Starship Troopers (1997)

Really Surprised!

Pretty Good

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

What a movie! I knew I'd like this film, being a fan of science-fiction action movies (ie Terminator, Aliens, StarGate, to name a few). While it does show military action in space and fighting alien bugs, I didn't read the book until later. I don't remember too much of the book but this was a fun ride. It's easily one of those love it or hate it films, much like Independence Day, but it did its job. Some of my favorites of the bugs included the warrior bugs and the tanker bugs. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. It's pure propaganda but it's fun propaganda!

In its satirical quality this is the worthy successor to 'Dr. Strangelove'. Probably the smartest film on fascism - and its appeal - ever made, yet cleverly disguised as a loud sci-fi extravaganza, this satire works well on every level. Over the top violence with an actual brain, this wickedly subversive gem is one I can't get enough of.

Movie Review: "Starship Troopers" (1997)Trademark director Paul Verhoeven delivers an exceptional Science-Fiction action movie that in retrospective has nothing lost even gained in motion picture entertainment factors in a noted 20th anniversary since release. The perfectly prepared 20-something cast plays up under Verhoeven's direction, creating a blueprint of a positive-thinking future generation even in extremest of situations, where female and male become unisex and equals in ever sense of free-loving and engaging sexuality, educational advancements, social status, psychological advantages and further career opportunities.The pace of the two hour 100 Million Dollar production, financed and distributed by TriStar and Touchstone Pictures respectively, could not be better due to cinematography by Jost Vacano, who shifts is cinematic eye from three- to two-shots into character close-ups, marking a real benefit in coverage for editor Mark Goldblatt. Furthermore the live-action shots, shot at Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, California combined with much more realistic-conceived miniature works of spaceships plus Computer-Generated-Imagery (CGI) enhancements as production design by Allen Cameron come to an action highlight of the 1990s at an desert fortress exterior location with beyond belief accelerated mass effects of charging alien bugs onto a constant true-staying starship trooper platoon, where each and every one has the others back, including machine gun magazine switches as well as fast-decision made mercy killings, in a science-fiction war scenario of a rarely seen honest representation of violence, blood-letting, glory and guts spreading velocity.If this would not be enough to enjoy this science-fiction movie, additionally gets the picture infused with Internet-forecasting newsreel interludes, where satire of constant 4th wall breaking moderators report on a menacing interstellar bug plague, hitting the spectator's attention, raising eyebrows, even a laugh in certain moments, when a ten-year-old blonde boy in full body armor and machine gun in his hand states that he wants to do his part for humanity's balanced peace-keeping as well.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

Released in 1997 and directed by Paul Verhoeven, "Stormship Troopers" is a sci-fi adventure satire taking place in the 23rd century where high school kids are encouraged to become "citizens" by joining the fascist military where, after boot camp, they find themselves engaged in a full-scale war against a planet of malevolent insects. The protagonists are played by Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick Harris, Jake Busey and Patrick Muldoon. Michael Ironside is on hand as a teacher/officer while Clancy Brown appears as a drill instructor.Right out of the gate the film blatantly advertises that it's not a straight interpretation of Robert A. Heinlein's sci-fi novel. No, this is a full-blown SATIRE showing how easily government and the influence of a biased media can make blatant fascists of any of us, particularly in times of war. Look no further than the Nazi-like uniforms of the good guys. If you get the joke, "Starship Troopers" is very amusing. I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions throughout the first half. Verhoeven captures a uniquely enjoyable tone.Unfortunately, the film gets redundant in the second half with the soldiers constantly shooting bullets into the colossal-insect antagonists. And, since we can't take the story & characters seriously, the movie is unable to sustain attention at 129 minutes. It would've been more effective at around 90 minutes. But, if you can handle the over-length and redundancy, this is a well-done and entertaining sci-fi satire.The film runs 129 minutes and was shot in Powder River, Wyoming; Badlands, South Dakota; and Malibu, Agoura Hills, Long Beach, Fountain Valley, Los Angeles and Culver City (studio), California.GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)