L'École des héros

Original title: Toy Soldiers

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

26K

YOUR RATING

Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Keith Coogan, George Perez, and T.E. Russell in L'École des héros (1991)

Play trailer0:31

3 Videos

44 Photos

Action Drama Thriller

A group of troublemaking boys decide to take a stand when terrorists seize control of their boarding school.A group of troublemaking boys decide to take a stand when terrorists seize control of their boarding school.A group of troublemaking boys decide to take a stand when terrorists seize control of their boarding school.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

26K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Videos3

Toy Soldiers: I Don't Have A Lot Of Patience

Photos44

+ 38

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The scene where Billy eats a banana and throws the peel in the trash is improvised, including Dean Parker's response: 'Pick up that banana'. Before the cameras started rolling, Sean Astin asked a prop guy for a banana and then proceeded to eat it during the take, even adding a roll of the eyes when asked to pick up the peel. Aside from Louis Gossett, Jr., actor reactions were pretty much genuine.

Goofs
When Cali fires his pistol at the Soldiers trying to get into the headmaster's office while holding onto Billy, there are more shots heard than are actually fired.

Quotes
Jonathan "Snuffy" Bradberry: Man, this stuff is great. It's opening up my lungs, it's making me breathe easier.
Ricardo Montoya: Evidently it's making you fart easier, too.
Jonathan "Snuffy" Bradberry: I didn't fart.
Ricardo Montoya: It's the first rule of prep school etiquette. When you're in a basement with no windows, don't fart.
Jonathan "Snuffy" Bradberry: No, the first rule of prep school etiquette is to pretend you're asleep when your roommate's beating off.
Henry "Hank" Giles, III: No, the first rule of prep school etiquette is to wait until your roommate falls asleep before beating off.
Jonathan "Snuffy" Bradberry: Was that a personal remark directed at me, roommate?
Henry "Hank" Giles, III: Choke your chicken. It's yours.
Jonathan "Snuffy" Bradberry: You slap your monkey all the time! I can't sleep at night!

Alternate versions
TV prints cut out the phone sex scene at the beginning.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Oscar/Toy Soldiers/A Kiss Before Dying/Citizen Kane 50th Anniversary/A Rage in Harlem (1991)

User reviews87

Featured review

6/10

unreal but watchable thriller

Colombian terrorist Luis Cali is ruthless in trying to rescue his drug lord father Enrique Cali but he's been secretly sent to America. His group infiltrates into the US to take over The Regis School for boys run by the Headmaster (Denholm Elliott). One of the kids is the son of the judge presiding over Cali's trial but he's been taken into protective custody. However the terrorists find other sons of powerful men. One of them is mobster's son Joey Trotta (Wil Wheaton). Dean Parker (Louis Gossett Jr.) is outside with the police. Billy Tepper (Sean Astin) is the lead delinquent in a school full of delinquents.

The terrorists release all the staff except the headmaster. Also they give the kids just enough freedom. All of it is aim to jerry-rig the situation where the kids make a plan to overcome the terrorists. I don't think any terrorist would just let their hostages walk around. It's a kiddie John McClane with a lot of unlikely twists and turns. The plot is unrealistic but it's still a watchable thriller.