Toy Soldiers *** (1991, Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Keith Coogan, Andrew Divoff, R Lee Ermey, Mason Adams, Denholm Elliott, Louis Gossett Jr) – Classic Movie Review 6735

Director Daniel Petrie Jr’s engaging 1991 movie stars the 20-year-old cheeky-faced cherub Sean Astin as Billy Tepper, whose title gang of naughty but nice schoolboys do good when Luis Cali (Andrew Divoff)’s evil Colombian terrorists take over their boarding school campus to take the boys as hostages. Of course the gung-ho rebel boys decide to fight back instead of being obedient hostages, naturally a dangerous course of action with Colombian terrorists.

Petrie’s junior-league little action thriller is a preposterous and old-fashioned yet fast-moving and endearing entertainment. The spunky performances of the boys and Louis Gossett Jr as the Dean, as well as Daniel Petrie Jr’s lively direction (in his debut), ensure that the film delivers a good punch of pleasure.

Wil Wheaton plays Billy’s buddy Joey Trotta, the son of the head of the New York Mafia. But what is Britain’s Denholm Elliott doing, though, giving a slapstick performance as the school Headmaster? He is quoted as saying: ‘When I take a job I can always come up with ten different ways of doing the part. But I’ll always choose the flashiest one. You’ve got to dress the window a bit.’ This normally worked brilliantly for him, but not here alas.

The US Army, US Defence and even the FBI helped on the making of the film – isn’t that a bit worrying, eh?

Toy Soldiers is a real boys’ own picture with no on-screen parts for women. Also in the cast are Keith Coogan, R Lee Ermey, Mason Adams, T E Russell, George Perez, Shawn Phelan as Derek, Michael Champion, Max Manwell, Joe Inscoe and Tracy Brooks Swope as the voice of Jennifer.

Toy Soldiers is directed by Daniel Petrie Jr, runs 112 minutes, is made by Island World, is released by Columbia Tri-Star, is written by Daniel Petrie Jr and David Koepp, based on the novel by William P Kennedy, is shot by Thomas Burstyn, is produced by Jack E Freedman, Wayne S Williams and Patricia Herskovic, and is scored by Robert Folk.

Sean Astin was born on February 25, 1971.

Sean Astin, for ever Sam Gamgee, turned 47 on 25 February 1971.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6735

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