Buy it... if you have an affinity for the parody style of Jerry Goldsmith's The 'Burbs and don't mind hearing several of the composer's famous scores pulled together for a robust, militaristic barrage of comedy.

Avoid it... on the commercial album from Varèse Sarabande if you're in search of a piece of music you heard in the film itself, for it offers only one third of the music recorded for the production.

Goldsmith

Small Soldiers: (Jerry Goldsmith) In the earliest days of the Dreamworks studio, Joe Dante was given an opportunity to resurrect the popularity of his cute Gremlins, merging the concept of that film's catchy plot with that Toy Story to create a suburban battle field for action figures that come to life. The idea was perfect for Dante treatment, allowing technologically enhanced toys, almost believable in reality, to take on personalities of their own and, instead of resorting to horror, decide to go to war with each other. Funny in-jokes made Small Soldiers perhaps more suitable for adults than children, though the film didn't really take hold with either audience. Among one of the expected results of Dante's return was his continued collaboration with Jerry Goldsmith, which spanned from the early 80's to the composer's final score. Their previous work together, Matinee, was entertaining enough to merit some interest, but the score is largely forgettable. The same can't be said for Small Soldiers, for which Goldsmith provides one of his stronger scores for a Dante film. The composer's large-scale parody scores, especially those that expose his sense of humor, are typically quite enjoyable. For a score as purely wacky and fun as Small Soldiers, you have to journey back to The 'Burbs, and the two works share several similarities. The opening march for the "Assembly Line" is a bombastic, over-the-top play on Goldsmith's own Patton score, which not only would receive direct parody use later in the film, but would cause Small Soldiers to join The 'Burbs as the second such manipulation of the famous 1970 score by Goldsmith.

Sharp string rhythms, patriotic woodwinds, and light snare tapping yield to bold brass statements of the main theme in "Assembly Line," augmented by speaker-bouncing drum pads. This theme anchors a few action pieces throughout the score, though a secondary theme using much of the same instrumentation is introduced in "Prepare for Assault," likely to represent a different subsection of the toy soldiers. This secondary idea reappears prominently in "Trust Me." Unfortunately, the album gives no further extended treatment to the score's first and presumably primary theme (nor its dramatic string interlude, for that matter). Its structure, repeating the main thematic statement twice over a percussive and synthetic rhythm before venturing into a string interlude and eventually returning for one last main statement, mirrors Total Recall, The Shadow, and many other Goldsmith scores' primary themes. The lack of its well-incorporated use later in this score is curious. While Patton is an obvious reference point for both the action themes, the percussive barrage and string rhythms are pulled from Capricorn One and the heroic brass figures come from Air Force One. Goldsmith's other motifs for Small Soldiers include several singular performances on album that suggest that the 90-minute score has far more to offer than the 31-minute Varèse Sarabande album presents. A light family theme of sorts closes out "Assembly Line" and opens "Roll Call," though a different idea of warmth appears in "Alan and Archer," including tinkling electronics under pleasant strings that remind of The Shadow. Another melodramatic string theme variant in "Off to Gorgon" is even more impressive.

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A third theme of distinct "coolness" is heard for the first time on album at about 3:20 into "Roll Call" and its three note progression and echoing trumpets imitate both Patton and the Western-styled theme from The 'Burbs. This cue concludes with one of the score's bold references to the Civil War song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" (a piece still most famous on film in Dr. Strangelove). The remainder of the album has only a very few substandard moments, with most of the material offering pleasantries similar to Matinee. The only disruptive track is "Special Design," with shrieking synthesized string effects that are an obvious tug at the good old Bernard Herrmann library. There's a touch of Vertigo swirling in "Trust Me" as well. Overall, the score is both light-hearted and rambunctious, highly creative and begging for extended treatment on album. It needs to be noted that Small Soldiers represents the first of a series of Goldsmith scores in 1998 and 1999 that feature brilliantly outstanding sound quality. Given that Small Soldiers, Star Trek: Insurrection, The Haunting, and The 13th Warrior all feature this remarkably crisp sound despite being recorded at several different locations (Abbey Road, Todd AO, Newman Stage, etc), it's possibly due to a uniquely wet, vibrant mix provided to the music by engineer Bruce Botnick. No matter the reason, if you compare the ambience of Small Soldiers to, for instance, U.S. Marshals (from earlier in 1998), there is a vast improvement in sound. This extremely dynamic mix gives Small Soldiers yet another source of energy, and along with Goldsmith's blend of parody style and roaring militaristic performances, the score is an addictive joy. ****   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

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For Jerry Goldsmith reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.26 (in 113 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.32 (in 133,461 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.