
@@muhandez6484 the thing is I don't break toys, my friend. I value them whole. Especially to my toy collection. As for you if that is how you do it, go i won't stop you but i am not like you. Cheers :)
who knows how the toy creator cared for them or not, but the toys were beyond pissed when the assassin offed their creator since now they cannot be reproduced.
This reminds me of a cartoon in the UK's VIZ comic book called mini-SAS. It was about an old women had a miniature SAS platoon and a miniature Taliban group fighting each other in her house. They would burst out the cupboard in a little chopper when she went to get some biscuits lol.
I remember reading this story in a Stephen King book back in high school. I think it was 'Night Shift'. His books were always rare because they'd always get lifted from the library and our librarian quit ordering them. Study Hall for me was always a treat if I had book that I was really into. I just remember how this story ended-two passerby's walking beneath the high rise heard an explosion-and a bit of charred paper landed by them. They pick it up and it reads something like 'GI Joe Vietnam Foot Locker' and lists all of the toys inside. The last item listed was 'One Thermonuclear Device'.