Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers, directed by Paul Verhoeven and released in 1997, is a science fiction film that explores themes of fascism, militarism, and citizenship. The film is set in the future where Earth is threatened by a race of giant insects, known as the "bugs," and humanity must band together to defeat the enemy. The film follows protagonist, Johnny Rico, as he joins the military to fight against the bugs and eventually becomes an officer.

The film's satirical elements are particularly noteworthy, as it takes aim at the military-industrial complex and the concept of war as a solution to conflict. The film is not afraid to be bold and make commentary on the political landscape of the time, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. This satirical edge is what sets Starship Troopers apart from other science fiction films and is what makes it such a fascinating and thought-provoking work of art.

The film's visual effects are also top-notch, with the giant bugs being both fearsome and disgusting, making them the perfect enemy to fight against. The film also makes use of excellent special effects, particularly the scenes of battle, which are both chaotic and thrilling. The film's action is well choreographed and serves to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

One of the film's strengths is its portrayal of the characters, who are well-developed and memorable. Johnny Rico is the classic action hero, while his friends and comrades are equally interesting and unique. The film also features strong performances from its cast, particularly Casper Van Dien as Johnny Rico, who delivers a standout performance.

While some may argue that the film's humor is too over-the-top and detracts from the overall experience, it is important to understand that this is a deliberate choice made by Verhoeven. The film's humor serves to emphasize its satirical elements and reinforces its messages. The humor also adds an element of fun to what is otherwise a dark and intense film.

One of the strongest elements of "Starship Troopers" is its sharp, tongue-in-cheek commentary on fascism and military propaganda. Throughout the film, characters make bold statements about the importance of enlisting in the military and sacrificing for the greater good, all while caricatured military drills and propaganda videos are played for comic effect. The film's over-the-top take on these themes is both entertaining and thought-provoking, leaving the viewer with a lot to ponder long after the credits have rolled.

Overall, while "Starship Troopers" may not be for everyone, its unique blend of sci-fi action and satirical commentary is sure to leave a lasting impression on those who appreciate its distinct brand of humor and filmmaking style. Despite its flaws, this film is a must-see for fans of science fiction and action, and it's certainly deserving of an 8/10 rating.

I am blown away by how well this movie holds up after all this time. Don't get me wrong this is a solid B movie dressed up to look like a blockbuster. It has got some really cheesy moments but it all works really well. This movie is campy where it needs to be, cheesy and serious all at the same time.

It's clear they used a LOT of practical special effects wherever they could, mostly in human body parts and blood. This is a very gory movie, which I tend to shy away from, but in the way it is used here it works well. I love some of the lines like "they sucked out his brains!" it reminds me of campy 50's sci fi.

Despite this being a B(ish) movie they do a pretty good job at developing the characters. We see them as recent high-school graduates moving onto college or in this universe military training. We see them develop and grow as the story progresses. You end up caring what happens to these characters which for me is a mark of a well told story. Plus most of the human characters are used as cannon fodder against an unending tidal wave of baddies.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes action/sci fi movies with a TON of gore. Think of a cheaper, cheesier version of Aliens but with larger outdoor battle scenes that give the feeling of scale. Don't get me wrong this is not close to being as good as Aliens but it is still worth a watch.

In the future, humanity is under the rule of a worldwide neo-fascist military dictatorship fighting an alien civilization of giant space bugs. Citizenship is gained thru military service. Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) has low grades which leaves him joining the Mobile Infantry. Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) is infatuated with him and follows him into MI. Rico is in love with Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) but she chases her dreams of being a spaceship captain. Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris) gets into the highly coveted Military Intelligence.

Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven has a trashy stylish sensibility. His love of sex and violence really works in this sci-fi schlock. Casper Van Dien is perfect as the empty-headed matinée idol lead. For the hot action babes quotient, they have the sexy Dina Meyer and Denise Richards. For a hard nose leader role, they have the perpetually angry Michael Ironside. The cast, the style, the violence, the bugs, all of it makes a great hoot. The CG is pretty good for its times. The spacecrafts could be better but the bugs look scary. There is a neo-fascist satire to it all. Of course, some may love this for all the wrong reasons. I kinda love this for every reason. It's got the grotesque, the sci-fi, the battle action, the cheesy story, and I don't take any of it seriously.

This movie has levels. You can appreciate the action sequences and special effects just as much as the subtle, and not so subtle, undertones. Like Orwell's Animal Farm, with Starship Troopers you need to sometimes dig a little deeper into your IQ to more completely appreciate its genius.

This movie never fails to generate strong reactions, both positive and negative.

Much of the negative criticizes the wooden acting, soap-opera beautiful stars, and unreasonably military tactics that lead to an enormous human body count.

But that misses the whole point. The actors and plotlines are supposed to be caricatures of themselves. We are presented with a seemingly utopian society, where everyone is beautiful, the world is united under a single government, and patriotism is rampant.

The further the movie goes, the more the viewer realizes just how horrific this supposed utopia really is. Patriotism is exploited to trick young men and women into going off to a pointless war. The beautiful people are mercilessly chopped to pieces by their insectoid opponents. And the united world government uses its control of the media to brainwash the public into supporting this bloody war.

Yes, the Nazi symbolism is a little heavy-handed. But that's the whole point -- the intertwining of this "perfect" society with such a deeply evil subtext is supposed to be disturbing. What's even more disturbing is how close to our recent (American) history this movie truly is. Yes, it's a caricature, but it's a caricature of a very real and frightening phenomenon.

How different are the government propaganda ads in Starship Troopers from the "Loose Lips Sink Ships" campaign or the "10% for War Bonds" posters in 1940s U.S.? How dangerous is it to have a society where everyone looks the same, thinks the same, and acts the same, even to their own death? This is the message behind Starship Troopers, and it's a chilling one at that.

And for me, it works.